Jewels of Coastal UK

Having made your way to London, you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred to our group hotel. Upon arrival, kindly remind hotel check-in staff to provide you with Aurora Expeditions cabin tags for your luggage. Please clearly label the tags with your name and ship cabin number. 
This evening, enjoy a light refreshment as you meet your fellow expeditioners at a Welcome Reception and Pre-Embarkation Briefing. Afterward, dine at your leisure (dinner not included). 

This morning, your luggage will be collected from the hotel and transferred directly to the port for sanitization, clearance, and delivered to your cabin ahead of your arrival on board. Please ensure that your luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labeled with your name and cabin number. Any valuables or personal items should be kept with you throughout the day. 

Final, mandatory pre-embarkation health screening and COVID (rapid antigen) testing will be completed before transferring to Portsmouth for embarkation. 
Depart London as you travel to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. This ancient dockyard is home to two of the most iconic ships in British maritime history: Mary Rose and HMS Victory. The Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s flagship, which capsized while fighting the French in 1545, was recovered from the seabed in 1982. In dry dock alongside the Mary Rose, is HMS Victory. Constructed in the 18th century and famed for her part in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, Victory was the flagship of Admiral Lord Nelson, who was infamously fatally shot by a sniper while on deck. 

On arrival at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, your guide will escort you to your lunch venue inside the grounds for a two-course meal. Enjoy some free time after lunch to explore at your leisure. 

Located on the south coast of Cornwall, Fowey has a strong Celtic connection and is steeped in maritime history. The buildings of Fowey tell the tales of its past. The ancient castles at the deep-water entrance once guarded the harbor against Spanish fleets and, in the heart of the town, the towers of the 14th-century St Fimbarrus Church and the 15th-century Place House still stand proud. Our ship will take center stage on its mooring right in the heart of Fowey. While you immerse yourself in the Cornish lifestyle, the ship will be the talk of the town. 
 

The Isles of Scilly are an archipelago of five inhabited islands and numerous uninhabited rocky islets situated 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Land’s End, the most south-westerly point of the English mainland. With a population of just over 2,000, an exceptionally mild climate, beautiful flowers, and powder-soft, white sandy beaches, the isles are renowned for their outstanding natural beauty, ancient historical sites, and high-quality, fresh seafood. We spend the day exploring the second largest of the islands, Tresco, which is privately owned and a subtropical gem.   
Tresco offers dramatic rocky outcrops, Bronze Age burial sites, romantic castle ruins, and the world-famous Tresco Abbey Garden, which was established in the 1830s by Augustus Smith. The garden also includes the Valhalla Museum, which features a collection of ships’ figureheads salvaged from the islands’ many shipwrecks.  

Nestled in a corner of glorious Mount’s Bay, Penzance has long been one of Cornwall’s gems. Soak up the olde-worlde pirate atmosphere as you discover the cobbled alleyways, winding streets, subtropical gardens, and dockside taverns for which the town is famous. And do not forget to try an authentic Cornish pastie while in town.

Lundy Island is owned by the National Trust and managed by the Landmark Trust. The island enjoys a milder climate than the mainland, with more hours of sunshine and less rain. The diversity of the island's flora and fauna attracts walkers, climbers, and divers from near and far. 

Despite its small size, Lundy Island offers a diverse range of activities to visitors. Its 4,000 years of human history come to life through the 42 scheduled monuments and its clutch of listed buildings. Lundy’s position, with the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Bristol Channel to the east, creates a unique combination of environmental conditions, which have created habitats that support a variety of rare and spectacular wildlife. The rugged cliffs of the west coast are carpeted with seagrass species and are home to important seabird colonies, including puffins and Manx shearwaters. In comparison, the relatively sheltered and calm east coast boasts spectacular displays of wildflowers and provides sanctuary to migrating birds in the spring and autumn. 

The diversity of marine life is as equally impressive as the life on land, with many rare and remarkable species protected in both reef and sandbank habitats. Lundy has a population of approximately 200 Atlantic grey seals that are often seen hauled out on the rocks enjoying the sun or frolicking in the water. During summer, basking sharks, the world’s second-largest fish, often come to Lundy to feed in the island’s plankton-rich waters. The clifftops on the southeast coast of Lundy are said to be the best place on the island to see dolphins, whales, and porpoises. Large numbers of feeding gannets can indicate the presence of a shoal of fish, which can entice a passing whale, dolphin, or porpoise.

Skomer, Skokholm, and Grassholm are a trio of neighboring islands named by ancient Viking visitors. They are located off the coast of southern Pembrokeshire and are celebrated for their exceptional wildlife. The islands are a Site of Special Scientific Interest and are included within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in West Wales. 

Skomer, the larger island, has a thriving puffin colony and these quirky birds with their iconic black and orange beaks are a big draw for visitors. Manx shearwaters are also found on the island, and at night, listen out for the cacophony of eerie sounds they make as they return from hunting. 
Nearby Skokholm is more rugged. Its cliffs slant into the Irish Sea, which crashes around its edges, creating a wild and dramatic landscape for photographers. 
Tiny, isolated Grassholm is the westernmost point of Wales and is situated 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the Pembrokeshire mainland. It is known for its famous gannet colony and the dolphins, porpoise, and grey seals that visit the area. 

To protect the wildlife on the Pembrokeshire Islands, daily visitor numbers are heavily restricted. We are very fortunate to be able to explore the splendid coastline of the islands from our ship, or in Zodiacs or kayaks. 

Expect a warm Welsh welcome in North Wales. Holyhead is the largest town on the island of Anglesey and has a reputation for being a busy ferry port. It is also the gateway to Snowdonia and the North Wales coast. 

The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland. Its coastline features cliffs, stacks, islets, and long beaches, while the hills hold important peat reserves and are deeply cut by wooded glens in the east. In recognition of its rich marine biodiversity, the Isle of Man has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. 

Islay is the southernmost of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland and is known as the ‘Queen of the Hebrides’. The island has a population of approximately 3,200 inhabitants and an impressive coastline that stretches for 210 kilometers (130 miles). 

Islay is probably best known for its malt whiskies and has eight working distilleries. Whisky is one of the most important sources of income for the island. On the south coast of Islay we visit Ardbeg Distillery, which was established by local farmers, and distiller John MacDougall began commercial production in 1815. Today, it is one of the island’s fastest-growing distilleries and prides itself for using entirely traditional methods of production. Using malted barley sourced from the maltings at Port Ellen, Ardbeg claims to produce the peatiest whisky in Islay. 

Besides whisky, Islay has an abundance of wildlife and is an important location for migrating birds. You will visit the RSPB reserve at Loch Gruinart, where you join the ranger for a guided walk through a variety of wetland habitats. With over 200 species of birds visiting Islay, you may see oystercatchers, gannets, terns, cormorants, buzzards, barnacle geese, white-fronted geese, hen harriers and even white-tailed eagles. From the beaches, seals, dolphins and basking sharks are sometimes spotted, and if you are patient, you might even sea otters. 

History abounds on Islay. Standing stones, and a stone circle, show that the island was inhabited during Neolithic times. Islay was once known as the Lordship of the Isles, and you can explore the 14th-century settlement at Finlaggan, which remains the most important archaeological site on the island. A number of Celtic crosses can also be found. 

You will also visit the Islay Woollen Mill, which was established in 1883 and is Isla’s only mill. The mill is a traditional family-run business and uses two looms dating from Victorian times. The mill has made designs that were featured in Hollywood blockbuster films such as Braveheart and Forrest Gump. 

We aim for the tiny island of Iona. Barely five kilometers (three miles) long, Iona is renowned as the birthplace of Christianity in Britain. It is also the burial ground of early Scottish Kings. The Irish abbot Saint Columba and 12 disciples landed here and founded a monastery in 563. From this base, Saint Columba set about converting Scotland and much of Northern England to Christianity. 
On Staffa, we hope to have the chance to explore Fingal’s Cave, where the melodious sound of waves crashing against towering basalt pillars inspired Felix Mendelssohn’s Hebridean Overture. We may enter the cave in Zodiacs, or clamber ashore to walk into the mouth of the cave. Onshore we will also find puffin in abundance.

Weather permitting, we plan to land at the isolated archipelago (and World Heritage Site) of St Kilda, where derelict crofts bear testament to the fortitude of islanders who once tended the unique Soay sheep and harvested seabirds for food – paying their rent in the form of wool, meat, and feathers. The isles hold Europe’s most important seabird colony and are home to Britain’s highest sea stacks (rock columns). Island hopping north-east, we aim to visit tiny specks of land that bear the brunt of violent Atlantic storms and rarely see visitors. 

Midway between Orkney and Shetland, Fair Isle houses a major European ornithological research station and is also famous for knitwear and historical shipwrecks. About five kilometres by three kilometres (three miles by two miles), Fair Isle is surrounded by impressive cliffs. The 70 or so islanders mainly live in traditional crofts on the more fertile low-lying southern part of the island. 

A birdwatcher’s paradise, Fair Isle lies on the intersection of major flight paths from Scandinavia, Iceland and Faroe. In summer, the cliffs teem with breeding fulmars, kittiwakes, guillemots, gannets, shags and puffins. The isle is an excellent place to view seabirds, especially puffins, at close range. Fair Isle also has over 250 species of flowering plants, including wetland flowers, rare orchids, alpine species and common wildflowers. We will be welcomed by the hospitable villagers and may take a hike or visit the museum. Grey and common seals inhabit the waters around Fair Isle, and sharp eyes may spot harbour porpoises, white-beaked dolphins, Atlantic white-sided dolphins, orcas and minke whales. 

On Papa Westray, you can choose to visit the 5,500-year-old Knap of Howard, a Neolithic farm building that claims to be the oldest standing house in Europe and the 12th century St Boniface Kirk. Alternatively, enjoy a walk at the North Hill reserve in the north of the island. The reserve is home to Arctic terns and skuas and the extremely rare Scottish primrose. In the early evening meet at the Papay Pub for a drink with the locals.

During the early morning, we cruise into Aberdeen, where you will be free to disembark at approximately 8.00 am. Farewell to your Expedition Team and fellow passengers as we all continue our onward journeys. Transfer to Aberdeen airport or to your centrally located hotel. 

NOTE: We do not recommend booking flights departing prior to 12.00 pm on the day of disembarkation, as we may experience delays at the conclusion of the voyage.