Wild Scotland - Birds and Kayaking

Embark and sail.

From golden beaches to jagged peaks, bleakmoors to heather clad hills and abandonedsettlements to picturesque villages, our daysin the Hebrides will be packed with variety.Kayakers will be introduced to their craft andwill be briefed for their adventures, beforepicking up paddles to circumnavigate tiny isletsor paddle deep into narrow waterways thatintersect this rugged terrain, while hikers mayopt for panoramic views from summits andridges. We may have the chance to samplesingle malt whisky at a distillery, or marvel atFingal's Cave, where the melodious sound ofwaves crashing against towering basalt pillarsinspired Mendelssohnn's Hebridean Overture.The rugged island of Skye, named after theNorse word for 'cloud', is a hikers' paradise.

We aim to visit tiny specks of land thatbear the brunt of ferocious Atlantic storms.If weather and seas permit, we hope to land atSt Kilda, a World Heritage Site, where derelictcrofts bear testament to the fortitude of hardyislanders that once dried seabirds for winterfood. Exposed to the full ferocity of Atlanticgales, the inhospitable volcanic stacks ofSt Kilda boast Britain's highest sea cliff(430 metres tall). On Lewis, we may visitCarloway Broch, and stroll among a mini stonehenge at Callanais. Home to breeding sealsand vast seabird colonies, Flannan, North Ronaand Foula boast spectacular cliffs, fantastic rockstacks, hidden beaches and luxuriant heathswhere sheep once grazed. In favourable seaconditions it's possible to land on Hirta, thelargest island (2 miles by 1 mile), to visit derelictcrofts and the ancient chape. The region is oneof Europe's most significant seabird breedingcolonies, with over 200,000 breeding pairs of allspecies and is home to Britain's largest coloniesof gannets, fulmars and puffins.

Shetland Britain's most northerlyislands lie almost 100 miles north of the Scottishmainland, at a similar latitude to the southerntip of Greenland, or Bergen in Norway. Keptrelatively warm by the Gulf Stream, Shetland's100 islands experience almost 24 hours ofdaylight in summer. They abound with naturereserves and archaeological sites offering ataste of traditional island life. We plan to visitsome of Shetland's best preserved and mostcomplex archaeological broch sites (fortifiedIron Age towers) along some of the world'slargest sea bird colonies.

Mid waybetween Orkney and Shetland, Fair Isle housesa major European ornithological researchstation, and is also famous for knitwear andhistoric shipwrecks. About 3 miles by 2 miles,it is surrounded by impressive cliffs. The 70or so islanders mostly live in traditional croftson the more fertile low-lying southern part ofthe island. A bird watchers' paradise, Fair Isleattracts common species and eastern raritiessuch as the lanceolated warbler. In summer,the cliffs teem with breeding fulmars,kittiwakes, guillemots, gannets, shags andpuffins - an excellent place to view seabirdsat close range. The island also has over 250species of flowering plants, including wetlandflowers, rare orchids, alpine species andcommon wildflowers. We'll be welcomed by thehospitable villagers and may take a hike or visitthe museum. We follow the passage of time- from 5000 year old World Heritage neolithicsites, past relics from wandering Vikings andreminders of World War II occupation, topresent day crofting communities. Imposingsea cliffs teem with seabirds and cliff toppaths and bleak moors beckon the keenhikers among us, while our kayakers usepaddle-power to explore sections of Orkney'sfascinating coastline.

Disembark