Scottish Islands
Edinburgh/Aberdeen to Oban
Aboard Grigoriy Mikheev
The channels between the Scottish islands offer some of Europe's best whale and dolphin watching. When on deck, always keep an eye out for Minke Whales. These small baleen whales are sleek, fast moving and often solitary but can be quite curious about boats, approaching and swimming around and under a vessel. Acrobatic White-beaked Dolphins, and Orcas (Killer Whales) are also sometimes encountered, along with the smallest of cetaceans in British waters, the elusive and solitary Harbour Porpoise.
The green fertile islands of Orkney , Shetland and the Hebrides are ideal places to truly get away from it all. The islands provide a vivid contrast to the rugged moorland of the Highlands, the landscape rolling gently to merge with wide open skies and azure blue seas. Peace and tranquillity characterise these islands which lie just miles off the northern tip of the Scottish mainland. Steeped in history, there are over 1,000 recorded sites of interest, many built before the pyramids. Vikings ruled over the islands for nearly 500 years and Scandinavian influence can still be seen and felt. Island and parish names come straight out of the sagas; “Westray” means west island, “Hoy” is the high island.
