Reiseverlauf

Reiseverlauf abhängig von Wetter- und Eislage. Beschriebene Naturerlebnisse/Tiersichtungen sind mögliche Ereignisse auf den Expeditionen und nicht garantiert.

• Tag 1 - Embark in Glasgow (Fairlie)

  Embark in Glasgow (Fairlie)

  Start in Scotland's vibrant city of culture A former industrial powerhouse, Glasgow has reinvented itself as a cultural hot spot, packed with museums, galleries, and parks. Discover the splendid Art Nouveau architecture of Charles Rennie Mackintosh before your expedition cruise begins. You’ll embark your ship MS Spitsbergen in Fairlie, a small community outside of Glasgow. Lying on the shores of the Firth of Clyde and nestled against a backdrop of the North Ayrshire Hills, this area is known for coastal towns that boast both Viking heritage and scenic walks. Get to know the ship before meeting the Expedition Team – your guides for the adventure ahead. Enjoy your first onboard dinner as we set sail.

• Tag 2 - Beautiful Isle of Arran

  Beautiful Isle of Arran

  Discover Arran’s Grandeur Welcome to Arran, an island cloaked in heather. Known as ‘Scotland in miniature’, Arran’s varied landscape is split by the Highland Boundary Fault, giving the island its distinctive highland peaks in the north and lush lowlands in the south. Why not try a hike with views of the craggy peaks of Goat Fell and see if you can spot Scotland’s ‘Big Five’: the Golden Eagle, red deer, red squirrel, otter and harbour seal, all of which can be found on Arran. While here, discover the grandeur of Brodick Castle, and explore the gardens which will be brimming with spring life.

• Tag 3 - Islay's whisky and nature

  Islay's whisky and nature

  Fire up your spirit of discovery on 'Whisky Island' Islay, the ‘Queen of the Hebrides’, is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides. It’s the proud home of world-famous peaty single malts, but that's far from the only reason to visit. Enjoy the company of your fellow travellers and the Expedition Team as you explore the coastline on foot. From its sandy beaches, you can sometimes spot dolphins and basking sharks. Join a local guide on a heritage walk, and of course, no trip to Islay is complete without a wee dram from one of the island’s famous and historic whisky producers, such as Laphroaig or Ardbeg.

• Tag 4 - Sustainable Isle of Gigha

  Sustainable Isle of Gigha

  Discover a slice of paradise in the Hebrides Our Scottish isles cruise continues to tiny Gigha (pronounced ‘Gee-a’), a sandy slice of paradise in the Hebrides. Community-owned since 2002, when it was bought by its 163 residents, the island has a strong sense of local stewardship and sustainability. It’s well worth sampling the fresh local seafood, such as Gigha halibut and oysters. At only seven miles long, the main way to get around Gigha is on foot or by renting a bike. Visit the woodland gardens of Achamore House and admire the colourful rhododendrons. Then explore white sandy coves and the turquoise waters along the coast.

• Tag 5 - Mull’s colourful fishing port

  Mull’s colourful fishing port

  Get ready for the dreamy beauty of the Sound of Mull Brightly coloured Georgian houses line the waterfront in the picturesque fishing port of Tobermory, located on the Isle of Mull. As we explore, your local guide will bring the port to life with stories of its vibrant past and present. Learn about the local heritage at the Mull Museum, try a dram of local whiskystroll the harbour, or walk along the wooded coastal path, with views across the Ardnamurchan Peninsula. On a walk with the Expedition Team, watch for white-tailed eagles soaring above the coast. While here, you’ll have the opportunity to visit one of the historic castles that guarded these waterways when the Lord of the Isles ruled the region in the 12th century.

• Tag 6 - Expedition day

  Expedition day

  Upplev vackra Sound of Mull Vid vattnet i den pittoreska fiskehamnen Tobermory på Isle of Mull ligger många färgglada georgianska hus. En guide från trakten berättar mer om hamnens fascinerande historia och moderna betydelse. Fördjupa dig ännu mer i öns historia under ett besök på Mull Museum, prova traktens whisky, promenera runt sjön i Aros Park eller beundra utsikten över Ardnamurchan-halvön under en vandring på den skogbevuxna kustleden. Isle of Mull är ett populärt resmål bland fågelskådare. Många av Europas kungsörnar häckar här och det finns även chans att få se havsörn. Passa även på att besöka en av de historiska borgar som vakade över vattenvägarna när Lord of the Isles, öarnas herre, härskade över området på 1100-talet.

• Tag 7 - Stalwart Stornoway

  Stalwart Stornoway

  Utforska de fridfulla öarna i Yttre Hebriderna Idag går vi i land på en av de många småöarna i Yttre Hebriderna. Kaptenen och expeditionsledaren väljer den bästa landstigningsplatsen beroende på vädret för dagen. Här har Atlantens mäktiga vindar och kraftiga vågor gröpt ur naturhamnar som har gjort att bosättningar uppstått ända sedan yngre stenåldern. Kanske besöker vi ett avlägsen by och lär oss mer om deras sätt att leva, eller så går vi i land på en orörd sandstrand och vandrar. Vi kan även ge oss ut i våra små båtar och spana efter djur som lunnefåglar, grisslor, tretåiga måsar och sälar längs kusten.

• Tag 8 - Isles of beauty

  Isles of beauty

  Get close to dramatic scenery and wonderful wildlife on Skye and the Small Isles We’ll sail to Loch Scavaig on the Isle of Skye, where dramatic scenery surrounds us. “The wildest scene in the Highlands” is how the Victorian poet Lord Tennyson described Loch Coruisk and the surrounding craggy peaks of the Cuillin Mountains. We'll put on our hiking boots to explore the loch with the Expedition Team. Our next stop is the remote Isle of Eigg, home to incredible wildlife. You might spot golden and white-tailed eagles, rred-throated divers, stonechats, seals, dolphins, and porpoises. Stroll along the white sands of Laig Bay to the quartz beach where the sand sings.

• Tag 9 - The spirit of Iona

  The spirit of Iona

  See Iona's sacred abbey and Fingal's Cave on Staffa Your adventure continues to Iona, off the coast of Mull in the Inner Hebrides. You can visit the restored 6th century abbey, one of Scotland's oldest and most sacred Christian pilgrimage sites. Join the Expedition Team for a hike or enjoy a walk at your leisure to the aptly named ‘Bay at the Back of the Ocean’. This sweeping white sand bay faces the wild Atlantic Ocean head-on and is fringed with machair, a typical grassy vegetation of the Hebrides. If conditions allow, we’ll also sail to Staffa. We’ll attempt to take our Zodiacs for a closer look at Fingal's Cave, marvelling at the hexagonal basalt columns, superb natural acoustics, and mesmerising, coloured waters.

• Tag 10 - Colonsay birds and blooms

  Colonsay birds and blooms

  Immerse yourself in unspoilt island beauty Take a coastal walk on the Isle of Colonsay and enjoy breathtaking views from Kiloran Bay and Plaide Mhòr. Or if you’re lucky enough to be in a kayak, you may catch sight of whales, porpoises and dolphins. Flora thrives on Colonsay, with over 400 species of plants present. You’ll see some of them in the woodland gardens of Colonsay House. It's a paradise for birdwatchers, with choughs, Red Northern Divers, eagles, fulmars, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and shags among the birds you can spot. Later in the spring, be sure to listen out for the rattle of the elusive corncrake.

• Tag 11 - Back to Glasgow

  Back to Glasgow

  Your island-hopping odyssey comes to an end in Scotland’s vibrant city Your adventure to the wild Scottish Isles ends back in Glasgow (Fairlie). Wander the small community of Fairlie before making your way back to vibrant Glasgow as the final stop of your island-hopping odyssey. Its impressive fishing and shipping heritage is manifest in the Victorian architecture of the west end of town. It’s well worth exploring this area some more if you have time before you head home.