SCOTLAND SLOWLY - Bonus free hotel stay!*

Pre-cruise Itinerary

Date	Activity
2 Jun 2025	Make your own way to Aberdeen hotel by 02 June, check in for one night stay
3 Jun 2025	Make your own way to port at Aberdeen, embark Ocean Endeavour ship

Cruise Itinerary

Date	Port	Arrive	Depart
3 Jun 2025	Aberdeen, Scotland	Embark
4 Jun 2025	Kirkwall, Scotland
5 Jun 2025	Fair Isle Shetland Islands
6 Jun 2025	Papa Stour, Shetland Islands
7 Jun 2025	Foula, Scotland
8 Jun 2025	Stornoway, Isle of Lewis - Scotland
9 Jun 2025	St Kilda, Scotland
10 Jun 2025	Isle of Skye, Scotland
11 Jun 2025	Iona, Scotland
11 Jun 2025	Staffa Island, Scotland
12 Jun 2025	Islay, Scotland
13 Jun 2025	Greenock (Glasgow), Scotland	Disembark

10 Night Cruise sailing from Aberdeen to Glasgow aboard Ocean Endeavour.

Day 1: Aberdeen, Scotland - Begin your adventure!
Many of Aberdeen’s historic stone buildings are made of locally quarried granite; high in mica, they can sparkle like silver. The city is famed for its forty-five parks, gardens, and floral displays. In recent years, Aberdeen has become the gateway to the North Sea oil industry, but the city retains its old world charm and is a wonderful place for a walkabout.

Day 2: Kirkwall, Orkney - Visit the Heart of Neolithic Orkney UNESCO World Heritage Site
Wander through the stone walls of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you’ll find the 4,000-year-old Ring of Brodgar. Tour the Hall of Clestrain, childhood home of Arctic explorer John Rae. In Kirkwall, let yourself be captivated by the city’s sights, dominated by the massive St. Magnus Cathedral dating back to 1137. Experience its lively pubs, vibrant music scene, fabulous shopping opportunities, and thriving artisan community. Step back 5,000 years to the Neolithic village of Skara Brae. Considered one of the most important Neolithic ruins in Europe today, wander the well-preserved stone houses and learn what daily life was like here.

Day 3: Fair Isle - Enjoy Birdwatching and Serene Island Culture
Journey to charming Fair Isle, once a Viking hub and now an idyllic island colony of artists and shepherds. Keep your binoculars handy to spot some of the 350 bird species that the island boasts, including puffins and great skuas in substantial numbers. Take a tour of the local museum, dedicated to preserving the island's heritage.

Day 4–5: Papa Stour and Foula - Take a Zodiac Cruise
Explore the rugged coastline and spot flourishing marine and bird life among Papa Stour’s cliffs, caves, sea stacks, and blowholes on a Zodiac cruise. Call in at sweet and petite Foula, twenty-three kilometres west of the Shetland Islands, home to just a few dozen folks, many of whom preserve traditional methods of agriculture and subsistence. Keep an eye out for the Arctic terns, red-throated divers, and great skuas that may be found here.

Day 6: Stornoway, Lewis - Witness Modern and Ancient Scottish Culture
Visit Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, a Gaelic stronghold and the capital of the largest of the Hebrides. Browse charming shops to purchase the island’s famous tweed. Meander through one of Britain’s most important Stone Age sites, Calanais Standing Stones, which are said to be giants who were punished by St. Kieran for refusing to convert to Christianity. Experience the living history at Gearrannan Blackhouse Village, where you can learn about a typical crofting township of the last century. Explore the blackhouses and traditional activities, including the weaving of the famous Harris Tweed. Discover Dun Carloway Broch, a uniquely Scottish site perched on a rocky mound. See this ancient structure, standing at an impressive nine metres tall.

Day 7: St. Kilda - Journey to St. Kilda UNESCO World Heritage Site
The archipelago known as St. Kilda was inhabited until 1930. Today, St. Kilda is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, protecting fascinating ruins as well as natural heritage features. Seabirds thrive on the island of Hirta, which is also home to feral sheep left by the departing islanders. Enormous cliffs offer dramatic ocean views for our hikers!

Day 8: Skye - Enjoy Photography, Birdwatching, and Hiking
Whether you’re a hiker, photographer, or birder, you will love a visit to Skye. Cruise the southwestern shore of this large island keeping a keen eye out for species like common sandpiper, oystercatcher, gannets, and razorbills. Delight in the opportunity to witness these remarkable creatures in their natural environment and add unique sightings to your birdwatching list. Immerse yourself in the beauty of Skye's mountainous landscapes and choose the level of activity that suits you best for a walk, hike, or trek among the awe-inspiring Cuillin Hills, one of Britain's finest mountainscapes.

Day 9: Iona and Staffa - Make a Pilgrimage to Iona Abbey and Fingal's Cave
Visit Iona, where St. Columba established his monastery—the burial place of kings. Admire the beautifully restored Iona Abbey complex, which preserves two outstanding crosses dating as far back as the eighth century. Take a Zodiac cruise at the Isle of Staffa, famed for basaltic formations and numerous caves, the best-known being Fingal’s Cave. See for yourself why it is originally known in Gaelic as “the melodious cave” and provided the inspiration for Mendelssohn’s overture, The Hebrides.

Day 10: Islay - Tour the Loch Finlaggan Historic Site
Explore the renowned Loch Finlaggan Historic Site, tucked away in the enchanting Islay, also known as the Queen of the Hebrides. Immerse yourself in the rich history and heritage of the region. Indulge in the stories of Scottish nobility at the ancient seat of the Lord of the Isles and Clan Donald in the Finlagglan Castle. Delve into its captivating past and marvel at the artefacts on display in the site's museum. If you’re a Scotch lover (and who isn’t?), take the opportunity to enhance your journey with an optional excursion to the world-renowned whisky distilleries that the island is famous for.

Day 11: Glasgow/Greenock, Scotland - Wave a Fond Farewell
Complete your journey by disembarking the Ocean Endeavour from Greenock in the morning and taking a coach transfer to Glasgow. Say your farewells in this city of rich maritime history that was a major shipbuilding and import centre.

Sailing with a maximum of 198-passengers, Ocean Endeavour is the perfect vessel for expedition cruising. Outfitted with twenty Zodiacs, advanced navigation equipment, multiple lounges and a top deck observation room, she is purpose-built for passenger experiences in remote environments. The Ocean Endeavour boasts a 1B ice class, enabling her to freely explore throughout the Arctic summer.

Launched in 1982, she has had numerous upgrades, most recently in 2010 and 2014. At 137 meters (450ft) in length, Ocean Endeavour has plenty of interior and exterior space. Enjoy multiple decks offering comfortable lounge chairs, outdoor dining, a swimming pool, sauna and even a hot tub! The spacious interiors allow for multiple workshops and presentations to occur simultaneously. Community is at the heart of Adventure Canada’s expedition experience. We gather together to learn, enjoy a drink, sing a song or share a yarn – connecting with one and other. The three lounges aboard Ocean Endeavour are fantastic public spaces for seminars, events and dialogue.

Ocean Endeavour’s crew is experienced, and friendly. Her shallow draft and maneuverability allow her to access isolated fiords, bays and secluded communities. The stylish vessel is at home among the glorious settings we seek. Enjoy the class and comfort of a boutique hotel, while venturing to some of the world’s last great frontiers aboard the Ocean Endeavour!

Founded in 1987, Adventure Canada was created to bring travellers to Canada's "blank spaces", those areas whose remoteness alone made them special. Over the last fifteen years, along with our guests, we have discovered that there is so much that is extraordinary about the places we travel, from the landscape, wildlife and culture to the history, art and archeology that is unique to every destination. It is our belief that there is so much to see “beyond the binoculars” that drives us to delve deeper into our favourite places with every expedition and continually seek out new destinations.

We travel by small expedition ship, the best suited mode of transportation for remote exploration. The number of passengers on our voyages run between 45 and 100, depending on the ship we choose. We believe that these small vessels are superior, as they not only allow us to gain access to places not accessible by larger vessels, but our fleet of Zodiac landing craft permit us to visit some of the most remote places imaginable - the key to expeditionary travel.