Scotland, Jan Mayen & Svalbard

Arrive in Aberdeen and transfer to our group hotel. Upon check-in at Sandman Signature hotel, the reception staff will provide you with Aurora Expeditions cabin tags. Please fill out the luggage tags clearly, showing your name and cabin number to allow us to deliver your luggage to your cabin. At tonight’s voyage briefing, enjoy a welcome drink and meet fellow expeditioners.

After check-out, discover Aberdeen on a sightseeing tour before transferring to the pier, where our expedition team welcomes you aboard the Greg Mortimer at approximately 4.00 pm. Settle into your cabin before important briefings. Set sail for the Orkney Islands in the evening, and meet your expedition team and crew at Captain's Welcome Dinner.

Discover the rich history in Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkney Islands. Initial impressions are misleading, as the harbor area looks modern, but the narrow winding streets and lanes of the old town, which have remained relatively unchanged over the centuries are appealing. Explore magnificent St Magnus Cathedral built from red and white sandstone and considered the finest medieval building in the north of Scotland before popping across the road to Tankerness House and Gardens, a restored 16th-century former manse, now housing the Orkney Museum featuring archaeological artifacts from Neolithic times to the Vikings. The exhibition is a great way to whet your appetite for the archaeological gems you will find on the mainland including the unique and well-preserved 5,000-year-old semi-subterranean village of Skara Brae.

In the middle of the North Atlantic, barely visible on most world maps, you will find the Faroe Islands, an archipelago consisting of 18 islands with a population of only 50,000. The Faroe Islands are built up of layers of volcanic basalt and are tilted with the eastern shores sloping into the sea and the western coasts rising up in soaring and spectacular cliffs. With their breathtaking beauty, steep mountains covered in soft green grass, deep fjords, long summer nights, unique culture, and humble, friendly, and welcoming people, the islands are the perfect destination for travelers wanting something dramatically different from the mainstream.

Discover a few of the gems of the Faroe Islands including Tórshavn, Kirkjubour, Mykines, and Vestmanner. In Torshavn, possibly the smallest capital in the world, wander the narrow streets of this windswept town, built on a hillside with colorful contemporary houses and old traditional timber dwellings all painted red and with characteristic grass roofs, white-framed windows, and black wood. You may see the oddest array of sheep lining the steep hillsides - black ones, brown ones, and even piebald ones! Perhaps catch a glimpse of Faroese ponies with their spectacular flaxen manes and coats varying from a palomino color to rich chestnut. The town’s history can be traced back to around 900 AD when the first Viking settlers arrived here by longboat from Norway.
 

Enjoy sailing to Jan Mayen Island accompanied by sea birds while keeping a lookout for whales. Enjoy a presentation from our team of experts, get to know your fellow expeditioners, stay fit at the gym or treat yourself to a massage in the wellness center.

The approach to Jan Mayen is spectacular. The huge Beerenberg volcano (2,277 m/ 7,470 ft altitude) is the world’s northernmost active volcano and last erupted in 1985. The northern part of the island is a great place to look for whales and dolphins and contains impressive glaciers, some of which reach the sea. If the weather is friendly, we will try to land at Kvalrossbukta, a relatively sheltered bay on the island’s west coast. This is one of the landings used to supply the weather station Olonkinbyen, situated on the eastern side of the island. We hope to land in front of the Norwegian station at Olonkinbyen, stop to visit the weather station before embarking on a three-hour hike (weather permitting) to the other side of the Island where the Greg Mortimer will be waiting for us in Kvalrossbukta, and our trusty Zodiacs will transport us back to the ship.

The sea around Jan Mayen offers excellent whale-watching opportunities (bottlenose, fin, and perhaps bowhead whales in the pack ice). Sail towards Svalbard, searching for the ice edge as we continue north, retracing the route of Dutch explorer Willem Barents who discovered Spitsbergen and the Barents Sea, named after him. You may see harp seal pups on the pack ice growing quickly, while their mothers hunt for food. As we approach Svalbard, all eyes will be focused on spotting polar bears in the pack ice.

Svalbard offers unspoiled, raw arctic wilderness at its best. With majestic mountains of jagged peaks, iridescent sea ice, countless glaciers, and superb wildlife-viewing opportunities. Our experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design our voyage from day to day, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions, and wildlife opportunities.

Cruise along phenomenal fjords stretching towards magnificent mountain ranges discover a polar desert with creamy colored slabs of rock, rich in fossils, hear heroic tales of early explorers contrasted with visits to cultural remains from the time of European whaling mainly Russian and Norwegian, witness walrus colonies hauled-out on sea ice or on beaches. While ashore we aim to stretch our legs, hiking on lush tundra where brightly-colored summer wildflowers and lichen grow, and where reindeer graze, observe the towering cliffs alive with nesting sea birds, including Svalbard’s largest little auk colony. Without a doubt, our goal is to encounter the majestic polar bear on pack ice, and the expedition team is just as keen as you to find them— they are on constant watch to spot these dazzling creatures.
If you have chosen an optional activity such as kayaking, you’ll have the option to enjoy the activity whenever conditions allow, and of course, keen polar plungers will have the chance to fully immerse themselves in polar waters - conditions permitting!

During the early morning, we cruise back into Longyearbyen. Farewell, your expedition team and enjoy a town tour before transferring to the airport in the afternoon for your onward journeys. On the tour of Longyearbyen, you will learn about the town’s history, geology, flora, and fauna on this half-day excursion, by bus. You will visit Svalbard Museum and Galleri Svalbard, and take in the main sights of Longyearbyen including Office of the Governor, Svalbard Church, Nybyen (new town), a few of the town’s mines such as Santa Claus Mine, and a quick photo stop at the famous beware of a polar bear street sign. After the tour, you will be transferred to the airport.

NOTE: At the conclusion of the voyage, we do not recommend booking flights departing prior to 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation in case there are delays.