| Cruise Line |
Crystal Cruises |
| Ship |
Crystal Endeavor |
| Destination |
EU British Isles |
| Nights |
14 |
| Departure Date |
25 May 2022 |
| Description |
14 Night cruise departing from London to Edinburgh onboard Crystal Endeavor.
Navigate the scenic Isles of Sicily, discover UNESCO treasures from the Giant’s Causeway to the isolated St. Kilda archipelago, and explore the beauty of the Scottish Highlands and the windswept Shetlands. An overnight in Edinburgh caps the journey.
Highlights of this cruise:
LONDON (GREENWICH), ENGLAND
THE HOME OF TIME
Located the banks of the River Thames (and our gateway to London), Greenwich is home to rich history both regal and naval – with UNESCO-designated palaces, museums and London’s prettiest royal park. But more than anything, Greenwich is home to time itself for it is here that the world’s Prime Meridian – longitude zero – is marked in the Royal Observatory. Visit Greenwich Palace where King Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were born, and where Anne Boleyn was arrested and taken by boat to The Tower of London.
TRESCO, ISLES OF SCILLY, ENGLAND
A CORNISH GEM
Floating in the Celtic Sea 28 miles off the westernmost peninsula of Cornwall, England, Tresco is the second-largest island in the Isles of Scilly archipelago. Measuring about one square mile in size, this car-free island boasts a landscape of white sandy beaches, heathland and lush greenery. Among its attractions is a 17th-century castle and Tresco Abbey Garden, home to subtropical plants from around the world and the Valhalla Museum, displaying a collection of shipwrecked figureheads.
HUGH TOWN, ST. MARY'S, ISLES OF SCILLY, ENGLAND
CAPITAL OF THE ISLES
The largest island in the Isles of Scilly, an archipelago off the southwestern coast of Cornwall, charming St. Mary's is rich in archaeological treasures. Its largest settlement, Hugh Town, is the capital of the Isles of Scilly and home to an array of galleries, churches, shops, restaurants, cafés and pubs. It sits on a narrow isthmus connecting the island to the Garrison, a walled peninsula that is perfect for coastal walks. The surrounding waters and rocky shores attract Atlantic grey seals.
PEMBROKESHIRE COAST NATIONAL PARK, WALES
WONDERFUL WILDLIFE HAVEN
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park encircles beautiful St. Brides Bay on the southwestern coast of Wales. The national park is known for its stunning scenery, diversity of wildlife and heritage sites. The pristine waters of the bay are known to attract seals and dolphins. Skomer Island claims to host more than 20,000 puffins during the nesting season, which extends from spring into summer. Skomer and its sister island Skokholm boast the world's largest population of Manx shearwater birds.
MILFORD HAVEN, WALES
VIKINGS SAILED HERE
Milford Haven is situated in an inlet of the Celtic Sea along Wales' southwestern coast. During the Middle Ages, Viking ships occasionally used the Milford Haven waterway for shelter. Today yachts, shops, restaurants and cafés line the waterfront. Nearby nature attractions include the gorgeous St. David's peninsula, a hot spot for birdwatchers, Colby Woodland Garden, and the golden beaches of Stackpole Estate, all special places preserved by the UK's National Trust.
DUBLIN, IRELAND
IRELAND'S LOVELY CAPITAL
The Irish capital enjoys one of the loveliest settings in Europe. Craggy Howth Head shelters the natural harbor at Dublin Bay and the gurgling River Liffey flows through the center of town. The city's most pervasive influences come from the 18th and 19th centuries when elegant Georgian mansions were first built along the river – the arts also flourished during this period. Dublin has been the birthplace of some of our greatest literary figures, including Oscar Wilde and James Joyce.
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND
CELTIC DELIGHTS
Portrush is a charming resort town situated along Northern Ireland's Causeway Coast, renowned for its beautiful beaches, cliffs, forests, headlands and ancient landforms. The Royal Portrush Championship Golf Course is a major draw for golf enthusiasts, and conveniently, Bushmills, the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery, is a short drive from the 18th hole. Also nearby is the UNESCO-listed Giant's Causeway, sporting unusual basalt columns once thought to be the handiwork of a giant.
IONA ISLAND, SCOTLAND
SACRED SHORES
The tiny isle of Iona, the final resting place for many Scottish kings, stretches no more than three miles in any direction and lies in the Inner Hebrides off the Ross of Mull on Scotland's western coast. Its peaceful, windswept landscape of green rolling hills is dotted with grazing sheep and historic buildings. Set amid the pastoral charm is Iona Abbey, one of Scotland’s most important sacred sites, founded by St. Columba. The nearby ruins of a medieval nunnery feature a charming garden.
STAFFA, SCOTLAND
ISLES OF THE PILLARS
Situated in the North Atlantic, Scotland's Inner Hebrides archipelago is home to the uninhabited island of Staffa. Known as the inspiration for Felix Mendelsohn's "Hebrides Overture," the island's impressive landscape of cliffs and caves is composed of hexagonal basalt columns resembling pillars, and includes the famous cathedral-like Fingal's Cave. As early as late spring, the island's warmer waters attract an array of wildlife, such as dolphins, minke whales and cliff-nesting puffins.
ST. KILDA, SCOTLAND
A BIRDWATCHER'S PARADISE
The uninhabited St. Kilda archipelago sits in the remote and captivating island landscape of Scotland's Outer Hebrides in the North Atlantic Ocean. Owned by the National Trust for Scotland, its four volcanic islands, Hirta (the largest), Dun, Soay and Boreray are a UNESCO World Heritage site. The islands' spectacular cliffs and sea stacks comprise Europe's most important seabird colony with the world's largest colony of northern gannets making their nests on Boreray and the sea stacks.
FLANNAN ISLES, SCOTLAND
WILDLIFE & MYSTERY
Situated 20 miles west of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, the Flannan Isles are comprised of seven islands and numerous rocks and islets. It is believed they take their name from St. Flannan. A popular nesting site for guillemots, gannets, fulmars and puffins, the isles are best known for the unexplained disappearance of three lighthouse keepers on Eilean Mor in 1900. Were they swept to sea by a freak wave? Did they leave on their own? Their fate remains unsolved.
INVEREWE GARDEN, SCOTLAND
OASIS OF THE NORTH
In the Northwest Highlands of Scotland, nestled near the head of the sheltered sea loch of Loch Ewe, about a mile from the village of Poolewe, sits magnificent Inverewe Garden. Now under the care of the National Trust for Scotland, it was created from barren land in the late 19th century. Fondly called the Oasis of the North, it features an array of subtropical plants, delicate flowers, and towering California redwoods, providing an ideal habitat for red squirrels, red deer and golden eagles.
ULLAPOOL, SCOTLAND
JEWEL OF THE HIGHLANDS
Ullapool, a charming village lined with whitewashed cottages, is situated on the shores of Loch Broom in the Scottish Highlands. The surrounding pristine landscape of mountains, rocky shoreline and forests is an idyllic setting for hiking, kayaking and snorkeling. Nearby Leckmelm, a woodland garden with arboretum and shrubbery, is a magnet for garden enthusiasts. Other attractions include Castle Leod, ancestral home of the Mackenzie clan, and Glen Ord, venerable distiller of Scotch whiskey.
KIRKWALL, ORKNEY ISLANDS, SCOTLAND
SAINTS, BISHOPS & EARLS
A place of contrasts and balance, Kirkwall offers the high points of a large Scottish city – stellar local shopping and impressive historical sites like the St. Magnus Cathedral and ruins of the Bishop’s Palace and Earl’s Palace – as well as the charms of a small village. It is a relatively quiet ferry landing town that is also an excellent example of an ancient Norse settlement, making Kirkwall itself a living museum.
ISLE OF NOSS, SCOTLAND
BIRDWATCHERS' MECCA
Situated in the North Atlantic, between Scotland and Norway, sits the Isle of Noss, part of the Shetland archipelago. A rugged island of towering sandstone cliffs, Noss was recognized as a National Nature Reserve in 1955. Here, sheep and Shetland ponies graze the windblown hills and flower-dotted grassland. During spring and summer, fulmars, kittiwakes, gannets, puffins and fulmars descend on every nook and cranny on the cliffs, creating one of Europe's largest seabird colonies.
LERWICK, SHETLAND ISLANDS, SCOTLAND
lerwick-shetland-islands-scotland
PONIES & PUFFINS
Located at the northern tip of the British Isles, nearly 50 miles northeast of the Orkneys, the Shetland Islands are a mosaic of more than a 100 islands. Craggy cliffs sculpted by turbulent seas are in stark contrast to the tranquil, sandy bays and flower-strewn meadows found here.
UNST, SCOTLAND
THE ISLAND ABOVE ALL OTHERS
Situated in the North Isles of Scotland's Shetland Islands, the small island of Unst sits at the top of the British Isles, providing a home for a host of "Britain's Most Northerly" attractions, from its castle and church to its gin distillery. Locally referred to as the island above all others, this northernmost isle's rugged landscape of massive cliffs, sea stacks and sheltered bays offers an ideal breeding habitat for such seabirds as puffins, fulmars, gulls, shags, gannets and kittiwakes.
FAIR ISLE, SCOTLAND
FEATHERS & SWEATERS
One of Britain's most remote inhabited islands, Fair Isle is a three-square-mile speck of land sitting halfway between Scotland's Orkney and Shetland archipelagos. Known for its namesake sweater still made in local workshops, the island is also a paradise for bird-watchers with its steep cliffs attracting an array of seabirds, including Atlantic puffins, storm petrels, black guillemots and Arctic terns. Its famous bird observatory, devastated by a 2019 fire, is expected to reopen in 2021.
EDINBURGH (LEITH), SCOTLAND
AULD REEKY, OR "OLD SMOKY"
Dominated by a medieval castle on a towering crag, Edinburgh is the celebrated capital of Scotland and boasts more than a thousand years of vibrant historical heritage. The Exchange building, the famous Royal Mile featuring St. Giles Cathedral and John Knox House, as well as Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queens official residence in Scotland, are only a few of the architectural masterpieces found in this delightful Scottish city. |
|
| Itinerary |
Cruise Itinerary
| Day | Date | Activity | Arrive | Depart |
|---|
| 1 |
25/05 |
Greenwich, England |
|
10:00 PM |
| 2 |
26/05 |
At sea |
|
|
| 3 |
27/05 |
Tresco Island, United Kingdom |
|
|
| 3 |
27/05 |
Isles of Scilly, England |
|
|
| 4 |
28/05 |
Pembroke, Wales |
|
|
| 4 |
28/05 |
Milford Haven, Wales |
|
|
| 5 |
29/05 |
Dublin, Ireland |
|
|
| 6 |
30/05 |
Portrush, Ireland |
|
|
| 7 |
31/05 |
Iona, Scotland |
|
|
| 7 |
31/05 |
Staffa Island, Scotland |
|
|
| 8 |
01/06 |
St Kilda, Scotland |
|
|
| 9 |
02/06 |
Inverewe Gardens, Scotland |
|
|
| 9 |
02/06 |
Ullapool, Scotland |
|
|
| 10 |
03/06 |
Kirkwall, Scotland |
|
|
| 11 |
04/06 |
Isle of Noss, Shetlands |
|
|
| 12 |
05/06 |
Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland |
|
|
| 13 |
06/06 |
Fair Isle Shetland Islands |
|
|
| 14 |
07/06 |
Leith, Scotland |
|
overnight |
| 15 |
08/06 |
Leith, Scotland |
10:00 AM |
|
|
All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.
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