North Atlantic Saga: Scotland, Faroe Islands & Iceland | Ocean Endeavour

Many of Aberdeen’s historic stone buildings are of locally quarried granite; high in mica, they can sparkle like silver. The city is famed for its forty-five parks, gardens, and floral displays. In recent years, Aberdeen has become the gateway to the North Sea oil industry, but the city retains its old world charm and is a wonderful place for a walkabout. Embarkation on board the Ocean Endeavour is scheduled for the afternoon.

Kirkwall is dominated by the massive St. Magnus Cathedral, dating from 1137. We’ll visit the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where we’ll find the 4,000-year-old Ring of Brodgar. We’ll also tour the Hall of Clestrain, childhood home of Arctic explorer John Rae.

Fair Isle was a Viking hub and is now an idyllic island colony of artists and shepherds. Its sixty residents include global citizens who have relocated to help maintain Fair Isle’s traditions including world-famous woolen crafts. Fair Isle boasts sightings of three hundred and fifty bird species including puffins and great skuas in substantial numbers. The local museum is dedicated to preserving island heritage. The National Trust Bird Observatory is now being reconstructed after a fire in 2019.

Suduroy Island, Faroes, is famed for its dramatic cliffs towering over the North Atlantic. It’s a paradise for bird, including northern fulmars, European storm petrels, European shags, black-legged kittiwakes, Atlantic puffins, common guillemots, and black guillemots. The village of Sumba, population 239, occupied since the seventh century, is a stronghold of Faroese chain dancing. Hiking is excellent in the foothills of nearby Beinisvøro Mountain, affording spectacular, panoramic views of the region.

Torshavn, literally “Thor’s harbour,” is the Faroe Islands’ capital and largest town, with a population of 19,000. A former Viking trading centre, Torshavn is a splendid little city to explore. The National Art Gallery is a treasure, surrounded by gorgeous grounds with walking trails. Nordic House is a must, widely considered the finest example of architecture in Scandinavia. Torshavn offers excellent shopping and handicrafts, restaurants and pubs, and a cathedral dating 1788.

The northwestern shores of Eysturoy and Streymoy islands are beyond spectacular. Hiking, birding and photography are outstanding. Charming villages connected by high-tech tunnels through mountains and beneath the ocean floor are a unique and startling feature of Faroese life. The spectacular waterfall at Gasadalur is reached through one such tunnel— but look for the old switchback trail over the mountain, once used by the local postman!

Mykines is the westernmost of the Faroes and a geological marvel. Great columns of balsalt (called the Stone-wood) tower thirty metres above the ocean. On the western end of the island, connected by a forty-metre footbridge, is the islet Mykinshólmur, famed for its sea stacks and a lighthouse dating to 1909. Mykines has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for its large numbers of puffins and gannets, guillemots, razorbills, northern fulmurs, Manx shearwaters, European storm petrels, European shags, and black-legged kittiwakes.

This day will be spent at sea at your own leisure. Take this time to reflect on the incredible memories you have made so far with your fellow passengers, savour these incredible moments and prepare yourself for the amazing journey ahead.

Vestmannaeyjar lies off the south coast of Iceland and comprises fourteen islands, numerous rocks and skerries. Only the largest island, Heimaey, is inhabited.

Numerous species of seabirds, including the famous puffin, nest in the steep rock faces along the ocean cliffs. The volcanically active area has seen two major eruptions in recent times: the formation of the island of Surtsey in 1963, and the Eldfell eruption ten years later that destroyed much of Heimaey and nearly blocked its harbour.

Reykjavík, “steamy bay”, is a cosmopolitan capital city on the site of what is believed to be the first permanent settlement in Iceland, established in AD 874. Entirely powered by geothermal energy, Reykjavik is among the cleanest, greenest, and safest cities in the world.

Night life, cuisine and culture are vibrant here during the summer months, when locals and visitors alike make the most of the midnight sun. The Culture House promotes Icelandic national heritage, including treasures like the Poetic Edda, and the Norse Sagas in their original manuscripts. Today you will disembark Ocean Endeavour, bid farewell to your fellow passengers and newfound friends, and prepare for the journeys to come.