MS Caledonian Sky - Noble Caledonia

A Circumnavigation of Iceland
A cruise around Iceland including St Kilda, North Rona, the Faroes and Orkney
6th to 20th June 2012
If you want to see nature in the raw, where better than the
‘Land of Ice and Fire’, Iceland. Europe’s least populated country
offers the visitor an unparalleled experience of elemental forces
at work. Its largely deserted interior is dotted with huge ice-caps
and glaciers, active volcanoes, gurgling mud pools, steaming hot
springs and lava fields. And, if this were not enough the immense
scale of the landscape is dominated by towering snow-capped
mountains, thundering waterfalls and spontaneous erupting geysers.
Under the surface this island
simmers with the sparks that
are the telltale signs of its
youthfulness as Europe’s most recent
geological addition, only 16-20 million
years old. Iceland is continuously
being created, some of it newest land
is a mere 35 years old.
Our circumnavigation of Iceland will
take us to some of the most dramatic
of its areas whilst we sail its waters
looking out for humpback whales,
orcas, white-beaked dolphins and
observing the immense colonies of
seabirds. Join us on our high summer
circumnavigation as we explore the
magnificent landscapes and learn
more of the centuries old legacies of a
Viking and Norse heritage.
St Kilda
On our route from the port of Oban
we have the added bonus of a visit
to the St Kilda archipelago, North
Rona and the Faroe Islands and on
the return leg to Aberdeen we have
another call in the Faroes and a visit
to Orkney.
The Itinerary
Day 1 - Oban. Transportation will be
provided from Glasgow airport and
station to the port of Oban. Embark in
the late afternoon and sail.
Day 2 - St Kilda. Arrive at first light
at St Kilda, a remarkable uninhabited
archipelago some 50 miles beyond
the Outer Hebrides. For some this
is almost a pilgrimage and a moving
experience as we drop anchor off
Flatey
Siglufjordur
Reykjavik
Isafjardardjup
ICELAND
Akureyi
Westman Islands Hofn
Village Bay on the island of Hirta and
wander through the village. St Kilda
once supported a population of over
200, but the last islanders left in the
1930s. Recent restoration work on
the village by the National Trust for
Scotland offers a marvellous link with
the past. Later, cruise past two of the
largest gannetries in the world as we
make our way over the top of Lewis to
North Rona.
Day 3 - North Rona. Out in the
Atlantic to the north-west of Scotland
lie the tiny islands of North Rona and
Sula Sgeir. Weather permitting, we will
land on North Rona to see the seabird
colonies and the Grey Seals. The island
was inhabited in the 18th century and
some remains are still visible: Leach’s
Petrels can be heard calling from their
nesting burrows in the ruined walls of a
small church in the ‘village’. 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 4 - Torshavn, Faroe Islands.
From our berth in Torshavn we will
join a guided tour over the hills to
Kirkjubøur, the island’s oldest cultural
centre, where we see the 11th century
church, still in use. We also visit the
900-year old “Roykstovan”, the old
bishopric, considered to be the
oldest wooden house in Europe. For
the hiking enthusiasts it is possible
to take a two hour hike back to
Torshavn over the mountain. This
afternoon we sail to Iceland passing
by Fugloy, which has large colonies of
Common Guillemots.
Grimsey Island
Husavik
Seydisfjordur
Mykines
North Rona
Torshavn
St Kilda
Oban
SCOTLAND
16 www.noble-caledonia.co.uk
Stromness
Aberdeen
Our
circumnavigation
of Iceland will
take us to some of
the most dramatic
of its areas and
whilst we sail its
waters we will
be looking out
for humpback
whales, orcas,
white-beaked
dolphins and
observing the
immense colonies
of seabirds.
N O R T H
S E A