Jewels of the British Isles

Join the ship in Dover, a transfer from London is available.

Departs 05:00 pm

Arrives 08:00 am

Departs 06:00 pm

The Georgian harbour town of Cowes, situated on the Isle of Wight, has been the home of international yacht racing since 1815. It is famous for Cowes Week, the largest and longest-running sailing regatta on earth. The Isle of Whyte was once a favored retreat of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Osborne House still retains a large collection of their royal possessions, photography and art.

A short walk along the seaside Esplanade will lead you to Castle Cowes. Currently the home of the Royal Yacht Squadron, it was built by King Henry VIII in 1547. Its 17 artillery pieces served to protect the Isle of Wight against an invasion from France.

The Isle of Wight is known for its Georgian architecture. Majestic Northwood House Estate is an elegant country manor, housing the Cowes Maritime Museum and tranquil Northwood Park. The Sir Max Aitken Museum was constructed during the 18th century and contains his extensive personal collection of maritime artifacts.

TENDER REQUIRED. WHEELCHAIR ACCESS AT CAPTAIN'S DISCRETION

Arrives 08:00 am

Departs 06:00 pm

Cornwall is a visually stunning region, and Fowey is a worthy stepping stone, filled with medieval and Georgian buildings cheek-by-jowl. It is a picturesque old town on the banks of the Fowey estuary, on a shoreline designated the Polperro Heritage Coast. St. Finnbarr’s Church is new, rebuilt in the 15th century after a French raid destroyed the first one. The waterside watchtower is matched with another across the way in the hillside village of Polruan. It can be reached by ferry, starting from a building that was originally the summer of home of the Du Maurier family. The prodigious daughter Daphne Du Maurier lived and wrote here. In the distance, above Readymoney Cove, the ruins of St. Catherine’s Castle, built by Henry VIII, keep silent watch.

TENDER REQUIRED. WHEELCHAIR ACCESS AT CAPTAIN'S DISCRETION

Time to make use of some of the amazing on board facilities

Arrives 08:00 am

Departs 06:00 pm

Bantry Bay, framed by the Sheep's Head Hills and the Caha Mountains, offers one of the Ireland’s most magnificent seascapes and picturesque harbors. As with other areas on Ireland's south-west coast, Bantry claims an ancient connection to the sixth-century Saint Breandán the Navigator, who was, in Irish folklore, the first person to discover America.

A highlight of the area is stately Bantry House and Garden Estate. The magnificent garden is laid out in the Italian style over seven terraces. In addition to the many spirited Irish pubs are the Bantry Museum and the architecture of St. Brendan's and St. Finbarr's Churches. There are pristine, white-sand beaches, interspersed with jagged outcrops of rock and bordered by the verdant-green hills that make Ireland famous. County Cork is renowned for its megalithic stone circles and standing stones. Historic castles dot the landscape. The coastline of Cork is also home to basking sharks and fin, pilot, and minke whales.

TENDER REQUIRED. WHEELCHAIR ACCESS AT CAPTAIN'S DISCRETION.

Arrives 08:00 am

Departs 05:00 pm

This captivating seaside town is known as the "Gourmet Capital of Ireland," and is a delightful blend of rich history, vibrant culture, and gastronomic delights. Wander through the winding streets, where every corner of Kinsale exudes history, from the star-shaped Charles Fort to the historic Old Head of Kinsale. Kinsale's rich maritime tradition is evident in its bustling yachting scene,; the harbor is often filled with sails fluttering in the breeze.

TENDER REQUIRED. WHEELCHAIR ACCESS AT CAPTAIN'S DISCRETION.

Arrives 08:00 am

Departs 06.00 PM

Today the city of Holyhead is connected to the large Welsh island of Anglesey by a causeway known locally as The Cobb, but until the mid-19th century, it was on its own separate Holy Island connected by a bridge. Its protected harbor and location adjacent to the Irish Sea made it an important port from Roman times. Its beautiful St. Cybi’s Church is in fact situated in the remains of a Roman three-walled fort, the Caer Gybi, facing the harbor. The harbor’s three-kilometer breakwater is the longest in the United Kingdom, and made the port a crucial safe haven in inclement weather for ships plying the busy routes to industrial Liverpool and Lancashire. Until the completion of the London to Liverpool railway, Holyhead held the Royal Mail contract for Dublin. Your ship docks today at a jetty that originally served a lucrative aluminum smelting operation, until the closing of a nuclear generating facility cut of the supply of inexpensive power. A waterfront Maritime Museum provides insights into Holyhead’s long history as a seaport.

Visitors are welcomed at the picturesque South Stack Lighthouse, and at the adjacent RSPB nature reserve, which offers views of the sea cliffs and their abundant nesting populations of puffins, fulmars, razorbills, guillemots, gannets and other seabirds, as well as seals, dolphins and other wildlife. The Anglesey countryside also holds prehistoric dolmens including the Trefignath Burial Chamber, and a nostalgic old Welsh farmstead called Cyfellion Swtan that charmingly preserves the traditional lifestyle or rural Wales.

Arrives 08:00 am

Departs 07:00 pm

Belfast is Northern Ireland’s fun-loving and cosmopolitan capital. Its seat of government is Stormont Castle, a beautiful baronial mansion. There is something of interest here for everyone: Victorian architecture, a glittering waterfront, modern art, and over 90 Irish pubs. The Giant's Ring, a 5,000-year- old stone ‘henge’ shows occupation here since the Bronze Age. The magnificent copper dome of Belfast City Hall dominates the city centre. Belfast is also the site of the memorial statue for R.M.S Titanic, because it was here that the ship was built in 1909. Mixing the traditional with the ultra-modern, the Titanic Belfast Museum commemorates the fate of Titanic in its architecture. Shaped like the great prow of the ocean liner, the museum’s exhibits tell the story of the ill-fated vessel.

Some additional icons of the city include the 113’ (34 m) Albert Memorial clock tower, the 12th century Belfast Castle, and the twin spires of St. Peter's Cathedral. Discover art galleries, the Opera house, fountains, botanical gardens, and a zoo in this dynamic city.

Arrives 08:00 am

Departs 07:00 pm

Belfast is Northern Ireland’s fun-loving and cosmopolitan capital. Its seat of government is Stormont Castle, a beautiful baronial mansion. There is something of interest here for everyone: Victorian architecture, a glittering waterfront, modern art, and over 90 Irish pubs. The Giant's Ring, a 5,000-year- old stone ‘henge’ shows occupation here since the Bronze Age. The magnificent copper dome of Belfast City Hall dominates the city centre. Belfast is also the site of the memorial statue for R.M.S Titanic, because it was here that the ship was built in 1909. Mixing the traditional with the ultra-modern, the Titanic Belfast Museum commemorates the fate of Titanic in its architecture. Shaped like the great prow of the ocean liner, the museum’s exhibits tell the story of the ill-fated vessel.

Some additional icons of the city include the 113’ (34 m) Albert Memorial clock tower, the 12th century Belfast Castle, and the twin spires of St. Peter's Cathedral. Discover art galleries, the Opera house, fountains, botanical gardens, and a zoo in this dynamic city.

Arrives 09:00 am

Departs 06:00 pm

Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, was founded by Vikings in the 9th century. Hebridean culture goes back much further in time, as testified by the circles of standing stones that are found on the island, and shards of pottery dated from at least 5,000 years in the past. There are remnants of various historic periods to be seen here, including traditional blackhouses, an ancient design, some of which were incredibly still in use into the 1970s. Lews Castle, overlooking the town, is a more modern copy of a Tudor manse, which was built by a former owner of the island. Latta’s Mill, a 19th century overshot water mill, has been reconstructed and operates as an attraction. The main occupations on Lewis are fishing, farming, and production of Harris Tweed, a traditional cloth named for another nearby Hebridean isle.

INCLUDED EXPEDITION EXPERIENCES:
*Please note this expedition experience is exclusively available on our expedition ships, Seabourn Venture or Seabourn Pursuit. All shore excursions shared here are subject to availability and are weather and conditions permitting."

Ancient Lewis & Blackhouse Village: Embark from Stornoway to Callanish, often likened to Scotland's Stonehenge, dating back to 3000BC. The 32 stones form a captivating circular and avenue design, believed to have been erected for astronomical observations. Stop at Dun Carloway Pictish Broch, a defensive residence from the last century BC. Venture north to Gearrannan Blackhouse Village, a reconstructed settlement of traditional blackhouses with their thatched roofs, where people and animals once cohabited. Soak in the wild Atlantic coast's dramatic vistas as you conclude your circular tour.

Arrives 07:00 am

Departs 04:00 pm

The Orkney Archipelago, a collection of stark, treeless islands off Scotland's northern coast, is steeped in history dating back over 5,000 years. Here you'll find Europe’s densest concentration of ancient Neolithic sites, and rugged coastlines framed by towering cliffs of Old Red Sandstone from the Devonian period.

Arrives 07:00 am

Departs 09:00 pm

Scotland’s fourth-largest city, located on the Firth of Tay, has the historic nickname of “The City of Jute, Jam and Journalism.” Dundee had a thriving fabrics industry during the Industrial Revolution, initially with linen and later with less expensive jute fiber. The reference to jam stems from the 1797 “invention” of orange marmalade by Mrs. Janet Keller, whose family brand can still be bought in distinctive white jars. The journalism reference relates to the D.C. Thomson company, a Dundee firm that has been publishing popular newspapers and children’s comics since 1905. Today it has taken the phrase One City, Many Discoveries as its mantra.

The stunning new Victoria & Albert Museum Dundee will open in September, 2018 to anchor the revitalized waterfront, which already holds the Robert Falcon Scott Antarctic Expedition ship RSS Discovery, along with the 19th-century Frigate Unicorn. The venerable McManus Galleries is the city’s preeminent museum, housing both art galleries and museum exhibits. Much of the city’s oldest architectural heritage was destroyed in the “Rough Wooing” war with England. However it remains a handsome and fascinating city tied to the twin rail and road bridges spanning the Firth.

Arrives 07:00 am

Departs 05:00 pm

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is a city that effortlessly combines ancient history with a vibrant modern energy. Its streets are steeped in stories, from the cobblestones of the Old Town to the elegant Georgian avenues of the New Town, both recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Visit Edinburgh Castle, majestically poised atop an ancient volcanic rock, and stroll the Royal Mile leading to the regal Palace of Holyroodhouse. Discover world-class art at the Scottish National Gallery and find serenity in the Princes Street Gardens. Marvel at the contemporary Scottish Parliament building, tour the decommissioned Royal Yacht Britannia, and when night falls, immerse yourself in Edinburgh's thriving cultural scene.

Time to make use of some of the amazing on board facilities

Arrives 07:00 am

Approaching the coast, ships are greeted by the ethereal White Cliffs of Dover. This iconic strip of milky-white land serves as England's welcoming beacon, its stark beauty becoming more apparent as you draw closer. The coastline unfurls like a grand tapestry, its white chalk cliffs streaked with black flint, rising majestically 350 feet straight from the sea's embrace.