Wildlife & Culture Of The Scenic Scottish Isles - L2509 Balmoral departing 16 May 2025

Southampton offers fast and efficient check-in areas, spacious departure lounges with seating areas, café-bars and smart washrooms. If you wish to travel by car and park for the duration of your cruise, you can pay for and reserve parking in advance directly with the relevant company. Alternatively, if being dropped off or collected by taxi or private car, they can drive right up alongside the terminal building.

Blessed with stunning sandy beaches that stretch for miles along the gorgeous Cornish coastline, Falmouth – located at the southern end of the Fal Estuary, has arguably the UK’s most picturesque network of creeks & rivers. It is a fine example of just how beautiful Britain really is and is the perfect place to lay back and soak up the summer sunshine, enjoy a relaxing stroll or try your hand at scuba diving and snorkelling.

There’s also an abundance of sights and attractions to discover and explore during a stay in this fabulous seaside town, including St Michael’s Mount – one of Britain’s most famous historic sites – the Lizard Peninsula and the world-famous Eden Project, which is just a short distance away.

Portree is the Isle of Skye’s largest and liveliest town. Set within a pretty natural harbour with brightly-coloured houses and surrounded by rocky cliffs and rolling hills, Portree is a truly beautiful place to explore.

Its name (from the Gaelic for King’s Harbour) commemorates James V, who arrived here in 1540 to pacify the local clans. The town is a popular tourist destination, thanks to its stunning coastline and interesting attractions that include the Aros Centre and the An Tuireann Arts Centre, which celebrate the island’s Gaelic heritage.

Portree also serves as a gateway to other attractions on the island, such as the intriguing rock formations at Trotternish Ridge, north of the town, the ruins of Tusdale, and the peninsula unflatteringly known as ‘The Lump’, which once provided a setting for public hangings.

Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkney Islands, resonates with ancient echoes of Christian, Nordic and Celtic history. It’s a town that feels more Scandinavian than Scottish; in fact, the name Kirkwall comes from the Norse for ‘Church Bay’, relating to the town’s 11th century Church of St Olaf of Norway.

Exploring the town’s atmospheric paved streets and twisting lanes, reveals a number of highlights, including the ruins of the Earl and Bishop’s Palaces, dating from the mid-12th century and serving as a reminder of the Orkney’s turbulent past. The palaces are considered by many to be the finest Renaissance buildings in Scotland. Also worth visiting is the recently restored St. Magnus Cathedral, founded in memory of Saint Magnus Erlendsson by Norseman Earl Rögnvald Kali.

Don’t miss Tankerness House, a beautifully preserved 16th century townhouse, and the Orkney Wireless Museum, with it’s fascinating insights into the history of radio, too.

Sturdy little Lerwick is the friendly capital of the 100 islands and islets of the Shetland Islands, northernmost outpost of the British Isles (located almost halfway between Scotland and Norway, to which they once belonged) – and setting of ancient archaeological sites, intriguing Viking echoes and, in more contemporary vein, the renowned Shetland knitwear!

Southampton offers fast and efficient check-in areas, spacious departure lounges with seating areas, café-bars and smart washrooms. If you wish to travel by car and park for the duration of your cruise, you can pay for and reserve parking in advance directly with the relevant company. Alternatively, if being dropped off or collected by taxi or private car, they can drive right up alongside the terminal building.