The Scottish Isles – Island Hopping in the Hebrides

You’ll embark your ship MS Spitsbergen in Fairlie, a small community outside of Glasgow. Lying on the shores of the Firth of Clyde and nestled against a backdrop of the North Ayrshire Hills, this area is known for coastal towns that boast both Viking heritage and scenic walks.

Get to know the ship before meeting the Expedition Team – your guides for the adventure ahead. Enjoy your first onboard dinner as we set sail.

Welcome to the Isle of Arran with its heather-cloaked landscapes. Known as ‘Scotland in miniature’, Arran’s varied landscape is split by the Highland Boundary Fault, giving the island its distinctive highland peaks in the north and lush lowlands in the south.   

Why not try a hike with views of the craggy peaks of Goat Fell and see if you can spot Scotland’s ‘Big Five’: the Golden Eagle, red deer, red squirrel, otter and harbour seal, all of which can be found on Arran. 

While here, discover the grandeur of Brodick Castle, and explore the gardens which will be brimming with spring life.

Islay, the ‘Queen of the Hebrides’, is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, with rugged uplands and coastline. The island is the proud home of world-famous peaty single malts – but that's far from the only reason to visit.  

Islay is a wildlife haven, home to over 200 species of birds – including oystercatchers, gannets and Golden Eagles. From its sandy beaches, you can sometimes spot dolphins and basking sharks. 

Join a local guide on a heritage walk, and of course, no trip to Islay is complete without a 'wee dram' from one of the island’s famous and historic whisky producers, including Laphroaig and Ardbeg. 

Our Scottish isles cruise continues to tiny Gigha (pronounced ‘Gee-a’), a little sandy slice of paradise in the Hebrides. The island is community-owned, bought by its 163 residents in 2002, and has a sustainable local economy. Why not try some of its seafood, such as Gigha halibut and oysters. 

At only seven miles long, the only way to get around Gigha is on foot or by renting a bike. Visit the woodland gardens of Achamore House and admire the colourful rhododendrons. Then explore white sandy coves and the turquoise waters along the coast, such as the Bàgh Rubha Ruaidh and Bàgh na Dòirlinne beaches. 

Brightly coloured Georgian houses line the waterfront in the picturesque fishing port of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. As we explore, your local guide will bring the port to life with stories of its vibrant past and present. 

Learn about the local heritage at the Mull Museum, try a dram of local whisky, stroll around the loch in Aros Park or soak up the views across the Ardnamurchan Peninsula on a walk along the wooded coastal path. 

The Isle of Mull is a magnet for birders. It has the highest breeding density of Golden Eagles in Europe, and White-tailed Eagles can often be seen soaring above the coast. While here, you have the opportunity to visit one of the historic castles which guarded these waterways when the Lord of the Isles ruled the region in the 12th century.

During your time at sea, you'll have three activities, one complimentary restaurant, one bar and lounge, three relaxation and fitness venues and five essential venues to keep you occupied. Why not head to the Observation Deck to spot native wildlife?

We travel next to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides, home of the famous Harris Tweed cloth. We'll visit Gothic-style Lews Castle, with its trails and fantastic views. Lewis is also home to 'Scotland's Stonehenge', the 5,000-year-old Callanish Standing Stones, and Dùn Carloway, the best-preserved Iron Age broch in Scotland.  

We'll also cruise the wild and beautiful Shiant Isles, a tiny archipelago set in the Minch Strait. One of the most important breeding colonies for seabirds in Europe, keep an eye out for European Shags, Common Eiders, Northern Fulmars and Great Skuas in the surrounding waters or on volcanic ledges. 

During your time at sea, you'll have three activities, one complimentary restaurant, one bar and lounge, three relaxation and fitness venues and five essential venues to keep you occupied. Why not head to the Observation Deck to spot native wildlife?

Your adventure continues to Iona, off the coast of Mull in the Inner Hebrides. You can visit the restored 6th century abbey, one of Scotland's oldest and most sacred Christian pilgrimage sites. Join the Expedition Team for a hike or enjoy a walk at your leisure to the aptly named ‘Bay at the Back of the Ocean’. This sweeping white sand bay faces the wild Atlantic Ocean head-on and is fringed with machair, a typical grassy vegetation of the Hebrides.

If conditions allow, we’ll also sail to Staffa. We’ll attempt to take our small boats for a closer look at Fingal's Cave, marvelling at the hexagonal basalt columns, superb natural acoustics and mesmerising, coloured waters. 

Take a coastal walk on the Isle of Colonsay and enjoy breathtaking views from Kiloran Bay and Plaide Mhòr. Or if you’re lucky enough to be in a kayak, you may catch sight of whales, porpoises and dolphins. 

Flora thrives on Colonsay, with over 400 species of plants present. You’ll see some of them in the woodland gardens of Colonsay House. It's a paradise for birdwatchers, with choughs, Red Northern Divers, eagles, fulmars, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and shags among the birds you can spot. Later in the spring, be sure to listen out for the rattle of the elusive corncrake. 

Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, is a dynamic metropolis known for its rich industrial heritage and vibrant cultural scene.