Scottish Isles & Norwegian Fjords

Home City/ Glasgow, Scotland | Greenock | Embark World Voyager

Isle of Iona

A delicious breakfast will be served this morning — and every morning on board the ship. Afterward, disembark for your excursion.

Iona Abbey. Visit the Inner Hebridean Isle of Iona. On this emerald-green, teardrop-shaped island, experience an in-depth visit to Iona Abbey, founded in the year 563 and considered the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. It was the monks of Iona who spread Christian ideas across Scotland and the North. Today, Iona remains a place of pilgrimage and spirituality. Enjoy a guided visit of the Abbey and see the cloisters and the graveyard, which is the burial site of numerous Scottish clan chiefs and kings (including Macbeth, buried here in 1057!). There’s an impressive collection of over 180 medieval carved stones and crosses. (Moderate activity level)

Free Time: Enjoy free time after the tour to soak up the atmosphere of the Abbey and explore the lovely little shops and cafes of the village.

Return to the ship for a tasty lunch. Spend the afternoon relaxing on board.

Welcome Reception: Get to know your fellow travelers at a Welcome Reception and Dinner on board the ship this evening.

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis

This morning, disembark in the capital of Stornoway for your chosen excursion.

Traveler’s Choice | Choose ONE of the following included excursions:

• Callinish Standing Stones & Gearrannan Blackhouse Village. Travel by motorcoach across the Isle of Lewis to the rugged west coast and Callanish. Described as Scotland’s Stonehenge, the Callanish (also called Calanais) Standing Stones date from around 3,000 B.C. As with Stonehenge, there is mystery surrounding the prehistoric assemblage, with theories of its purpose ranging from a ritual site to an astronomical observatory.

  Next, travel north to Gearrannan Blackhouse Village, a traditional crofter’s village of thatched-roof stone houses made entirely from local materials. The one-room houses date to the late 1800s. Visit the small museum and observe a typical crofting activity, such as weaving or butter-churning. Drive back across the striking moorland to Stornoway, where you’ll embark the ship. (Moderate)

• Lews Castle & Museum Nan Eilean. Overlooking Stornoway Harbor, the impressive Lews Castle is a Gothic Revival-style home built in the mid-1800s by the island’s one-time owner, Sir James Matheson. Enjoy an exclusive tour of the castle and learn about its history during World War II, when it housed a naval hospital. The castle has been renovated and restored, and now features hotel accommodations and a museum and interpretative center, called Museum Nan Eilean.

  Nan Eilean focuses on life in the Outer Hebrides from prehistory to the present day, with exhibits that include significant archaeological finds. Six of the famous Lewis Chessmen have been returned to the island where they were discovered in 1831, and are on long-term loan from the British Museum. Browse the fascinating exhibits and learn about the islands’ history and culture. (Moderate)

Free Time: Return to the ship for lunch, or stay in town and enjoy a meal in one of the local restaurants or cafes. Spend this afternoon at leisure, exploring Stornoway on your own. You can shop for authentic Harris Tweed, stroll the walking trails on the Lews Castle grounds and sample local food — Stornoway is famous for its Black Pudding!

Return to the ship for dinner on board this evening.

Kirkwall | Orkney Islands

Enjoy breakfast, some leisure time and an early lunch on board before departing for the day’s excursion.

Mainland, Orkney Islands. The Orkney Islands are an archipelago of 70 small islands, only 20 of them inhabited. The islands are famous for their seals — 15% of the world’s seal population lives here! — and their prehistoric settlements. Mainland, the largest island, is home to Neolithic Heartland of Orkney — a UNESCO World Heritage site containing four sites and a wealth of prehistoric archaeology. View the sacred Standing Stones of Stenness and continue to the 5,000-year-old settlement of Skara Brae to see the unusual dwellings and their remarkable stone furnishings. Follow the coastline of Scapa Flow, made famous for its role in both World Wars, before visiting St. Magnus Cathedral. Known as the “Light of the North,” the cathedral was built by Vikings during their 500-year reign over the islands. Be transported by the sounds of a Scottish bagpiper as you re-board the ship in Kirkwall. (Moderate)

Savor dinner tonight on the ship. The ship departs Kirkwall and sails overnight to Lerwick.

Lerwick, Shetland Islands

Jarlshof. Disembark in Lerwick, the capital and main port city of Shetland, for a coach tour to the island’s southernmost point. En route, pass through the rural townships of Fladdabister with a view — weather permitting — of the magnificent Mousa Broch, the tallest and best-preserved broch in the world. Continue down the west coast and pass St. Ninian’s Isle, where the famous Pictish hoard of silver, dating from the ninth century, was found in 1958. Next, embark on a guided visit to the remarkable archaeological site of Jarlshof. A violent storm in the winter of 1896 to 1897 uncovered the site, revealing an extraordinary settlement embracing more than 4,000 years of human history. View the sequence of stone structures, including an Iron Age broch and wheelhouses, late‑Neolithic stone houses, a Bronze Age village, Norse longhouses, a medieval farmstead and a 16th‑century laird’s house. Look for sightings of Shetland’s famous ponies as you travel back to the ship. (Moderate)

Free Time: After lunch on board the ship, relax and enjoy the amenities while cruising toward Norway.

Savor dinner on board the ship this evening. The ship sails overnight to the entrance of the Songefjord.

Cruising Sognefjord, Norway

The ship arrives at the Sognefjord entrance in Norway.

Cruising the Sognefjord. Experience this breathtaking cruise along the mighty Sognefjord. Nicknamed “King of the Fjords,” Norway’s longest and deepest fjord extends for 127 miles. As we sail along the green glacial water, marvel at the dramatic lush mountains dotted with waterfalls, farmsteads and villages.

Enjoy a delicious lunch and relaxing afternoon on board.

Bergen

Bergen tour. Begin with a panoramic overview tour of the city. Stop at the Fantoft Stavkirke, a 12th‑century wooden stave church demolished by fire in 1992, and painstakingly rebuilt in its original post-and-lintel construction. Next, disembark the motorcoach for a walking tour of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Bryggen, Bergen’s historic waterfront. The old wharf is a reminder of the town’s importance as part of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire from the 14th to the mid-16th century. (Moderate)

Free Time: Return to the ship for lunch or opt to stay in town and eat at one of the many cafes and restaurants. This afternoon, enjoy time at leisure in Bergen. Take the funicular up Mount Fløyen for stunning 360-degree views of Bergen, the harbor and the surrounding mountains and islands. Or stop in shops and galleries in the downtown area.

Farewell Reception: Bid adieu to your fellow travelers at this evening’s Farewell Reception and Dinner.

Bergen | Disembark | Return to Home City