Scottish Isles, Jan Mayen & Spitsbergen

Independently arrive in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland and starting point of our expedition. An overnight hotel stay has been included for you tonight to allow you some time to explore this beautiful city and its famed medieval architecture and rich history.

After some breakfast at the hotel and some free time to further explore the city on day 2, in the afternoon you will join a group transfer from the hotel to Leith port to board your luxury Polar vessel M/v Sea Spirit. Settle in to your cabin, explore your new surroundings and prepare for the Arctic adventure that lies ahead.

The first port of call on your Arctic expedition will be the Orkney Islands, and the quiet town of Kirkwall is where we will anchor. Kirkwall is the capital town of the remote and beautiful Orkney archipelago and it has a rich heritage that is a delight to explore. You can join an included tour of the “Ancient treasures of Orkney” as well as a tour through the St Magnus Cathedral, considered the finest medieval building in the north of Scotland.

Your tour will take you through the gentle rolling landscape of Orkney and into the Neolithic Heartland; an area designated as a World Heritage Site due to its wealth of pre-historic archaeology. You will see the Standing Stones of Stenness as well as the Ring of Brodgar; a huge ceremonial circle of stones dating back almost 5000 years. You tour will also include a visit to the 5000-year-old village of Skara Brae where you can see the remarkable Neolithic village which was revealed from beneath the sand dunes by storms just 150 years ago.

Day 4 will bring us to Fair Isle in the sub-Arctic Shetland Islands archipelago. Fair Isle is located approximately half way between the Orkneys and the Shetlands and is a birdwatchers paradise. The lush grasslands and spectacular cliffs of the isle are teeming with birdlife and over 345 different species have been recorded here, the highest number for anywhere in the British Isles. Whilst exploring this beautiful island you can hope to see a variety of species including Arctic and Great skuas, Northern fulmars, Northern gannets, kittiwakes and puffins.

Unforgettable scenery greets us as we arrive in Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands, on Streymoy Island. A bright blue sea with colourful houses popping up on the landscape of the deep-green hills teeming with birds...National Geographic Traveller has described the Faroe Islands as “authentic, unspoiled and likely to remain so”.

Today we will explore around this unique city where history meets modernity, with picturesque old turfed houses and modern buildings standing side by side.

You can spend your day at sea soaking up the luxuries of your unique polar vessel. Enjoy the onboard recreation facilities, share a drink or meal with your shipmates, attend an informative lecture or talk, relax in the library or spend time on deck watching seabirds follow the ship and looking for whale sightings.

After a relaxing day at sea, in the morning the breathtaking landscapes of Jan Mayen Island will come in to view. Home to the Beerenberg, the northernmost subaerial active volcano on the planet, Jan Mayen is wild and uninhabited (apart from some Norwegian weather station employees). During your time here we may take a visit to the weather station or enjoy a spot of birdwatching in search of the Northern fulmars, Kittiwakes, and Brünich’s guillemots that breed on the steep cliffs and slopes of the island.

Continue to relax at sea enjoying the comfort of your luxury expedition ship. Enjoy lectures and presentations from your onboard experts who will offer insights and prepare you for your forthcoming encounters with the unique Arctic wildlife and awesome landscapes of Spitsbergen.

As the awe-inspiring landscapes of Spitsbergen come into view this is where your true High Arctic wilderness experience gets even more exciting. The spectacular fjords, coasts, and islands in the western part of Svalbard are a haven for wildlife and your ship will traverse through these lands in search of the polar bears, Arctic fox, reindeer, walrus, a variety of whales and an abundance of birds that call these lands their home.

This is a true expedition style cruise and as such the route taken will be heavily dependent on ice and weather conditions. Your experienced captain and expedition leaders will decide the itinerary and continually adjust plans as conditions and opportunities warrant. You can be assured that the best possible advantage will be taken to explore as much of this wild and remote corner of the Arctic as possible.

Throughout your time here you will experience some of the archipelago’s most impressive scenery and some of the Arctic’s best wildlife viewing opportunities. Deep fjords and narrow channels are flanked by jagged snowy mountain peaks and immense tidewater glaciers calve icebergs into turquoise waters.

Your days will be filled with exciting Zodiac excursions and land visits, and as well as the scenery and wildlife there will also be time to discover the rich history and geological features of the area including the historical remnants of whaling camps, coal mining operations, trappers’ cabins, staging areas for historic attempts to discover the North Pole, and even an abandoned polar research station.

After breakfast you will bid farewell to your shipmates in the town of Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of Svalbard. A transfer to the airport for your included flight to Oslo will be provided. You may wish to spend some further time here and if so, be sure to see the excellent Svalbard Museum and take advantage of the quality cultural and dining opportunities in this fascinating Arctic settlement. There are numerous further Arctic tours available from Longyearbyen, so please feel free to get in touch with us for advice and tips for extending your trip.