The Scottish Isles

Your Scottish Isles expedition cruise begins in Greenock, the port city of Glasgow, where you will arrive independently and board your ship in the afternoon. After settling in to your comfortable cabin and enjoying a welcome cocktail, there will be voyage and safety briefings before your captain steers the ship out of the port and along the scenic coast of Greenock.

The first stop on our journey will take us to the small Inner Hebride island of Islay where we will hop in the Zodiacs to land at the Bunnahabhain distillery for a fun day of whisky tasting. Islay is renowned for its malt whiskies and has a total of eight working distilleries, making whisky one of the most important sources of income for the island. After a tour of the distillery Bunnahabhain to gain some insight on the whisky making process, you can enjoy a well-deserved tasting session.

Afterwards we will hope to enjoy a walk or a cruise around the area, which is home to about 3200 people and 130 miles of impressive coastline, to look for wildlife including seals and otters, and the abundant birdlife that can be found here such as golden eagles, waders and geese.

This morning will begin with a visit to the small pilgrimage island of Iona which is steeped in Christian history and is considered the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. The island is known for the famous Iona Abbey which was founded by St Columba in AD 563 and is one of the most sacred religious places in all of western Europe. Our visit here will allow you to learn all about the Abbey’s rich history, including its many Viking attacks and its slightly more recent reconstruction. There will be free time to explore around the Abbey and you may enjoy a guided walk around the small, picturesque town.

In the afternoon we will move on to the beautiful harbour town of Oban, which is known as the capital of the Scottish west coast and offers an insight into the typical Scottish city life. Here you can enjoy some free time to explore around the town and we recommend a walk up to the famous McCaig’s Tower and a visit to the Oban War and Peace museum. If you fancy some more whisky, you may also wish to visit the small whisky distillery here.

This morning we will awake along the coast of the small isle of Staffa where the unforgettable sight of its iconic hexagonal basaltic pillars will greet us. These geological formations are a natural marvel, and we will spend some time learning all about them and getting as close as possible for photo opportunities. We will hope to make our way into Fingal’s cave and will also be on a constant lookout for the marine wildlife and birdlife that can often be found here including dolphins, minke whales and porpoises, as well as herring gulls and puffins.

Next up is the mountainous island of Rúm where you can take an adventurous nature walk over the rugged landscapes or join a guided tour of the famous Kinloch Castle.

Today we arrive among the stunning St. Kilda archipelago and make our way to the isolated and uninhabited island of Hirta to enjoy a full day of exploration around this UNESCO listed area. Medieval villages and architecture, spectacular natural landscapes, hidden coves and the UK’s highest sea cliffs are all on the list for discovery today as we journey around this volcanic archipelago.

As a breeding ground for many important seabird species, the birding opportunities here are endless and you may be likely to encounter puffins, northern fulmars and gannets, Leach’s petrels and maybe even the endemic St Kilda wren. We will also be on the lookout at sea for humpback whales, and maybe even orcas! Today will be a thrilling day filled with history, unforgettable scenery and wildlife.

We now continue along the northwest coast of Scotland and make our way to the remote Outer Hebrides archipelago where we will arrive at the main island of Lewis and Harris, the largest island in Scotland. This rugged, yet especially beautiful island is home to the scenic harbour town of Stornoway and it is here where we will spend the morning.

An optional bus excursion today (costs apply) will allow you to discover more of the island and its wild and starkly beautiful scenery as you travel to the famous Neolithic Callanish Standing Stones. Should you wish not to join the excursion you can spend an enjoyable few hours wandering around this popular town. You may wish to visit Lews Castle, or simply soak up the atmosphere at the local cafes and bars.

Before lunch we will get back on board to enjoy a circumnavigation of the Shiant islands which should reward in sightings of great numbers of seabirds in this protected marine area.

In the waters off north east Scotland we will find the unique and magical group of islands known as the Orkneys. We will make our way to Mainland, the main island in the archipelago, and make land at the bustling, busy town of Kirkwall.

Should you wish to join the optional excursion (costs apply), you will head across the rolling gentle landscapes into the Neolithic Heartland of Orkney, an area designated as a World Heritage Site due to its wealth of pre-historic archaeology. Having driven by the Standing Stones of Stenness, you will arrive at the Ring of Brodgar, a much-photographed 5000 year old ceremonial circle. We will then head deeper into history as we visit the Neolithic village of Skara Brae, Northern Europe's Pompeii, to learn all about how this ancient settlement lay hidden for almost 5000 years before a storm 150 years ago revealed 10 small homes made of stone.

Upon return to Kirkwall we will raise a glass in commemoration of our memorable voyage as we visit a local distillery for a final dram.

In the late afternoon we will get back on board to sail towards Aberdeen.

Your Scottish Isles cruise comes to an end in Aberdeen, Scotland’s third largest city, where it will be time to disembark and bid a fond farewell to your expedition crew and new-found friends.