Via the Orkney and Shetland Islands to the Faroe Islands

Day 1 | Arrival in Edinburgh

Welcome to Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital and the starting point of your expedition. You’ll check into your included hotel room and have the rest of the day to yourself. Take the opportunity to stroll along the Royal Mile, visit Edinburgh Castle high above the Old Town, or stop by one of the many pubs serving over 400 varieties of whiskey.

Day 3 | Kirkwall, Orkney Islands

Kirkwall is the capital of the Orkney archipelago and was first mentioned in the Orkneyinga Saga in 1046. The town lies on the northern shore of a sheltered bay and impresses with a concentration of historic buildings that one would hardly expect at these latitudes.

The included full-day excursion first takes you to St. Magnus Cathedral, a Romanesque cathedral built of red sandstone that was begun by the Vikings in 1137 and is considered the most beautiful medieval building in northern Scotland. The tour continues to the Bishop’s Palace and the Earl’s Palace.

The highlights are located outside the city: the Ring of Brodgar, a 5,000-year-old stone circle consisting of 27 standing stones; the Standing Stones of Stenness; and the Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae, which was uncovered from the sand by a storm in 1850. Here you can see houses with stone beds, shelves, and hearths that have remained unchanged for 5,000 years.

Day 5 | Lerwick, Shetland

Lerwick is the capital of the Shetland Islands and, with a population of around 7,500, the northernmost town in the United Kingdom. The Shetland Museum offers an overview of 5,000 years of the islands’ history, from the first settlers through the Viking Age to oil production in the North Sea.

The bus then takes you through the countryside of Dunrossness to Sumburgh Head. The lighthouse at the southern tip of the main island is one of the best places in the Shetland Islands to observe puffins and other seabirds up close.

Right next to it lies Jarlshof, one of Northern Europe’s most significant archaeological sites. The excavation reveals settlement layers dating from the Bronze Age through Pictish roundhouses, an Iron Age broch, a Viking longhouse, and up to a medieval farmstead. 5,000 years of human history, unearthed on a single headland.

Days 7–10 | Faroe Islands

The expedition spends four full days in the Faroe Islands, an archipelago of 18 islands in the North Atlantic between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are one of the most unspoiled places in Europe: steep grassy cliffs drop hundreds of meters into the sea, waterfalls plunge directly into the ocean, and colorful wooden houses with thatched roofs stand in the sheltered bays.

In Tórshavn, you’ll explore one of the smallest capital cities in the world. The historic old town of Tinganes, with its tar-red wooden houses, has been the seat of government since the Viking Age. The 16th-century Skansin Fortress offers a panoramic view of the harbor.

In Kirkjubøur, the medieval ecclesiastical and cultural center of the islands, stand the ruins of Magnus Cathedral, a 13th-century Gothic cathedral that was never completed. Right next to it is Roykstovan, an 11th-century farmhouse that has been home to the same family for 17 generations without interruption.

The expedition team will use the four days to explore remote areas of the Faroe Islands by ship and Zodiac. On the bird cliffs, puffins, fulmars, and kittiwakes nest in the rock faces. The exact landing sites are adjusted daily by the expedition leader based on weather and conditions. Lectures and briefings on board will deepen your knowledge of the history, geology, and rich wildlife of the Faroe Islands.

Day 12 | Edinburgh, Disembarkation

After breakfast, the MS Sea Spirit will drop anchor in the Port of Leith. An included group transfer will take you to Edinburgh Airport or downtown. If you’d like to extend your trip, Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands offer plenty to see and do for a few more days.