British Isles, Faroe Islands, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen

This expedition links the island worlds of the North Atlantic with the transition into the Arctic, focusing on wildlife observation, selected cultural and historical visits, and travelling to the rhythm of weather and sea conditions. In the British Isles, the programme includes Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands with St Magnus Cathedral, as well as prehistoric sites such as the Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae. In addition, Bass Rock, the Isle of May and Fair Isle offer very good conditions for birdwatching and photography, with large colonies and species typical of the region. In the Faroe Islands, you explore Tórshavn and Kirkjubøur and gain insights into landscapes, history and local traditions. After crossing the Arctic Circle, and if conditions allow, the itinerary includes a landing on Jan Mayen, a remote nature reserve with distinctive volcanic scenery and seabird breeding sites, with the possibility of visiting the Norwegian weather station. In Spitsbergen, daily planning is shaped by ice and wind in order to combine fjords, glacier fronts, tundra and the islands of the west coast as effectively as possible. Landings and Zodiac cruises provide perspectives on wildlife and the history of exploration, for example at former whaling sites or other historical traces. Lectures and workshops on board, together with the photography programme included in the travel price, help you place observations in context and translate them into images.

Itinerary: British Isles, Faroe Islands, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen

Day 1: Arrival in Edinburgh
Welcome to Edinburgh, the starting point of the expedition. To give you time in the city before embarkation, an overnight hotel stay has been arranged. Use the day for a walk through this historically and culturally rich capital, noting the medieval quarters as well as the eighteenth century classical architecture. Edinburgh Castle is a defining landmark above the city. The trip begins in the evening with hotel check in and includes this overnight stay in Edinburgh.

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Day 2: Embarkation in Leith near Edinburgh
The morning and early afternoon remain at your leisure. In many streets, Edinburgh offers unexpected views towards green hills or the blue shimmer of the sea in the distance. In the afternoon, you are transferred from the hotel to the ship in the nearby port of Leith. Before dinner, there is time to explore the MS Sea Spirit and to familiarise yourself with your home for the coming days.

Day 3: Bass Rock and the Isle of May
The first days dedicated to photography and nature begin with two uninhabited islands known for their wildlife. The Isle of May is a national nature reserve and home to puffins, guillemots, razorbills, cormorants, terns, as well as seals that bask along the shore. You also discover historical points such as St Ardin’s Chapel and the island lighthouse. Directly opposite lies Bass Rock, home to the world’s largest Northern gannet colony. More than 150,000 birds fill the cliffs and the sky, shaping the day’s opportunities for observation and photography.

Day 4: Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands
You go ashore in Kirkwall, the charming capital of the Orkney Islands, whose history is still shaped by Vikings and the Middle Ages. Visits include St Magnus Cathedral, the Bishop’s Palace and the Earl’s Palace. The tour included in the price takes you west through the rolling hill landscape into the UNESCO World Heritage site Heart of Neolithic Orkney. You pass the Standing Stones of Stenness, visit the Ring of Brodgar, a ceremonial stone circle more than 5,000 years old, and explore Skara Brae, a prehistoric village uncovered from the sand 150 years ago.

Day 5: Fair Isle in the Shetland Islands
Fair Isle is an important area for birdwatching, with more than 345 recorded species. During an island walk, you hope to see and photograph fulmars, black legged kittiwakes, gannets, puffins and Arctic skuas. The puffin population alone is given as around 12,000 birds. About fifty residents live on Fair Isle and welcome visitors at the community centre with Scottish treats, sweets and hot drinks. There is an opportunity to buy the well known Fair Isle wool jumpers, hats and mittens, and to speak with locals about everyday life on the island.

Day 6: Tórshavn and Kirkjubøur in the Faroe Islands
Today you explore Tórshavn, the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. The town combines history and modern life, with old wooden houses with turf roofs alongside newer buildings. At the National Museum you learn how Skerpikjøt, a wind dried mutton speciality cured for nine months, is produced. You also visit one of the oldest still inhabited wooden houses and explore the ruins of a Gothic cathedral in Kirkjubøur. In the afternoon there is free time in Tórshavn before you return to the ship and head north towards Spitsbergen.

Day 7: At sea and crossing the Arctic Circle
A day at sea can be shaped according to your interests. The expedition team offers lectures and practical workshops, while there are also opportunities to relax on board. From the decks or from your cabin you can watch black legged kittiwakes and fulmars following the ship, and with some luck spot whales on the horizon. When crossing the Arctic Circle at 66 degrees 30 minutes north, a celebration with ice cream is planned, with a shared toast. Later, a performance by Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, takes place in the lounge before the evening entertainment begins.

Day 8: Jan Mayen
If the weather allows, an attempt is made to explore Jan Mayen, a remote Norwegian island dominated by the glaciated Beerenberg, one of the northernmost active volcanoes. Cliffs and slopes provide breeding sites for seabirds such as fulmars, black legged kittiwakes and guillemots. Inland, the only residents are the members of the Norwegian weather station, which we hope to be able to visit. For photography, the volcanic landscape and birdlife offer clear motifs. In the afternoon, the ship continues the voyage and heads for the next destination in the Arctic.

Day 9: At sea towards Spitsbergen
Today you deepen your knowledge of the Arctic through lectures, including on the geology of polar regions, wildlife behaviour and cultural background. Whale watching is possible from the open decks. Practical workshops take place in the lounge, for example on photographic technique, and there is a briefing in preparation for the landings. When the low Arctic sun touches the horizon, you can end the day with a drink and toast the first view of Spitsbergen’s coasts.

Day 10 to 12: Expedition days in Spitsbergen
Route and daily planning depend strongly on wind and ice and are continuously adjusted by the captain and expedition leadership. Polar bears and other typical Arctic animals can in principle be sighted at any time, but sightings cannot be guaranteed. You explore fjords, coastal stretches and islands in the western part of Spitsbergen, with snow covered peaks, narrow channels and glaciers calving icebergs that drift through fjords in many shades of blue. In the tundra, reindeer may graze and foxes may be on the hunt, while the waters are habitat for walruses and various whale species. The archipelago is also characterised by large numbers of migratory birds that make use of the twenty four hour light of the midnight sun. In addition, places with historical significance are visited, including remains of whaling stations, former coal mining areas, trappers’ huts, as well as sites linked to early polar expeditions and an abandoned research station. The days consist of landings, Zodiac cruises, lectures and meals on board.

Day 13: Disembarkation in Longyearbyen
After the final breakfast buffet on board, disembarkation takes place. You then join a coach tour to highlights of Longyearbyen. Depending on your return flight, there may be some time left in the town centre, after which a shared transfer to the airport is included. The trip ends after breakfast with disembarkation in Longyearbyen and the subsequent transfer to the airport.

Accommodation: Before the cruise you stay overnight in Edinburgh at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh City Centre (subject to change). This hotel night is included in the travel price and serves as a pre night before embarkation. During the expedition you are accommodated on board the MS Sea Spirit, an expedition cruise ship with a maximum of 114 passengers. You stay in your booked cabin category and have access to public areas such as the lounge and decks for observations at sea.

Included:

• One hotel night before embarkation in Edinburgh
• Group transfer to the ship on embarkation day
• Accommodation on board in the booked cabin category
• All meals on board during the voyage
• Twenty four hour water, tea and coffee station on board
• All inclusive drinks package with soft drinks, house wine and beer, and house spirits in the on board restaurant and at the bar
• All planned landings, Zodiac cruises and excursions as per programme
• Expedition leadership and lecturers in English and German
• Expedition parka as a gift
• Reusable water bottle as a gift
• Loan of thermal rubber boots for landings
• Welcome and farewell cocktail
• Pre departure information material
• Digital voyage log
• Wi fi on board
• AECO fees and government taxes
• Excursion on the morning after disembarkation in Longyearbyen and subsequent group transfer to the airport

Not included:

• Flights to and from the embarkation and disembarkation points
• Overseas travel health insurance including medical repatriation, mandatory
• Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance, recommended
• Personal expenses such as laundry, communication costs or purchases in the on board shop
• Visa or passport fees if required

Optional upgrades:

• Airport transfers
• One overnight stay with breakfast in Oslo at the airport on the return journey

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