Exploring the Wild Coasts of the British Isles

Rendezvous with your fellow guests and Expedition Team at Heathrow and head to Portsmouth, where your small explorer ship awaits. Renowned for its longstanding maritime heritage and historic dockyard, Portsmouth makes a fitting jumping-off point for your British Isles expedition.

Set some 30 miles off the Normandy coast, Guernsey has been coveted for its prime location since neolithic times. Today, Guernsey’s idylic beach resorts and lively capital of St. Peter Port stand juxtaposed against former Victorian and German fortifications. Delve into the island’s history as you browse the German Occupation Museum, explore a vast underground wartime hospital complex and pass by the former home of French writer Victor Hugo. Alternatively, walk a scenic clifftop path, sample the ciders and cheeses of a local farm, or visit St. Peter Portand Castle Cornet.

With their peaceful beaches and timeless seaside ports, it’s no wonder the Isles of Scilly have been a favorite staycation haunt of the British Royal Family for generations. Make landfall in Saint Mary’s, the largest and most populated of the Scilly archipelago to tour a coastal path, explore the island’s fort and lighthouse, or hike to uncover Iron and Bronze Age burial chambers. Then, make the short trip to the neighboring Isle of Tresco to stroll the exotic horticultural specimens of Tresco Abbey Gardens.

Your vessel sets a course along the Welsh coast, bringing the sandy shores of Skomer Island into view. Board a Zodiac for a closer look offshore as you keep your binoculars and telephoto lenses at the ready. This stunning National Nature Reserve harbors Atlantic puffins, guillemots and razorbills — a true birders’ paradise.

The picture postcard fishing port of Girvan serves as your gateway to Ayr, a lively coastal town famous for its beautiful beaches and rich history. From here, explore Culzean Castle’s towering clifftop battlements, lavish 18th-century interiors, secret follies and landscaped gardens. Or, hike along the tranquil shores of Loch Trool in historic Galloway Forest Park.

The Inner Hebrides lie just offshore from the Scottish Highlands, intersected by a myriad of scenic lochs and sounds. Your introduction to this achingly beautiful archipelago is Mull, an isle of grand mountains, seaside villages, sandy beaches and some of the wildest coastal scenery in Europe. Here, visit Duart Castle, tour the charming coastal burgh of Tobermory, sample fine whiskies at a local distillery or sample cheeses produced at a local farm.

The approach to Staffa by sea is breathtaking, with great basalt columns flanking the deep caves of the island. Head ashore to explore Fingal, a sea cave formed by hexagonally jointed basalt. Next, the tiny Isle of Iona welcomes you ashore to discover Iona Abbey, explore the isle’s remote southern end or hike to a scenic lookout atop the peak of Dun Í.

Stretching out further into the sea, the Outer Hebrides amplify their sister islands’ coastal beauty with shores that could easily be mistaken for those of the Caribbean. Here, set amid the Isles of St. Kilda, the seaside settlement of Hirta harbored an isolated, hardscrabble agricultural community for over 2,000 years. Pass the island’s staggering sea stacks and come ashore to explore the deserted stonework settlement, the highest cliffs in all of Britain, and a vital seabird habitat.

Rich in Viking heritage, the landscapes of the Orkneys span rolling hills, dramatic cliffs and wave-swept sea caves. Here, explore historic Kirkwall or the spine-tingling Ring of Brodgar, a mysterious circle of standing stones dating to 2700 BC. Alternatively, hike the coastal trail from Rackwick to the Old Man of Hoy or head to a local distillery to taste a few drams of the Orkneys’ finest.

The Isle of May rises from the Firth of Forth five miles off the Scottish mainland, its remote shores guarded by a phalanx of 150-foot basalt cliffs. This windswept isle was once the domain of Vikings and smugglers. Today, the island’s puffins rule the roost with prolific colonies rivaling any in Britain. Come ashore for a closer look at the seabirds and seals that call this island home as you walk the scenic cliff-top paths and uncover the island’s iconic lighthouse sordid maritime history.

Disembark in Edinburgh and head to the airport for your flight home or continue on an extension touring this historic city.