Arctic Svalbard Cruise

Board the Polar Pioneer around mid-afternoon in Aberdeen. After settling in, set sail in the Orkney Islands, where Stone Age villages like Skara Brae, relics of Viking occupation, and the wild sea stack Old Man of Hoy vie for your attention.

Among Orkney’s archipelago of 70 windswept islands, lying 6 miles north of the Scottish mainland, a rich tapestry of archaeology, history, and wildlife awaits. Follow the passage of time – from 5,000-year-old World Heritage neolithic sites, past relics from wandering Vikings, and reminders of World War II occupation, to present day crofting communities. Imposing sea cliffs teem with seabirds and cliff top paths and bleak moors beckon keen hikers, while kayakers use paddle-power to explore sections of Orkney’s fascinating coastline.

Mid-way between Orkney and Shetland, Fair Isle houses a major European ornithological research station, and is also famous for knitwear and historic shipwrecks. About 3 miles by 2 miles, it is surrounded by impressive cliffs. The 70 or so islanders mostly live in traditional crofts on the more fertile low-lying southern part of the island. A bird watchers’ paradise, Fair Isle lies on the intersection of major flight-paths from Scandinavia, Iceland, and Faroe.

Britain’s most northerly islands lie almost 100 miles north of the Scottish mainland, at a similar latitude to the southern tip of Greenland, or Bergen in Norway. Kept relatively warm by the Gulf Stream, the Shetland Islands have almost 24 hours of daylight in the summer. They abound with nature reserves and archaeological sites, and offer a taste of traditional island life. Plan to visit some of Shetland's best-preserved and most complex archaeological sites, brochs-fortified Iron Age towers.

As you sail towards the Norwegian coastline, the warmth of the bridge or the outer decks offer an excellent vantage point for bird watching. Your historian and naturalists will delight with their informative talks.

Aim to spend three days exploring the superb Norwegian coastline, cruising the intricate maze of seldom-visited inlets and outer islands. The cod-fishing island of Sor Glaeslingan will welcome with its delightful wooden houses and cheerful inhabitants, while you search for nesting kittiwakes and reclusive sea otters. Delight as you hunt for fabled trolls, as you pass by Torgatten, meaning mountain with a hole, said to be caused by a troll arrow.

Crossing the Arctic Circle, head toward the Lofoten Islands, meaning puma’s foot, this is a land scoured by ice and legend, the towering crags with their sharp edges, standing in silent protection of the villages below. As you travel north, the days are noticeably longer and you search for sperm whales, orcas, minke whales, pilot whales, and dolphins in the deep squid rich ocean trenches off Andenes.

Approach Spitsbergen at its most southerly point, South Cape or Sørkapp and explore the coastline entering a different world – that of the polar desert. Enormous peaks and deeply-gouged fjords make the visit to Hornsund a powerful experience. As the southernmost fjord in Svalbard, be on keen lookout for polar bears, cruise in Zodiacs along glacial fronts that are home to bearded and ring seal, kittiwakes and guillemots. Continue your exploration into human history dating back 400 years in Svalbard, encompassing trapping and hunting, whaling and mining. If the skies are clear, you may catch a glimpse of dramatic Hornsundtind.

Dramatic folds characterize the geological landscape of Bellsund and here you will enjoy magnificent vistas and steep bird cliffs creating lush vegetation; an open invitation to Arctic fox and polar bears. Little auks, guillemots, northern fulmar and pink-footed geese all make this their breeding home. Reindeer graze the slopes peacefully and with two branches of the fjord, there are numerous places to explore. Polar bears pass through the area on their way to the west coast, and if you are lucky, encounter the elusive and alluring white beluga whale.

On arrival Longyearbyen, disembark and bid farewell to newfound friends.