Cruise and Maritime Voyages

Once the site of an annual Viking gathering, Tórshavn is today one of the smallest and most pleasant capital cities in the world. It sits on the southern tip of Streymoy, one of eighteen islands in the Faroese archipelago. Tinganes is the old part of the town where characteristic, red wooden buildings with turf-covered roofs cluster on a narrow peninsula. It juts into the natural harbour around which the modern town has been built. The Faroe Islands have a wild and dramatic landscape, which is a magnificent backdrop to optional excursions showing how islanders live on this remote and unspoiled archipelago.

Akureyri lies at the head of the 60-kilometre long Eyjafjördur, which is the longest fjord in Iceland. The capital of the north, which was founded as a trading post, is today an attractive town with colourful houses and well-kept gardens. It is also home to both the northernmost botanical garden and northernmost golf course in the world. Optional excursions highlight Iceland’s extraordinary landscapes including surreal rock formations, the lunar-like pseudo-craters at Skutastadir and the stunning, crescent-shaped Godafoss Waterfall. Laufas Folk Museum, or Myvatn Nature Baths, Iceland’s newest spa, are relaxing alternatives.

Part old Norse, part modern city, the Icelandic capital has a quirky character of its own. Although Reykjavik is one of the world’s smallest capital cities, it is home to almost half of Iceland’s population. Mosaics, murals and sculptures are found throughout the oldest part of the town where brightly coloured houses with tin roofs are watched over by the towering Hallgrimskirkja Church. The classic ‘Golden Circle’ featuring vast lava fields, bubbling mud pools, crashing waterfalls and spouting geysers, is a popular optional excursion along with the chance to bathe in the famous geothermal Blue Lagoon.

Originally settled by the Norsemen in the 9th century, Lerwick was founded as an unofficial marketplace to service 17th century Dutch herring fleets. The core of the town is a maze of narrow, flagstone streets set behind 18th century sandstone buildings overlooking the busy harbour. Hay’s Dock, once the centre of Shetland’s fishing and boat building industries, is home to the marvellous Shetland Museum and Archives. On the southern tip of Mainland the extraordinary archaeological site of Jarlshof tells the story of some 4,000 years of human history on this remote archipelago with a wealth of wildlife.

Situated on the shores of the deep Cromarty Firth and with a fine natural harbour, Invergordon is a key port with an important naval history stretching back through two World Wars. The small, yet modern town is a charming coastal gateway to the beautiful Scottish Highlands and the incredible scenery that forms a stunning backdrop to the romantic castles and historic battlefields featuring in optional excursions along with the ‘Capital of the Highlands’ Inverness. Other popular options include the Glenmorangie Distillery and a visit to haunting Loch Ness with its legendary monster.