World Wildlife Fund

Wild and Ancient Britain

Aboard the Clipper Odyssey

From $9,980 per person, based on double occupancy. Single occupancy rates from $17,480.

Trip Overview

Explore remote and isolated coastlines of the British Isles, where windswept cliffs and promontories teem with the largest seabird colonies in all of Europe. Look for puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes and gannets at the height of their breeding seasons. This trip takes you walking across heather-clad moorlands, through the magnificent geological wonderland of Giant’s Causeway, and among the ruins of fortress-castles that echo the lore of the Celts and Anglo-Saxons. From the sub-tropical gardens on the Isles of Scilly to the sacred sites of the Inner Hebrides and the stark beauty of Fair Isle, the itinerary captures the ancient spirit and wild heart of Britain. 

This tour may be combined with In the Wake of the Vikings: Scotland, Iceland & the Faroes, which runs July 13 – 27, 2011.

Trip Itinerary

Friday, July 1, 2011: USA / London, England
Depart on your independent overnight flight to London. (Meals aloft)

Saturday, July 2: London
After checking in to the hotel, explore the city at your leisure. Gather for a welcome reception followed by dinner, staff introductions, and a briefing. (D)

Sunday, July 3: London / Plymouth / Embark Clipper Odyssey
After breakfast, depart via train for Plymouth. Enjoy lunch in town before a tour of Plymouth that includes a visit to an Elizabethan house built in 1631 and the City Museum and Art Gallery where painter Joshua Reynolds’ work is displayed in the Cottonian Collection. Birders can visit Dartmoor National Park. Known for its blanket bogs, upland heath, and oakwoods, Dartmoor is the largest and highest upland in Southern Britain. This afternoon, board the Clipper Odyssey and settle into your home away from home for the next 12 nights. (B,L,D)

Monday, July 4: Isles of Scilly
Once the scourge of seamen whose ships were frequently lost among these 150 or so granitic isles, the Scillys are known today for their lovely beaches, rocky promontories, and ideal climate. Warmed by the North Atlantic Drift, the Isles of Scilly have given their fortunate inhabitants the luxury of turning a passion for growing flowers into a major industry.

Board local boats and cruise to Tresco. Visit the ruins and exquisite subtropical gardens at the medieval Tresco Abbey. Set sail in the late afternoon for southern Ireland. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, July 5: Skellig Islands, Ireland
Pass Cape Clear and approach the wonderfully remote Skellig Islands, one of Europe’s most impressive seabird citadels. Little Skellig is home to the second-largest colony of gannets in the world; thousands upon thousands of birds greet your arrival at dawn. Weather and permission permitting visit nearby Skellig Michael – the site of an important sixth-century Anchorite monastery and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Numerous seabirds are found here including kittiwakes, razorbills, Manx shearwaters, and nesting puffins. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, July 6: Dunmore East / Waterford / Saltee Islands
From the port city of Dunmore East, make your way to Waterford. Settled by Danish invaders who were in turn driven out by the Normans in 1170, this historic town has a wealth of monuments, including a tower built by the Danes in 1003. Options today include a visit to the renowned Waterford Crystal glassworks, where you can watch master craftsmen at work, or enjoy a drive through the beautiful countryside to Mount Congreve, a magnificent estate whose grounds comprise some of the most exquisite gardens imaginable. Later, arrive at a fine old pub whose walls date back to Viking times.

Back onboard, sail to the two privately owned islands of the Saltees. These islands attract nearly three million birds to their craggy masses. On Great Saltee Island search for puffins, murres, razorbills, gannets, and more of the 47 bird species known to inhabit the island. (B,L,D)

Thursday, July 7: Port St. Mary, Isle of Man
A mid-morning arrival brings you to Port St. Mary on the Isle of Man, situated halfway between Northern Ireland and England. On shore, board the Isle of Man Steam Railway, the single remnant from the extensive Victorian system that served the main centers on the island. The ride takes you through quaint and picturesque villages and to the southern resort of Port Erin. At 15 1/2 miles, the railway is the longest narrow-gauge steam line in Britain. (B,L,D)

Friday, July 8: Portrush, Giant’s Causeway & Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland
Spend the morning cruising along the North Antrim Coast, admiring the dramatic landscape of Northern Ireland. The ship docks at Portrush, from where you travel overland to the World Heritage Site of Giant’s Causeway. This three-mile section of coastline is a geological masterpiece – some 40,000 closely-packed hexagonal columns of varying heights line the coast and descend like a staircase into the sea. These were formed by the shrinking of basaltic lava that fractured into vertical pillars as it cooled. Those who wish may take a hike through the formations from the interpretive center.

In the afternoon visit the rugged cliffs of Rathlin Island, greeted by colonies of guillemots, kittiwakes, razorbills, and puffins. The beauty of the island belies its tumultuous history, and among its infamous sites is Bruce’s Cave, the refuge for the fugitive Scottish king, Robert the Bruce, who later returned to Scotland to rout the British. (B,L,D)

Saturday, July 9: Isles of Iona & Staffa, Inner Hebrides, Scotland
Long regarded as a sacred place, Iona was an early center of Celtic Christianity. In A.D. 563 the Christian missionary St. Columba built a monastery here and spread Christianity throughout Scotland. Though it suffered repeated attacks by Vikings over the centuries and the original was destroyed, the monastery was rebuilt each time, and some of these later buildings still stand. Visit the monastery site; the nearby cemetery of St. Oran, where numerous Scottish kings are buried; and the 12th-century Iona Abbey.

Weather permitting, spend the afternoon exploring via Zodiac the uninhabited island of Staffa and its most famous feature, Fingal’s Cave. The cave’s peculiar rock formations and unusual coloring are a delight to behold, and the wonderful echo of the sea from within once served as the inspiration for Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture. (B,L,D)

Sunday, July 10: St. Kilda & Flannan Islands, Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides, a group of stark and dramatically rugged islands, are one of Britain’s most isolated areas. Spend the morning at St. Kilda, the westernmost island of the group. At one time, St. Kilda was home to a small community; visit its abandoned houses and cleits, beehive-shaped cells of rough stone where goods were stored.

As you sail among the Flannan Islands this afternoon, puffins, fulmars, murres, and kittiwakes should be plentiful. Of special interest to birders is the Leach’s petrel colony on the grassy slopes of Eilean Mor beneath the lighthouse. (B,L,D)

Monday, July 11: Kirkwall, Orkney Islands
Arrive in the capital city of Kirkwall on Mainland Island in the Orkneys for visits to the magnificent St. Magnus Cathedral and some of the island’s major archaeological sites. Maes Howe, a chambered tomb dating from 3500 B.C., is also noted for its runic hieroglyphs left by visiting 12th-century Vikings. Explore the enigmatic Standing Stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar, and Skara Brae, a remarkably well preserved Stone Age village buried in sand some 4,500 years ago. Enjoy a walking tour of charming Kirkwall. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, July 12: Mousa, Isle of Noss & Lerwick, Shetland Islands
The Shetlands, a group of remote islands with a distinctly Norse feel to them, are replete with ancient archaeological sites. Mousa (our next stop, weather permitting) boasts one of Britain’s finest Iron Age ruins, an unusually well preserved 40-foot broch, a dry stone structure, dating from about A.D. 200. After visiting the broch, walk to a nearby beach where gray and common seals often haul out to loll on the beach.

Departing Mousa, cruise by the Isle of Noss, which supports one of Europe’s largest and most diverse seabird colonies, home to 80,000 seabirds, including guillemots, razorbills, gannets, and shags. In the early afternoon, arrive in Lerwick, capital of the Shetland Islands. Enjoy a guided walking tour of the town and environs, which are steeped in Norse heritage. There is also will be time to browse through the shops and narrow streets, shopping for world famous Shetland sweaters. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, July 13: Fair Isle 
One of the most isolated settlements in the British Isles, this island is renowned for the quality and intricacy of its hand-made sweaters using the wool of sheep raised on the island. It is also famous as a haven for seabirds including gannets, murres, black-legged kittiwakes, numerous gull species, and a large colony of puffins. After a short walk, join some of the 70 islanders at their community center for tea and cakes, and a visit to the local museum. (B,L,D)

Thursday, July 14: Isle of May / Bass Rock / Leith
The Isle of May is another of Scotland’s great seabird islands. Conditions permitting, Zodiacs take you to visit the small bird observatory on the island. The number of birds is staggering, and they are astonishingly fearless. This is a wonderful final day: here find puffins by the thousands, kittiwakes blanketing the cliffsides, shags on every available rock, and eider ducks at your feet.

On the way to Leith the ship circumnavigates Bass Rock, renowned for its 100,000 resident gannets—the largest gannet colony in the world. Seals often haul out on the surrounding rocks and numerous other seabirds command the lower regions of the island, including guillemots, razorbills, and shags. The pioneer nature documentary broadcaster, Sir David Attenborough, calls Bass Rock “one of the Twelve Wildlife Wonders of the World.” In the evening arrive in Leith, the port for Edinburgh. (B,L,D)

Friday, July 15: Leith / Edinburgh / USA
After breakfast, transfer to Edinburgh airport for your independent flights home. (B)