This cruise sails to the most beautiful seabird islands, from the Scottish Islands to the Shetlands and the Faroes Islands. The channels between the Scottish islands offer some of Europe’s best whale and dolphin watching. Sailing through the sounds and fjords of these
islands surrounded by perpendicular walls of basalt is a breathtaking experience. When on deck, always keep an eye out for Minke Whales. These small baleen whales are sleek, fast moving and often solitary but can be quite curious about boats, approaching and swimming around and under a vessel. Acrobatic White-beaked Dolphins, and Orcas (Killer Whales)
are also sometimes encountered, along with the smallest of cetaceans in British waters,
the elusive and solitary Harbour Porpoise.The bird population of the Faroes is one the
densest of the world with 49 species breeding regularly.
Our journey to the Faroes, Shetland and Hebrides is an island-hopping adventure. We visit Britain’s remotest islands – the lonely outpost of St. Kilda, which boasts huge bird colonies, Fair Isle, with its gannets and Foula, where a handful of people share their island home with thousands of Arctic Skuas, Great Skuas and Arctic Terns, while the surrounding seas are the domain of seals and Sea Otters. We may also come across whales and dolphins. While on land we visit renowned archaeological sites, such as the Picten Broch on Mousa and the 18th century village on North Rona.
The Faroes are peppered with fishing villages and have a rich Norse Heritage. Cruising the narrow sounds that cut through this ancient volcanic archipelago, we sail beneath precipitous, 500m high basalt cliffs. On the islands of Skuvøy, Fugløy and Mykines, the sight of thousands of Guillemots, Kittiwakes and Puffins is breathtaking - and the sound deafening. Pilot Whales occur in Faroese waters as well as Bottlenose, Fin and Killer Whales, and Grey Seals. While on shore we visit the important Norse remains at Kirkjubøur. On two of these voyages, we will have a good possibility to observe the Annular Eclipse on May 31.
Your Itinerary
Day 1:
Aberdeen - Sailing
Arrive in Aberdeen, famed as the granite city and many times a winner of the Britain in Bloom competition. After embarking, we set sail past the lighthouse on Girdle Ness, to the south as the North Sea is reached, which was designed by the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson.
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Day 2:
Fair Isle - Shetlands
At Fair Isle, in the Shetlands, we are welcomed by the 70 or so inhabitants (famed for their knitwear, examples of which we will see) and walk to the bird observatory. Later, on Mousa, one of the smaller Shetland Islands, we visit one of the best preserved brochs in Scotland. Brochs are circular stone towers probably built by the Picts. During a night excursion we watch thousands of Storm Petrels return to their burrows or crevices. By day we view Grey Seals, Black Guillemots, Red-throated Divers, Arctic Skuas and a wonderful spring flora.
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Day 3:
Foula
Our next stop is the small island of Foula, home to one of the largest colonies of Great Skuas in the northern hemisphere. We go ashore and walk among its small ponds, where Red-throated Divers cruise to and fro, and gaze down from its spectacular cliffs, (The Noup), which are crowded with nesting seabirds. Arctic Terns and Arctic Skuas complete an impressive array of birds – but they are not the sole inhabitants of Foula. We call on the islanders who number about 30 and are usually rather pleased to have visitors.
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Day 4:
Faroer Islands - Skuvoy
Today we reach Skuvøy, in the Faroes, where the Viking Brestisson, who brought Christianity to the islands, is buried. Some way west of the village there is a splendid view of a cliff that is home to a huge colony of breeding Common Guillemots. The islanders still collect eggs from the nests each year.
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Day 5:
Mykines - Streymøy - Saksun
If the weather is favourable, we plan to land on the rocky island of Tindholmur or Mykines, where thousands of Puffins and other seabirds nest. On wave-lashed Mykines, where colonies of Gannets breed, the local people still catch seabirds for food and the island’s tiny village is one of the prettiest in the Faroes. Later in the day we sail to the famous bird cliffs near Vestmanna on the island of Streymøy. Using Zodiacs, we can enter and explore the labyrinth of caves along the coast and slowly drift beneath the towering cliffs as tens of thousands of birds fly to and from their nesting sites above and all around us – the sight is breathtaking and the sound deafening! Alternatively, we continue along the dramatic north coast of the Faroes, where we pass several huge seabird colonies to reach Saksun. Here there is a National Heritage Museum, tucked away at the head of a fjord which was once a superb natural harbour. Today the bay is full of sand and is only accessible by Zodiac at high tide.
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Day 6:
Fugloy - Svinoy -Nolsoy
We land at Fugloy, which translates as ‘Bird Island’, and has large colonies of Common Guillemots. For the energetic the climb up Eystfelli (400 m) allows a close approach to the breeding seabirds and also offers a splendid view across the Faroes to the west. Alternatively we land at Svinoy, a friendly village surrounded by breeding colonies of Arctic and Great Skuas. In the afternoon we arrive in Torshavn, the capital of the Faroes, where we recommend a stroll around the historic quarter of Tinganes. Clustered around the harbour, its many turf-roofed and tarred cottages are unique in the world. The walkers among us can opt for an exciting two-hour hike across the hills to Kirkjubøur, to visit its 11th century cathedral and heritage museum. In the evening we sail to Nolsoy, which is famous for its huge colony of storm petrels. At night we set off of foot to view the birds, when they return from feeding out at sea.
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Day 7:
Sudurøy
Today we land at the uninhabited and inaccessible island of Stora Dimun. Located north of Sudurøy, the southernmost of the Faroe Islands, this storm-pounded rocky island is home to a number of sea bird species.
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Day 8:
Annular Eclipse
In the early morning of May 31 (Voyage O2), if the weather allows, we will observe the annular eclipse, half way between the Faroes and Hebrides. Because the moon is at its furthest from earth and the sun at its closest, a ring of sun remains around the black disc of the eclipse, which for this reason is known as an annular eclipse. Out in the Atlantic to the north-west of Scotland lie the tiny islands of North Rona and Sula Sgeir. We land on North Rona to see the seabird colonies and the UK’s third largest colony of Grey Seals. Remains of an 18th century settlement on North Rona are still visible but today the only inhabitants are the seals and sea birds. Leach's Petrels can be heard calling from their nesting burrows in the ruined walls of a small church in the ‘village'. Nearby Sula Sgeir is the last island in Britain on which Gannets are harvested annually. There will be spectacular views of its cliffs as we sail around.
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Day 9:
St. Kilda
To the west of North Uist lies remote and abandoned St Kilda. Built of volcanic rock, this tiny group of islands boasts spectacular 400m high cliffs, the highest in Britain, which host the largest seabird colony in the country. St Kilda is so isolated it has its own sub-species of birds and mice, and its sheep, the Soay, were probably brought here by Stone Age man over 5,000 years ago. Until 1930 St. Kilda was inhabited, but then the last of the islanders departed, leaving a handful of windswept ruins, though there is also a military base which may be visited.
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Day 10:
Mingulay - Berneray - Pabay - Mingulay
The small islands of Mingulay, Berneray and Pabay, to the south of South Uist, are a nature reserve and teeming with sea birds during the breeding season. Large numbers of Razorbills, Guillemots, Black Guillemots, Puffins, Fulmars, Shags and five species of Gull are drawn by its cliffs and caves, which offer safe nesting sites. The old village on Mingulay is a reminder of a way of life that has all but gone - the last of the islanders left in 1912, abandoning their life of fishing, collecting seabirds and eggs for food and trading feathers. If the weather is poor we will sail to Canna, one of the 'Small Isles’ of the Inner Hebrides, whose handful of inhabitants live from farming. As we walk along the cliff top, where the rare Loose-flowered Orchid grows, we may see majestic Golden Eagles, White-tailed Eagles and Peregrine Falcons.
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Day 11:
Oban
We disembark at Oban, a pretty harbour town on the west coast of Scotland. From there we take the train to Glasgow, a marvellous journey through one of the most scenic parts of the Scottish Highlands, to join our homeward flights.
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Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Voyage aboard the vessel as per itinerary
All meals aboard, incl snacks, coffee, tea
All shore excursions by Zodiac
Lectures by naturalists; experienced expedition staff
Transfers & baggage handling between
hotels, airports and ship only for those
passengers on group flights in Spitsbergen
Misc. services
Taxes & port charges
Not included:
Airfare, on scheduled or charter flights
Pre- and post land arrangements;
Transfers to/from the vessel outside
Spitsbergen/Greenland
Passport & visa expenses
Arrival and departure taxes
Meals ashore
Baggage, cancellation and personal insurance
Excess baggage charges
Items of personal nature
Gratuity to ship personal
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
Scotland
Norway
Outdoor: Water Drifter
Boating and Sailing
Ecotourism
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