Sail the Arctic Circle: Scotland to Svalbard

Day 1: Embarking on your ship in Aberdeen 

Touch down in Aberdeen, the Granite City, where your adventure truly begins. These coastal waters are home to several species of cetaceans, including orcas. 

Looking south, you’ll spot the lighthouse at Girdle Ness – designed by the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson, the celebrated Scottish author behind Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Day 2: Fair Isle

The plan is to spend the day on Fair Isle, a remote Shetland island home to around 70 residents known for their exquisite knitwear.

It’s a stunning spot, with easy access to seabird breeding colonies – and if you’re lucky, you might catch sight of grey seals too.

Days 3 & 4: Jan Mayen marine life

You’ll sail north toward the remote Norwegian island of Jan Mayen, 300 nautical miles northeast of Iceland. But those two days at sea are anything but idle.

Stay alert for telltale spouts on the horizon – your first hint that a minke, fin or even a blue whale may be near.

Day 5: Visiting Jan Mayen

Jan Mayen is a stark, volcanic island dominated by the snow-capped peak of Mount Beerenberg. Glaciers spill from the slopes of this 2,300-metre (7,545-foot) giant, reaching out into the icy sea. With permission from the Norwegian authorities, you’ll be able to visit the island’s weather station. You can also walk through thick moss beds to the remains of a 17th Century Dutch whaling station, tucked within this dramatic landscape.

Days 6 to 8: Along the ice edge

Beneath the midnight sun, you sail north along the sea ice’s edge, scanning for bowhead whales, harp seals, polar bears and a rich variety of seabirds.

Around 79 degrees north, you alter course westward, heading for the rugged continental shelf off west Spitsbergen. Here, you’ll have a strong chance of spotting fin whales, and near the glacier-fed mouths of Spitsbergen’s vast fjords, minke whales may surface close by.

Day 9: Exploring Spitsbergen

Forlandsundet, the channel between Spitsbergen’s main island and the narrow Prins Karls Forland, offers striking scenery and intriguing wildlife; walruses are known to haul out along its shores.

Alternatively, you might explore St. Johns Fjord or venture south to the mouth of Isfjorden, landing at Alkhornet. Here, seabirds crowd the cliffs, Arctic foxes prowl below in search of eggs and chicks, and reindeer graze on the sparse tundra vegetation.

Day 10: Disembark in Longyearbyen

Every adventure, no matter how grand, must eventually come to an end. You’ll disembark in Longyearbyen, the administrative heart of Spitsbergen, carrying with you memories to last a lifetime.

NOTE: This itinerary is for guidance only as each voyage will vary depending on ice and weather conditions, and opportunities to see wildlife. Flexibility is key and all part of the adventure of an expeditionary cruise.