Scottish Archipelagos and the Faroe Islands: Nordic Heritage and Island Identities

Ponant proposes a 10-day expedition cruise aboard Le Boréal exploring the captivating landscapes and extraordinary historical heritage of the archipelagos of Scotlandand the Faroe Islands, lands with Celtic and Viking influences. Leaving from Glasgow, you will reach Oban, capital of the county of Argyll, considered the cradle of Scotland, and its spectacular coastlines to the west of the Highlands. You will then sail towards Loch Ewe in the Northwest Highlands, a sea loch that is home to a remarkable subtropical Eden; next, you will reach Handa Island and its huge sandstone cliffs, where many...read more colonies of seabirds come to nest.

You will then head for the Orkney archipelago and its windswept moorland landscape. Stromness, a small fishing port with stone houses, reveals a rich history of Vikings, merchants and sailors. In the middle of the North Sea, the Scottish archipelago of the Shetlands is rich in unsuspected treasures on its raw territories with jagged coastlines. From Scalloway, the stone structures at Jarlshof are a vibrant testimony to the first settlements while the cliff at Sumburgh Head offers fantastic views of the seabirds. On the more remote island of Foula, man has had to deal with the elements.

Your ship will then sail north towards the the Faroe Islands, Denmark's northernmost autonomous territory. In this isolated archipelago, you will immerse yourself in a wild and spectacular natural environment. In Suduroy, the rolling plains populated by sheep shape the scenery punctuated by sheer summits, mountain lakes and jagged cliffs looking out to the islands, offering outstanding terrestrial and maritime panoramas. Eysturoy reveals itself through the life of the archipelago's inhabitants, between remote villages, green roofs, a traditional black wooden church, and local customs.

You will also enjoy sailing around cliffs that are home to bird colonies. Here, Viking legends and Nordic cosmogony are never far away. In the Hebrides, St Kilda is a small volcanic archipelago with incredibly beautiful scenery, where the sheer cliffs rub shoulders with vast and verdant relief. The main island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; uninhabited since 1930, it has remnants of very old dwellings. The last stage of your journey will take you to Tobermory, a charming fishing port with multicoloured houses and with a distillery that produces a renowned single malt , before you arrive in Glasgow, your disembarkation port.