The British Isles & Ireland

Your journey will begin with an included overnight stay at the Hilton Garden Inn, near Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 2. The following morning, a relaxing motorcoach transfer will take you to the English port city of Portsmouth where you will board the deluxe Sea Spirit expedition ship in the afternoon. After settling in to your beautiful suite you can join the crew on deck to watch the city fade behind as you begin your adventure.

Your first stop will bring you to the small group of islands off the coast of Cornwall called the Isles of Sicily, where we will visit the delightful sand-fringed island of Tresco. Here we will visit the Benedictine abbey to see the exquisite Tresco Abbey Garden as well as the Valhalla Museum to see its collection of colourful figureheads salvaged from the islands’ shipwrecks. There will also be time to soak up the relaxed atmosphere and visit the lovely cafes and local shops of this historic area that is also home to Bronze age burial sites and romantic 17th century castle ruins.

We will now make our way to the Republic of Ireland for two days of exploration around some of the lesser-known but equally beautiful areas of this welcoming and exceptionally scenic country. Our first stop will take us to Dunmore East in the county of Waterford where we will take a drive through the countryside to visit the House of Waterford Crystal to take a guided tour of the factory and see the world’s biggest collection of Waterford Crystal wares. You may also be able to visit the beautiful Lismore Castle gardens.

We will then make our way to the Saltee Islands on Ireland’s east coast. Here we hope to visit Great Saltee, the largest of the islands, to see Ireland’s most famous bird sanctuary. A treat for the birding enthusiasts among us, you can expect sightings of an impressive array of birds including Manx Shearwaters, Puffins, Gulls and Gannets amongst many others.

Leaving the island of Ireland behind for now, we now make our way back to the British mainland to visit Wales. Our plan here is to arrive at Llandudno, a vibrant seaside town that is the perfect place from which to begin our overland tour of Snowdonia National Park. This exceptionally scenic journey will see you travelling through some of Britain’s most dramatic landscapes, with flowering meadows, striking mountains, woodlands, waterfalls and lakes creating the ultimate backdrop. You can also keep an eye out for the wildlife that is often found here including water voles, wild ponies, otters and unique birdlife. We also hope to take a visit to the traditionally welsh town of Betws-y-Coed in the Gwydyr Forest, as well as enjoying a visit to Conwy Castle, considered by UNESCO as "one of the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe" .

Today we make our way back to the island of Ireland, to visit Northern Ireland this time and the unforgettable UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Giant’s Causeway. This morning we will dock at the vibrant seaside town of Portrush and take the short journey overland to see this geological masterpiece that is steeped in mythology (the locals will tell you it was created by the giant Finn McCool as a way to get to Scotland to fight a Scottish giant!). As we take a walk around the huge hexagonal basalt columns that are stacked high looming out of the sea and learn all about their being, you can also be on a lookout for the various seabirds that are often seen here including guillemots, razorbills, petrels, fulmars, cormorants, shags and much more.

Today we will find ourselves off the west coast of Scotland as we begin our exploration of the Hebrides archipelago, with our first stop planned to be the fascinating uninhabited island of Staffa in the Inner Hebrides. Weather permitting, we will hope to take a Zodiac cruise to the famous Fingal’s Cave to see more extraordinary hexagonal basalt pillars and look out for the nesting sites of various seabirds.

Later we will hope to visit the small island of Iona to visit the beautiful Iona Abbey which was founded in 563 AD and is one of the most sacred and historic places in all of Scotland, as well as being one of the oldest Christian religious centres in Western Europe. There will be time for a stroll around the area and you may wish to visit the graveyard where it is said that Macbeth is buried and enjoy some time along the tranquil white sandy beaches.

Day 9 will take us to the rugged islands of the Outer Hebrides where we will visit St Kilda, the most isolated of this archipelago which is also known as the Western Isles. On this striking uninhabited island we will see some of the British Isles’ most dramatic scenery and discover the old stone buildings and storehouses that tell the tales of the hardy island inhabitants of yesteryears. A walk around the area will reward in sightings of thousands of seabirds, unique flowering plants and sheep.

Later that day we may also make a sail-by of Stac Lee, a sea stack about four miles northeast of St. Kilda’s main island of Hirta, to see the world’s largest colony of northern gannets.

We now arrive at the Orkney Islands where we will dock at Stromness to join an overland tour of Mainland, the largest island in the group. 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 Ring of Brodgar; a huge ceremonial circle of stones dating back almost 5000 years; and visit 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.

The tour concludes in the historic port of Kirkwall, a quiet town which is the capital of the archipelago and is a delight to explore. You may wish to visit the St Magnus Cathedral or simply enjoy some free time wandering through the charming streets and soaking up the town’s unique atmosphere.

Today we will visit Fair Isle, an isolated and rugged spot in the beautiful Shetland Islands, where picturesque lighthouses, historic crofts and abundant birdlife will be sure to delight. Here you can enjoy some time in one of Europe’s best places to watch seabirds, especially puffins, at close range and you will also have the chance to see and purchase hand-knitted Fair Isle woollen goods which have made the island famous.

Our last full day on board, as we sail towards Edinburgh, will take us to the uninhabited volcanic rock island of Bass Rock where we will hope to experience one of the most impressive birding sights of the whole trip. The island plays host to the world’s largest colony of northern gannets in the breeding season and this expedition has been perfectly timed to coincide with this spectacle that brings over 150,000 of these magnificent birds. Witnessing this truly remarkable wildlife wonder will be the perfect way to round off our fantastic British Isles and Ireland expedition.

We will also hope for time to visit the nature reserve on the Isle of May, where we can expect to see huge colonies of seabirds, Harbor and Grey seals, as well as impressive historic architectural sites.

Your voyage concludes in Edinburgh and after breakfast and disembarkation a transfer will be provided either to the airport or to a downtown location should you wish to extend your stay here.