IMAGES:
MAT
T^ HO
RSPOOL;
PAUL
SHARMAN
Aurora Expedition’s incredible 1 5-day Across
the Arctic Circle journey starts in Aberdeen
and then travels northwards as far as Svalbard.
As well as the nature that you’d expect on an
Arctic cruise, this packs in plenty of history,
bringing in the prehistoric settlements of the
Scottish islands to the Vikings, and fishing
traditions of the Norwegian ords. The ship
is the Greg Mortimer, a 2019 purpose-built,
79-cabin expedition ship. It’ll likely be a comfy
ride — this was the first passenger ship to be
built with the Ulstein X-Bow, essentially a
reshaped hull that hits waves at a different
angle, making for a much smoother crossing.
The first stop on the cruise is the Orkney
Islands, where you can hike and birdwatch on
Fair Isle, before continuing to the Shetlands
and their incredibly preserved ‘brochs’, Iron
Age fortifications. On-board naturalists will
transform your at-sea day en route to
Norway with their birdwatching help,
before you glide up the Norwegian coast,
zipping into inlets that only a small boat
like this can get into, stopping off at the
Lofoten islands, and spotting blue whales,
humpbacks and orca in the ocean as you
head towards Svalbard. You fly back from
Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen.
Aurora Expeditions offers 15 days Across
the Arctic Circle from £8, 77 1.25 per person,
including all shore excursions and Zodiac
cruises, airport transfers from Aberdeen and
to Longyearbyen, one night’s hotel stay in
Aberdeen, and all meals. Excludes flights,
optional excursions and activity surcharges,
and airport arrival and departure taxes. Departs
16 May 20 23. auroraexpeditions.co.uk
Sea kayaking in Svalbard
Left from top:
Rendering of the Viking
Mississippi Explorers’
Lounge on Deck 1 ;
a remote waterfall
HISTORY BUFFS
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