Expedition Wild Scotland And Iceland: From The Highlands To The Land Of The Elves

Hamburg is Germany’s second-largest city with a history dating back to Charlemagne. A major port, this vibrant city is home to art and culture, extensive shopping facilities, Baroque buildings and waterfront vistas. With its well-known fish market, art galleries and Museums together with several beautiful parks including a botanical garden, this is a city with something for everyone. British visitors who remember the Swinging Sixties may like to visit the streets around Grosse Freiheit, where an unknown pop group called The Beatles gave their first public performances in various local clubs before achieving worldwide fame.

Welcome to Aberdeen, the “city of flowers and granite” in north-east of Scotland. Where the pretty rivers Dee and Don meet, old traditions meet modern influences. The sparkling granite architecture gives the harbour city an elegant atmosphere and makes it a real highlight. Discover the impressive tropical winter gardens in Duthie Park and stroll through the charming medieval city centre. With renowned universities and a rich cultural scene, the streets are full of life. Just a stone’s throw from the city centre, one of the best beaches in Scotland – Aberdeen Beach – invites you for a leisurely stroll. You might spot dolphins here or in Aberdeen harbour, for which the city is also famous.

With close to 220,000 inhabitants, Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city. Locally quarried grey granite was used during the mid-18th to mid-20th centuries for many of Aberdeen's buildings, and hence the nicknames it has earned as the Granite City, or the Grey City. Aberdeen granite was also used to build the terraces of the Houses of Parliament and Waterloo Bridge in London. Since the discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s, Aberdeen has also been called the Oil Capital of Europe or the Energy Capital of Europe. It is no wonder that because of the oil fields in the North Sea, Aberdeen's seaport is very important. The Heliport with its flights to the oil fields is one of the busiest commercial heliports in the world.

Untamed charm envelops the Orkney Islands. The archipelago, consisting of around 70 islands, forms a spectacular backdrop for your insights into European cultural history. Kirkwall on the mainland, with its red and yellow sandstone St Magnus Cathedral built in 1137, is an imposing reminder of the Middle Ages – one of the most interesting buildings in northern Scotland. Narrow, cobbled streets are lined with traditional shops and pubs. Enjoy the opportunity to go for an independent stroll. Kirkwall is also an ideal starting point for exploring the surrounding area, with its prehistoric sites, rugged coastline and gently rolling hills.

In bustling Kirkwall, the main town on Orkney, there's plenty to see in the narrow, winding streets extending from the harbor. The cathedral and some museums are highlights.

Close by, but seldom visited: where the Atlantic and the North Sea meet lie Scotland’s approximately 100 Shetland Islands. The untamed power of the sea sets the stage for breathtaking natural spectacles – and the front-row seats are ready for you on board.You are in the centre of the experience, observing the birdlife of the Shetland Islands from respectful proximity on the cliffs of the Isle of Noss. During a Zodiac cruise, you will be able to watch an “open-air concert” of thousands of seabirds, which, depending on the season, breed on the rugged cliffs. Northern gannets, northern fulmars, long-tailed ducks, European shags and skuas are just a few of the species that can be seen here. Your experts on board will ensure that you can recognise and name the birds after just a short time.The town of Lerwick welcomes you to the Shetland Islands with a special sense of calm. The 18th-century stone houses nestle closely together and reveal their history on a stroll through the old town. In the surrounding countryside, you will be captivated by the numerous archaeological sites that tell of the everyday lives of the Stone Age people and Vikings.The island world in northern Scotland offers you a true expedition experience when you land with the Zodiacs on the uninhabited Isle of Mousa. A circular walk with your experts will introduce you to the history and construction of the typical brochs – the Broch of Mousa was built with thick masonry as a defence tower in the Iron Age. Or you can go on a nature walk on the island, where you might be lucky to spot seals and grey seals.When the anchor drops into the North Sea off Fair Isle, the excitement builds.The Zodiacs will take you to a birdwatcher’s paradise: the spectacular sandstone cliffs and lush grasslands are home to thousands and thousands of northern gannets and puffins. In addition, every patch of grass is grazed by sheep or lambs. The 60 or so human inhabitants live in a small area of Fair Isle – the rest belongs to the animals. One of the most remote inhabited islands in Great Britain once again emphasises the incredible northern beauty.

Head for the blooming life on the shores of Loch Ewe. On the Scottish mainland, you will be surprised by a colourful whim of nature, possibly caressed by the mild climate of the Gulf Stream. Osgood Mackenzie made use of the Gulf Stream back in 1862, creating an arboretum, flowerbeds and ponds in the Inverewe Garden – a wonderful place for your own individual stroll among exotic plants from all over the world. In this unique garden, you will be surrounded by heavenly peace and a variety of colours. The famous Loch Ness tells of the heyday of the clans and the myth of a sea monster in the region. Breathe deeply and enjoy nature: take a hike with your experts and experience the charm of the expansive Highlands.

Unspoilt and wild: the Isle of Lewis – the northern region of Lewis and Harris, the main island of the Outer Hebrides – shows you the beauty of the rugged archipelago. With wild mountains and moon-like landscapes, calm lochs and idyllic beaches, Lewis emphasises the multifaceted beauty of Scotland. The mystical stone circles, which take you back some 4,000 years in time, are also part of this. With the help of your on-board experts, you will feel like archaeologists, since the Outer Hebrides are famous for the excavations of Neolithic artefacts, medieval churches and even mummies. The other half of the island of Lewis is Harris, the home of tweed, which is truly appealing. The island’s own pure new wool is the secret to the quality of the wool cloth produced here.

Tour description Stornoway, Scotland The Isle of Lewis and Harris is the northernmost and largest of the Outer Hebrides-the Western Isles in common parlance. The island's only major town, Stornoway, is on a nearly landlocked harbor on the east coast of Lewis. It's the port capital for the Outer Hebrides and the island's cultural center, such that it is. Stornoway has an increasing number of good restaurants. Lewis has some fine historic attractions, including the Calanais Standing Stones-a truly magical place. The Uists are known for their rare, plentiful wildlife. Stornoway. Besides being the island's main entry point for ferries, Stornoway is also Lewis's main arts center. You'll find some good restaurants in town if you want to have lunch off the ship. The town can be explored by bicycle if you are so inclined. Local rental shops can give you advice on where to ride, including a route to Tolsta that takes in five stunning beaches before reaching the edge of moorland. An Lanntair Arts Centre. The fabulous An Lanntair Arts Centre has exhibitions of contemporary and traditional art, as well as a cinema, a gift shop, and a restaurant serving international and Scottish fare. There are frequent traditional musical and theatrical events in the impressive auditorium. Kenneth St.. Black House. In the small community of Arnol, the Black House is a well-preserved example of an increasingly rare type of traditional Hebridean home. Once common throughout the islands-even into the 1950s-these dwellings were built without mortar and thatched on a timber framework without eaves. Other characteristic features include an open central peat hearth and the absence of a chimney-hence the soot and the designation black. On display inside are many of the house's original furnishings. To reach Arnol from Port of Ness, head south on the A857 and pick up the A858 at Barvas. Off A858, 21 mi southwest of Port of Ness. Admission charged. Calanais Standing Stones. These impressive stones are actually part of a cluster of several different archaeological sites in this area. Probably positioned in several stages between 3000 BC and 1500 BC, the grouping consists of an avenue of 19 monoliths extending northward from a circle of 13 stones, with other rows leading south, east, and west. Ruins of a cairn sit within the circle on the east side. Researchers believe they may have been used for astronomical observations, but you can create your own explanations. The visitor center has an exhibit on the stones, a gift shop, and a tearoom. On an unmarked road off A858. Admission charged. Dun Carloway. One of the best-preserved Iron Age brochs (circular stone towers) in Scotland, Dun Carloway dominates the scattered community of Carloway. The mysterious tower was probably built around 2,000 years ago as protection against seaborne raiders. The Dun Broch Centre explains more about the broch and its setting. Off A857. Gearrannan. Up a side road north from Carloway, Gearrannan is an old black-house village that has been brought back to life with a museum screening excellent short films on peat cutting and weaving. For a unique experience, groups can rent the restored houses. Leverburgh. At Leverburgh you can take the ferry to North Uist. Nearby Northton has several attractions; St. Clement's Church at Rodel is particularly worth a visit. MacGillivray Centre. Located in a round building overlooking the bay, the MacGillivray Centre gives insight into the life and work of William MacGillivray (1796-1852), a noted naturalist with strong links to Harris. MacGillivray authored the five-volume History of British Birds. This is a great location for a picnic (there are tables for just such a purpose). A walk to a ruined church starts at the parking lot. A859, Northton. Seallam! Visitor Centre and Co Leis Thu? Genealogical Research Centre. The center is where you can trace your Western Isles ancestry. Photographs and interpretive signs describe the history of Harris and its people. The owners organize guided walks and cultural evenings weekly between May and September. Off A859, Northton. Admission charged. St. Clement's Church. At the southernmost point of Harris is the community of Rodel, where you can find St. Clement's Church, a cruciform church standing on a hillock. This is the most impressive pre-Reformation church in the Outer Hebrides; it was built around 1500 and contains the magnificently sculptured tomb (1528) of the church's builder, Alasdair Crotach, MacLeod chief of Dunvegan Castle. Rodel is 3 mi south of Leverburgh and 21 mi south of Tarbert. A859, Rodel. Port of Ness. The stark, windswept community of Port of Ness, 30 mi north of Stornoway, cradles a small harbor squeezed in among the rocks. Butt of Lewis Lighthouse. At the northernmost point of Lewis stands the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse, designed by David and Thomas Stevenson (of the prominent engineering family whose best-known member was not an engineer at all, but the novelist Robert Louis Stevenson). The structure was first lighted in 1862. The adjacent cliffs provide a good vantage point for viewing seabirds, whales, and porpoises. The lighthouse is northwest of Port of Ness along the B8014. Shopping Harris tweed is available at many outlets on the islands, including some of the weavers' homes; keep an eye out for signs directing you to weavers' workshops. Harris Tweed Artisans Cooperative. The Harris Tweed Artisans Cooperative sells stylish and quirky hand-crafted tweed clothing, hats, accessories, all made by artists belonging to the cooperative. 40 Point St., Stornoway. Borgh Pottery. At Borgh Pottery, open from Monday to Saturday 9:30 to 6, you can buy attractive hand-thrown studio pottery made on the premises, including lamps, vases, mugs, and dishes. Fivepenny House, A857, Borve.

Adventure will be your constant companion during your eventful days on the east coast of Iceland. The fishing village of Seydisfjordur lies in an idyllic setting at the end of a fjord of the same name, surrounded by mountains that reach heights of up to 1,000 m (3,281 ft) and are almost always capped with snow. In the town centre, there are many historic wooden buildings in the style of the 1920s that bear witness to the wealth of the herring boom. A creative landmark of the city is the rainbow street with colourful cobblestones that lead to the blue church – a photo opportunity that will inspire you just as much as the small art galleries, cafes and shops during your individual shore visit. You can explore the surrounding area with its waterfalls on your own on numerous trails directly from the boat.Iceland’s magical side as the “island of mythical creatures and trolls” is revealed in sleepy Bakkagerdi. A paradise for nature lovers and a magical stop on your route. Legend has it that the queen of the elves reigns here over the narrow Borgarfjordur fjord and the mountains rising up to 620 m (2034 ft). This landscape with enchanted rock formations such as the elf hill attracts mystics and hikers alike. Ornithologists will love the nearby cliffs of Hafnarholmi, where puffins can most likely be observed practising their flying skills.Djupivogur, one of Iceland’s oldest trading centres, is a very remote destination on the relatively undeveloped east coast of Iceland. Here, the connection of the people of Iceland with nature and especially with the world of birds is elevated to an art form – with the work “Eggin i Gledivik” by the renowned Icelandic artist Sigurdur Gudmundsson: 34 huge granite eggs are lined up along 200 m (656 ft) of coast. They represent the species of birds that nest in the Djupivogur area, such as the red-necked grebe. Discuss with your experts on board the emotions that Iceland triggers in artists and in your soul: amazement, thoughtfulness and respect.

Seyðisfjörður, a beautiful 19th-century Norwegian village on the east coast of Iceland, is regarded by many as one of Iceland's most picturesque towns, not only due to its impressive environment, but also because nowhere in Iceland has a community of old wooden buildings been preserved so well as here. Poet Matthías Johannessen called Seyðisfjörður a 'pearl enclosed in a shell'. The community owes its origins to foreign merchants, mainly Danes, who started trading in the fjord in the mid-19th century. But the crucial factor in the evolution of the village was the establishment of the Icelandic herring fishery by Norwegians in 1870-1900. The Norwegians built up a number of herring-fishing facilities, and in a matter of years the little community grew into a boom town. Today, about 800 people live in Seyðisfjörður. The local economy has long been based on the fisheries, while light industry also flourishes. Tourism is playing a growing role, as the picturesque town in its spectacular surroundings attracts more and more visitors. The car/passenger ferry Norrøna, which plies between continental Europe and Iceland every summer, docks at Seyðisfjörður every Thursday. Seyðisfjörður has been a cosmopolitan community from its foundation, and the ferry service has contributed to ensuring that it remains so.

Mysticism and adventure characterise the Westman Islands off the south coast of Iceland. Heimaey is not only the largest and only inhabited island in the archipelago, but also the one with the most known volcanic eruptions. In 1973, the Eldfell volcano erupted and buried most of the village under itself. Thanks to a quick evacuation, mostly by fishing boats, all residents could be brought to safety in time. The lava landscape and the Eldheimar Museum bear impressive witness to the event. Your on-board expedition team offers hikes of various lengths. Take the opportunity, for example, to climb Eldfell or marvel at the lava formations on the cliffs.

It’s hard to imagine, as you stroll Heimaey’s idyllic streets of white wooden houses, that this island was literally torn apart by a spectacular volcanic eruption, just over 40 years ago. The fact that you can visit incredible Heimaey at all is something of a miracle – because the oozing lava of the Eldfell volcano threatened to seal the harbour off completely. Fortunately, its advance was halted by gallons of seawater, pumped onto it by the plucky islanders, who saved their fishing industry in the process. Iceland's famous for its scenery, and the huge castles of volcanic rock that rise out of the sea's waves here are some of the country's most dramatic.

Iceland, the “queen of the elements”, welcomes you to its fascinating capital city. The impressive forces of nature beneath the earth are already evident in the name of Reykjavik, which literally means “Smoky Bay”. The houses are closely lined up along the coast, while the nearby mountains surround the city like a protective cloak. Discover old buildings and relics from the Viking Age and the Middle Ages on independent explorations. Reykjavik shows its great style with statues, sculptures and street art. Experience the creative power of untamed nature when you marvel at the wonders of the largest volcanic island on our planet on excursions* in the surrounding area. Gain spectacular insights into a landscape that is still in the process of being created.

Sprawling Reykjavík, the nation's nerve center and government seat, is home to half the island's population. On a bay overlooked by proud Mt. Esja (pronounced eh-shyuh), with its ever-changing hues, Reykjavík presents a colorful sight, its concrete houses painted in light colors and topped by vibrant red, blue, and green roofs. In contrast to the almost treeless countryside, Reykjavík has many tall, native birches, rowans, and willows, as well as imported aspen, pines, and spruces.Reykjavík's name comes from the Icelandic words for smoke, reykur, and bay, vík. In AD 874, Norseman Ingólfur Arnarson saw Iceland rising out of the misty sea and came ashore at a bay eerily shrouded with plumes of steam from nearby hot springs. Today most of the houses in Reykjavík are heated by near-boiling water from the hot springs. Natural heating avoids air pollution; there's no smoke around. You may notice, however, that the hot water brings a slight sulfur smell to the bathroom.Prices are easily on a par with other major European cities. A practical option is to purchase a Reykjavík City Card at the Tourist Information Center or at the Reykjavík Youth Hostel. This card permits unlimited bus usage and admission to any of the city's seven pools, the Family Park and Zoo, and city museums. The cards are valid for one (ISK 3,300), two (ISK 4,400), or three days (ISK 4,900), and they pay for themselves after three or four uses a day. Even lacking the City Card, paying admission (ISK 500, or ISK 250 for seniors and people with disabilities) to one of the city art museums (Hafnarhús, Kjarvalsstaðir, or Ásmundarsafn) gets you free same-day admission to the other two.

Sprawling Reykjavík, the nation's nerve center and government seat, is home to half the island's population. On a bay overlooked by proud Mt. Esja (pronounced eh-shyuh), with its ever-changing hues, Reykjavík presents a colorful sight, its concrete houses painted in light colors and topped by vibrant red, blue, and green roofs. In contrast to the almost treeless countryside, Reykjavík has many tall, native birches, rowans, and willows, as well as imported aspen, pines, and spruces.Reykjavík's name comes from the Icelandic words for smoke, reykur, and bay, vík. In AD 874, Norseman Ingólfur Arnarson saw Iceland rising out of the misty sea and came ashore at a bay eerily shrouded with plumes of steam from nearby hot springs. Today most of the houses in Reykjavík are heated by near-boiling water from the hot springs. Natural heating avoids air pollution; there's no smoke around. You may notice, however, that the hot water brings a slight sulfur smell to the bathroom.Prices are easily on a par with other major European cities. A practical option is to purchase a Reykjavík City Card at the Tourist Information Center or at the Reykjavík Youth Hostel. This card permits unlimited bus usage and admission to any of the city's seven pools, the Family Park and Zoo, and city museums. The cards are valid for one (ISK 3,300), two (ISK 4,400), or three days (ISK 4,900), and they pay for themselves after three or four uses a day. Even lacking the City Card, paying admission (ISK 500, or ISK 250 for seniors and people with disabilities) to one of the city art museums (Hafnarhús, Kjarvalsstaðir, or Ásmundarsafn) gets you free same-day admission to the other two.