ARCTIC CRUISE:  SCOTTISH ISLANDS & FAROES   

ICEBREAKER: Grigoriy Mikheev- Professor Molchanov

CRUGBSIFABZ - Aberdeen to Oban  9 nights / 10 days
CRUGBSIFOBN - Oban to Aberdeen 9 nights / 10 days

ICEBREAKER: Grigoriy Mikheev- Professor Molchanov

May 13 Aberdeen - May 22 Oban  Grigoriy Mikheev

May 22 Oban - May 31 Aberdeen  Grigoriy Mikheev

May 23 Aberdeen - Jun 01 Oban   Professor Molchanov

Jun 01 Oban - Jun 10 Aberdeen  Professor Molchanov  

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 board the Professor Molchanov we will have a good opportunity to observe the Venus Transit on the 08 June 2004.

The North Atlantic islands and coastlines offer some of the finest scenery and wildlife experiences in the world. From the Scottish Isles to the High Arctic, visitors to the region can witness enormous colonies of seabirds thronging the cliffs and shores, and enjoy the thrilling antics of whales and dolphins and seals at sea. Though remote and sparsely populated today, many of the places we explore have been inhabited in the last 5000 years, and thousands of unique prehistoric and historic sites are a testimony to the thriving cultures of the past. Our itineraries in the North Atlantic include the Scottish Islands and the Faroes. Our itineraries in the North Atlantic include the Scottish Islands and the Faroes.

Scottish Islands - The green fertile islands of Orkney , Shetland and the Hebrides are ideal places to truly get away from it all. The islands provide a vivid contrast to the rugged moorland of the Highlands, the landscape rolling gently to merge with wide open skies and azure blue seas. Peace and tranquillity characterise these islands which lie just miles off the northern tip of the Scottish mainland. Steeped in history, there are over 1,000 recorded sites of interest, many built before the pyramids. Vikings ruled over the islands for nearly 500 years and Scandinavian influence can still be seen and felt. Island and parish names come straight out of the sagas; “Westray” means west island,  “Hoy” is the high island.

Very few places in Britain can boast such a concentration of rare and important birds as the Scottish Islands. There are four broad types of habitat set in and around the cattle-rearing farmland. About one million seabirds make the islands their summer destination and the sheer noise of these seabird cities, inhabited by fulmars, guillemots, Razorbills Kittiwakes and Puffins is incredible. The Scottish Islands are home to one of the world’s long distance travellers, the Arctic Tern. They arrive in mid-May after a 10,000 mile journey from the Southern Ocean, spend about three months in the islands, and then return to the wintering grounds at the other side of the world. Perhaps they come to see the rare, beautiful but diminutive Scottish Primrose. Orkneys is one of the few places it grows.

Faroes - Situated in the heart of the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic at 62º 00'N, the Faroe Islands lie northwest of Scotland and halfway between Iceland and Norway. The archipelago is composed of 18 islands. The Faroes are peppered with fishing villages and have a rich Norse Heritage. The weather is maritime and quite changeable, varying from brilliant sunshine to misty hill fog to showers. The Gulf Stream encircling the islands tempers the climate. Since 1948, the Faroe Islands have been a self-governing region of the Kingdom of Denmark, with its own parliament and its own flag. It is not, however, a member of the European Union and all trade is governed by special treaties. Today the Faroes are vigorously engaged in exploring the potential for oil production in the seas around the islands.

On the islands of Skuvøy, Fugløy and Mykines, the sight of thousands of Guillemots, Kittiwakes and Puffins is breathtaking - and the sound deafening. The Puffin is one of the main attractions for visitors. Its brightly coloured bill and its willingness to remain posed with fish in its beak, makes the Puffin the ideal photo opportunity for any budding ornithologist. Mykines is home to a Northern Gannet colony. These majestic birds have chosen this western outpost of the Faroes for their home, the only one in the Faroes. Even from a distance the visitor can see the birds sitting on top of the stacks with their young ones. Pilot Whales occur in Faroese waters as well as Bottlenose, Fin and Killer Whales, and Grey Seals

MIKHEEV INFORMATION    -    MIKHEEV CABIN LAYOUT   /   MOLCHANOV INFORMATION    -    MOLCHANOV CABIN LAYOUT

Daily Itinerary Aberdeen/Oban

Day 1  We embark in Aberdeen, famed as the granite city and many times a winner of the Britain in Bloom competition.

Day 2  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. We view Grey Seals, Black Guillemots, Puffins, Fulmars, Red-throated Divers, Arctic Skuas and a colony of Gannets and a wonderful spring flora. At the southwestern part of the island we make a zodiac cruise through a wonderful maze of channels and stacks, where we observe Grey Seals and Harbour Seals. If the weather is poor we will sail by Westray, with impressive bird cliffs at the northern tip, and land at Papa Westray, an inhabited island with accessible and varied bird cliffs, and good photo opportunities.

Day 3  Today we arrive in Thorshavn, the capital and cultural centre of the Faroes. Here we are free to shop, to visit the museum or just wander around. In the harbour the small Faroese boats are a reminder of the Viking origins of the islanders. The walkers among us can make an exciting two hours walk across the hills to Kirkjubøer where they will find a medieval cathedral. In the afternoon we sail to Varmakelda, a warm spring near Fuglafjørdur. The water is claimed to have healing properties.

Day 4  We land at Fugloy, which translates as “Bird Island”, and which has large colonies of Common Guillemots. For the energetic the climb up Eystfelli (450 m) allows a close approach to the breeding seabirds and also offers a splendid view across the Faroes to the west. In case of bad weather we land at Svinoy, a friendly village surrounded by breeding colonies of Arctic and Great Skuas. In the late evening we sail along the breathtaking north side of Faroes and pass several huge seabird colonies like Rivtangi and Nøvin before we reach Tjørnuvik, a village surrounded by mountains shaped like a Greek theatre. In the area around the village there are Viking graves.

Day 5  We will try to land at Saksun, tucked away at the head of a fjord which was once a superb natural harbour. Today the bay is full of sand and we can only enter by zodiac at high tide. At Saksun is a Natural Heritage Museum. Continuing along the north side of Streymoy we pass again seabird colonies. 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. If we can not land at Mykines, we will sail into Sørvagsfjordur and make a walk along a path from Sørvagur, which is a small Faroese village, to Bøer looking at Eider Ducks, seals and salmon nurseries in the fjord.

Day 6  Today we reach Skuvoy, 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.

Day 7  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 seabirds. 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.

Day 8  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 small military base which may be visited. If the weather is poor we will sail east of Lewis in the calmer waters of the Minch and visit Handa and Shiants, which are beautiful seabird islands.

Day 9  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.

Day 10 We sail through the lovely Sound of Mull and disembark at Oban, a pretty harbour town on the west coast of Scotland. The voyage by train from Oban to Glasgow is a marvellous journey through one of the most scenic parts of the Scottish Highlands. The channels between the Scottish islands offer some of Europe’s best whale and dolphin watching. 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.

Daily Itinerary Oban/Aberdeen

Day 1  We embark in Oban, a pretty harbour town on the west coast of Scotland. The voyage by train from Glasgow to Oban is a marvellous journey through one of the most scenic parts of the Scottish Highlands. From Oban we sail through the lovely Sound of Mull in the evening.

Day 2  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.

Day 3  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 small military base which may be visited. If the weather is poor we will sail east of Lewis in the calmer waters of the Minch to Shiant Islands and Handa, which are beautiful seabird islands.

Day 4  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 seabirds. 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.

Day 5  Today we arrive in Torshavn, the capital and cultural centre of the Faroes. Here we are free to shop, to visit the museum or just wander at will. In the harbour the small Faroese boats are a reminder of the Viking origins of the islanders. The walkers among us can make an exciting two hours walk across the hills to Kirkjubøer where they will find a medieval cathedral. In the afternoon we sail to Varmakelda, a warm spring near Fuglafjørdur. The water is claimed to have healing properties.

Day 6  We land at Fugloy, which translates as “Bird Island”, and has large colonies of Common Guillemots. For the energetic the climb up Eystfelli (450 m) allows a close approach to the breeding seabirds and also offers a splendid view across the faroes to the west. In case of bad weather we land at Svinoy, a friendly village surrounded by breeding colonies of Arctic and Great Skuas. In the late evening we sail along the breathtaking north side of Faroes and pass several huge seabird colonies like Rivtangi and Nøvin before we reach Tjørnuvik, a village surrounded by mountains shaped like a Greek theatre. In the area around the village there are Viking graves.

Day 7  We will try to land at Saksun, tucked away at the head of a fjord which was once a superb natural harbour. Today the bay is full of sand and we can only enter by zodiac at high tide. At Saksun is a Natural Heritage Museum. Continuing along the north side of Streymoy we pass again seabird colonies. 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. If we can not land at Mykines, we will sail into Sørvagsfjordur and make a walk along a path from Sørvagur, which is a small Faroese village, to Bøer looking at Eider Ducks, seals and salmon nurseries in the fjord.

Day 8  Today we land at Skuvoy, 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. In the morning we will watch the transit of Venus.

Day 9  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. We view Grey Seals, Black Guillemots, Red-throated Divers, Arctic Skuas and a colony of Gannets and a wonderful spring flora. At the southwestern part of the island we make a zodiac cruise through a wonderful maze of channels, where we observe Grey Seals and Harbour Seals. If the weather is poor we will land at Papa Westray, an inhabited island with accessible and varied bird cliffs, and good photo opportunities.

Day 10  We disembark in Aberdeen, famed as the granite city and many times a winner of the Britain in Bloom competition. The channels between the Scottish islands offer some of Europe’s best whale and dolphin watching. 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.

Rates Include:

Not Included:

Please note that all dates & rates are subject to change. All voyages will operate subject to a minimum of 25 participants (motor vessels) and 12 participants for the ‘Noorderlicht’.

INSURANCE NOTE: Cancellation policies are strictly enforced! We highly recommend to protect your travel investment should you need to cancel your trip. We have designed an exclusive insurance plan to provide broad protection!