Iceland Puffins
Iceland Puffins
Small village on the Faroe islands
Skara Brae on the Orkney Islands  | John Bozinov
Skara Brae on the Orkney Islands  | John Bozinov
Viking boat in the town of Lerwick, Shetland Islands
Prolific birdlife including Atlantic puffins are found on Fair Isle in the Shetlands  | Olga Parshina
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Wild Scotland Explorer

Visit the Orkney's, Shetland & Faroe Islands

12 Days from

$6495 USD

Trip Code: WLS
View dates to BookEssential Information

Extra trip options & supplements

*Prices listed are per person

Main Deck Suite
$8795 USD
Classic Suite
$9395 USD
Superior Suite
$9595 USD
Deluxe Suite
$10695 USD
Premium Suite
$11695 USD
Single Suite
$12995 USD
Owner's Suite
$14895 USD

Duration

  • 12 Days

Activities

  • 10 days cruising plus optional photography workshops

Accommodation

  • 10 Nights aboard Sea Spirit
  • 1 night hotel in Edinburgh

Meals

  • 10 Dinners
  • 9 Lunches
  • 11 Breakfasts

Difficulty Grading  

1 / 10

Discovery and Cruising

Trip highlights

  • Skara Brae, a 5000 year old Neolithic village
  • World Heritage Site with the world's largest colony of Guillemots
  • Explore the preserved broch of Lerwick

Overview

This voyage aboard the Sea Spirit offers an unforgettable journey through the stunning natural landscapes and rich history of the remote Scottish Isles. Begin your adventure in the Orkney Islands, exploring Kirkwall and the iconic Ring of Brodgar. From there, sail to the Shetland Islands, where you'll visit Fair Isle and Lerwick, followed by an immersive day uncovering the rugged beauty of Papa Stour and Foula. The journey continues with four captivating days in the Faroe Islands, where highlights include Tórshavn, the vibrant capital, and Kirkjubøur, a historic hub of ecclesiastical and cultural significance from the Middle Ages. The expedition concludes as we sail back to Edinburgh, bringing this extraordinary voyage to a close.

Itinerary

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Welcome to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland and starting point of our expedition. To provide you with more time to enjoy this metropolis rich in history and culture, we’ve arranged pre-cruise hotel accommodations. Relax and take a stroll through town, enjoying both medieval and classic 18th-century architecture. The famous Edinburgh Castle rises majestically above it all.

Meals: Nil

Enjoy the morning and early afternoon at leisure. Each corner of Edinburgh’s old streets opens beautiful unexpected vistas of green hills or a blue flash of the distant sea. In the afternoon, you will be transferred from the hotel to the ship in the nearby Port of Leith. Before dinner, there’s time to explore the Sea Spirit, your home-away-from home for the next days.

Meals: B,D

Kirkwall is a small, quiet town, with a gentle pace of life. The town is the capital of the remote and amazing Orkney archipelago. Kirkwall is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in 1046. Such a long history has left a rich heritage that we explore today. The most famous are the sandstone St Magnus Cathedral, considered the finest medieval building in the north of Scotland, the Bishop’s Palace and the Earl’s Palace. Included tour “Ancient treasures of Orkney with St Magnus Cathedral.” Depart Kirkwall and head into the west of Mainland, Orkney’s largest island. This tour passes through the gentle rolling landscape of Orkney and into the Neolithic Heartland of Orkney; an area designated as a World Heritage Site due to its wealth of pre-historic archaeology. Passing the Standing Stones of Stenness, we will stop at the Ring of Brodgar; a huge ceremonial circle of stones dating back almost 5000 years. We then continue on to the 5000-year-old village of Skara Brae, beautifully interpreted in the visitor centre. See the remarkable dwellings revealed from beneath the sand dunes by storms only 150 years ago. Hear some of the stories from your guide today en route back to Kirkwall. Once back in the island capital we will take a tour of St Magnus Cathedral, built by the Vikings during their 500 year reign over the islands.

Meals: B,L,D

On Fair Isle—an isolated island of rolling moorlands and rugged coastlines—one is easily enchanted by historic crofts, picturesque lighthouses, and friendly locals.The island is famous among birders for its abundance of British birds and for its numerous records of eastern rarities and migrants. Fair Isle is also one of Europe’s best places to watch seabirds, especially puffins, at close range. Additionally, the island is notable for the abundance and diversity of its wildflowers. Seals are also commonly seen in its bays. Finally, during our visit it will be possible to see and purchase articles hand-knitted in the intricate and distinctive style for which Fair Isle has been celebrated for hundreds of years.

Meals: B,L,D

We come alongside at the port of Lerwick; on Mainland, the largest of the Shetland Islands. On a walking tour of this historic town we visit the award-winning Shetland Museum to learn all about Shetland’s fascinating heritage and culture. From here we take a scenic overland coach ride through the fertile countryside of Dunrossness to discover Shetland’s best destinations. Birders will relish the opportunity to visit the historic lighthouse at Sumburgh Head, the southernmost point of Mainland Shetland. These rugged cliffs attract thousands of seabirds and the grassy slopes above are particularly great for enjoying close encounters with puffins amongst beautiful wildflowers. Also on the itinerary is Jarlshof, one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the British Isles. Here we discover beautifully preserved stone structures spanning 5,000 years of human settlement, including Bronze Age oval houses, Pictish wheelhouses, an Iron Age broch, a Viking longhouse and a mediaeval farmhouse.

Meals: B,L,D

Lost in the Atlantic Ocean, Foula, one of the Shetland Islands, is a perfect destination for birdwatching. Foula cliffs are home to numerous seabirds, including the largest colony of great skuas in Great Britain. However, birds are not the only treasure of the island. Foula is rich with folklore and history. Another item on our bucket list today is Papa Stour, another island, which forms part of the Shetland islands. Erosion of Papa Stour’s soft volcanic rocks has sculptured an extraordinary cliff scenery including a variety of caves, stacks, arches and blowholes, all supporting a range of marine flora and fauna.

Meals: B,L,D

National Geographic Traveler had designated Faroe Islands as “authentic, unspoiled and likely to remain so”. It seems that the Nature spares no colours in “painting” the islands. Deep-green hills, bright blue sea, colourful houses and boats, orange-red puffins’ beaks make the sceneries unforgettable, meanwhile traditional wooden dwellings with turf roofs look like they belong in a fairy tale. The rugged Faroese are proud of their Viking heritage and their love of the sea. We will explore the archipelago including Tórshavn, the capital and largest city of Faroe Islands. This would include a visit to Kirkjubøur, the ecclesiastical and cultural center of the Faroes in the Middle Ages. It was the site of the Bishop’s residence until the Reformation, when the Faroese diocese was abolished. The imposing Gothic ruin of the late 13th-century Saint Magnus Cathedral still dominates the site. The Roykstovan, standing on the wide, stone foundation of a portion of the Bishop’s palace, has been the home of farmers in Kirkjubøur for centuries and occupied by the same Faroese family for 17 generations. Our expedition team will search for remote areas of the archipelago to visit or pause, where we can take advantage of the ship and possibly Zodiacs to see bird cliffs and other natural wonders that are otherwise difficult to access.

Meals: B,L,D

Do not lose your time aboard! Learn more about the unique flora and fauna of the British Isles and Faroe Isles. Become a real expert in no time with our onboard lectures and briefings!

Meals: B,L,D

After breakfast on board Sea Spirit we say farewell in Leith, Edinburgh’s vibrant port district. We provide transfers to the airport or to Edinburgh city center if you wish to spend more time in the wonderful capital of Scotland.

Meals: B

Ready to start your adventure?

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What’s included?

Included

  • 11 breakfasts, 9 lunches and 10 dinners
  • 1 night hotel accommodation in Edinburgh on a triple or twin share basis (depending on ship berth configuration chosen)
  • Group transfer to the ship on day of embarkation
  • Comfortable cabin accommodation and use of all public areas on cruise
  • Specialist expedition staff
  • All shore excursions from the ship including the use of Zodiacs
  • Lectures, videos, slide and film shows and guide services
  • Medical services. There is a resident medical officer and infirmary on board (charges may apply)
  • Complimentary Polar Expedition Parka
  • Rubber boots for shore landings for the time of the cruise
  • Pre-departure information
  • Digital Voyage Log

Not included

  • Air transport and airport transfers before and after the cruises (other than group transfers to and from the ship)
  • Visa, passport and vaccination charges and airport departure taxes
  • Accommodation and meals or other services not included in the ship cruise itinerary
  • Laundry, postage, personal clothing, medical expenses, travel insurance and items of a personal nature such as bar charges, wine and phone calls
  • Emergency Evacuation Insurance to a minimum benefit of USD 200,000
  • Customary end of voyage tips

Responsible travel

Extra trip info

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