Enchanted Islands

Embark the MS Hebridean Sky in the afternoon. Transfers will be provided from Portsmouth Harbour Railway Station at a fixed time. Sail this evening for the Channel Islands.

Anchor this morning off Guernsey, the ‘Island of Flowers’. There will be the option of a walking tour of St Peter Port including a visit to Castle Cornet, a 12th century battlement which guards the entrance to St Peter Port Harbour. Alternatively, enjoy a panoramic island drive during which we will see the beautiful coastline and beaches and also visit the Little Chapel, built in 1914 as a miniature version of the famous basilica at Lourdes and covered in fragments of shattered china. The afternoon is free to explore this picturesque town at your own pace before we sail in the early evening.

Spend the day in the Isles of Scilly, an archipelago of five inhabited islands and up to one hundred and forty uninhabited islets, located 30 miles off the coast of Cornwall. Our day will depend on weather and sea conditions but we hope to visit traffic-free Tresco, walking its idyllic lanes from the beach to the famous subtropical Abbey Gardens. Defying the Atlantic weather, this miracle of a garden is home to more than 20,000 species of plants from over 80 countries. Enjoy time to wander along the paths, maybe visit the Valhalla collection of ship figureheads from ships wrecked on the islands or relax in the café. Later we hope to land on St Agnes, the most south-westerly community in the UK. Surrounded by rocks and reefs this delightful tiny island offers marvellous coastal walks. The small island of Gugh lies across a narrow sandbar and here we find a single stone monolith called the ‘Old Man of Gugh’ which dates back to the Bronze Age.

We have scheduled a morning on Lundy, a remote island in the Bristol Channel. Although small, just three miles long by half a mile wide, its isolation has made it a home for a range of wildlife whilst there is also a clutch of listed buildings and monuments. The towering cliffs and rocky shoreline are a haven for migrating seabirds and Sika deer, red deer and Soay sheep can also be seen as we walk along its traffic-free lanes and paths. Spend the morning being as active as you wish, maybe explore the wide bays and coves by way of hanging valleys, see ancient burial chambers, climb the lighthouse or buy the island’s ‘puffin stamps’ at the shop. Be on deck in the late afternoon as we pass Skomer Island, one of the most important wildlife sites in Northern Europe. It is a marvellously peaceful and scenic island with fantastic birdlife including 6,000 pairs of puffins and the elusive Manx shearwater and storm petrel. We may also see the seal colony hauled out over the rocks and weather permitting will explore by Zodiac.

Over breakfast we anchor off the Calf of Man, a 600 acre island situated off the southern tip of the Isle of Man. Landing by Zodiac our expedition team will lead walks on the island which is home to thousands of seabirds as well as a small flock of Loghtan sheep, a rare native breed which has been preserved by Manx National Heritage since the 1950s. We may also see grey seals hauled out on the rocks as we walk to the bird observatory and lighthouse. In the afternoon we arrive at the fishing port of Peel where we have a free afternoon. Maybe make your way to the cathedral, visit some of the many independent shops or explore Peel Castle. Built by the Vikings in the 11th century the castle has been a royal residence, centre of government and military stronghold. We sail late for anyone wishing to take an afterdinner stroll.

After a morning at sea we arrive at Rathlin Island. Located just a few miles from the North Antrim coast, Rathlin has been settled for more than 6,000 years. Today, there are only 80 or so inhabitants, whereas before the famine there were 1,200. There will be a choice of guided walks which will either take in the prolific seabird life with astonishing numbers of auks, kittiwakes and grey seals or alternatively cross the island to the historic Rathlin East Lighthouse. This evening we will sail past the magnificent cliffs to the north of the island which are home to the largest seabird colony in Ireland.

Awake this morning as we approach and anchor off Staffa, where the perpendicular rock face features an imposing series of black basalt columns, known as the Colonnade, which have been cut by the sea into cathedralesque caverns, most notably Fingal’s Cave. Weather permitting, we will use our Zodiacs to explore closer. We then plan to cruise the short distance to the Isle of Iona which has been occupied for thousands of years and has been a place of pilgrimage and Christian worship for several centuries. It was to this flat, Hebridean island that St Columba fled from Ireland in 563 and established a monastery. Here his followers were responsible for the conversion of much of pagan Scotland and Northern England. No less than 62 Scottish Kings are buried in the Abbey. Visit the Abbey or perhaps walk along the white sandy beaches or go in search of the corncrake amongst the irises.

Strategically placed between the mountains of Rum and the Outer Hebrides, the island of Canna and its adjoining neighbour Sanday are bound together like some rare text that reveals over 60 million years of Hebridean geology and history. They have an amazingly rich archaeological landscape with remains dating to all periods of settled occupation in Scotland. Canna is run as a single farm and bird sanctuary by the National Trust for Scotland and enjoys the best harbour in the Small Isles, a hornshaped haven. The fertile soil and its diversity of habitats mean that the island has an incredibly rich plant life with 248 native flowering plants recorded. We will see Canna House and wander across grassy basalt plateaus to the 600 foot cliffs on the north shore. Over lunch we cross to the lovely Loch Scavaig on the island of Skye. Just beyond is the freshwater Loch Corruisk with its breathtakingly beautiful view over the Cuillins. This is great walking country and our expedition team will run a series of hikes for all interests. For those who prefer a less energetic afternoon our Zodiacs will explore the coast looking out for seals.

We spend the morning at St Kilda, a remarkable uninhabited archipelago some fifty miles beyond the Outer Hebrides. Dominated by the highest cliffs and sea stacks in Britain, Hirta, St Kilda’s main island was occupied on and off for at least two thousand years, with the last 36 Gaelic speaking inhabitants evacuated at their own request in 1930. Immediately after the evacuation, the island was bought by the Marquess of Bute to protect the island’s thousands of seabirds including puffin and fulmars and in 1957 it was bequeathed to The National Trust for Scotland. St Kilda is one of the few UNESCO World Heritage Sites with dual status reflecting its natural and cultural significance. The local ranger will join us on board before our expedition staff lead guided walks on the island. Later, we will cruise past one of the largest gannetries in the world at Stac Lee. The impressive stacs rise 170 metres from the sea and are home to up to 60,000 breeding pairs of northern gannets.

Cruise this morning to the Orkney Islands arriving in the early afternoon at the northernmost isle of North Ronaldsay. The birdlife here is prolific as the wetland habitats support the wildfowl and wader species whilst the rugged coastline provides nesting sites for seabird colonies. If weather conditions permit, a series of walks will include the bird observatory and we also hope to view the seals hauled up on the beaches. Those wishing to explore further can visit the lighthouse with views over the nearby islands or the wool mill where yarn is produced from the island’s seaweed eating sheep.

From the Shetland capital, we will visit the remarkable archaeological site of Jarlshof. The site was uncovered by a violent storm in the winter of 1896/7, revealing an extraordinary settlement site embracing at least 5,000 years of human history. The site contains a remarkable sequence of stone structures – late Neolithic houses, a Bronze-Age village, an Iron-Age broch and wheelhouses, several Norse longhouses, a Medieval farmstead and the 16th century laird’s house. Return to the ship for lunch and enjoy a leisurely afternoon to explore the historic port of Lerwick. Perhaps wander through its narrow stone lanes or maybe visit the excellent Shetland Museum, containing artefacts from shipwrecks and the whaling era. Tonight we will enjoy the company of local musicians on board.

This morning we arrive at the remote island of Fair Isle. Located midway between the Shetland and Orkney islands, the tiny population of sixty or so islanders always extend us a warm welcome. Enjoy a walk across the island searching out the puffin slopes, visit the community hall for a cup of tea or maybe purchase some of the famous knitwear. Spend a final relaxing afternoon on board as we sail for Aberdeen.

Disembark the MS Hebridean Sky after breakfast. Transfers will be provided to Aberdeen Airport and Railway Station at a fixed time.