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Inverness to Oban

Monday 24th June to Tuesday 2nd July 2024

8 nights including 2 Gala Dinners

The voyage from Inverness, to Hebridean Princess’s home port of Oban, offers a unique view of the untamed, rugged beauty of the northern Caithness and Sutherland seaboard, crossing the Pentland Firth to gems of mainland Orkney. Be inspired by magic and myth, and the sights and sounds of Scotland’s far north.

As we depart from Inverness, we look forward to our arrival in bustling Kirkwall to discover WWII history at the Churchill Barriers and the tiny Italian Chapel, both constructed by Italian prisoners of Camp 60.

Cruising Scapa Flow to Stromness, enter the Heart of Neolithic Orkney at Skara Brae, a collection of Neolithic dwellings which were hidden by sand for 4,000 years and revealed by a huge storm in 1850. Visit the most northerly castle on mainland Scotland, restored by the late Queen Mother, the Castle of Mey.

Rounding Cape Wrath we make landfall at Kinlochbervie and explore the imposing limestone Smoo Cave. The dramatic sea cliffs of Handa Island beckon. We land ashore and venture to the Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve celebrated for guillemots, razorbills and great skua.

Watch the artists and craftspeople at work at Highland Stoneware in Lochinver where distinctive and unique pottery has been produced since 1974, whilst Corrieshalloch Gorge is one of the best examples of a box canyon in the UK with the spectacular Falls of Measach at its head.

Built as a pass for cattle, the winding mountain pass of Bealachna-bà to Applecross affords dramatic views of Wester Ross, Skye, Rum and the Outer Hebrides. Cruising south under the Skye Bridge, the Isle of Mull is calling. The island capital of Tobermory was built as a fishing port in the 18th century and is now a picture-postcard town of brightly coloured houses.

This cruise starts and ends in different ports. Please refer to page 108-109 for travel options.

Kinlochbervie

Smoo Cave

Lochinver Highland Stoneware

Seabird Cliffs

Ullapool Corrieshalloch Gorge

Shieldaig

Stromness INVERNESS

Applecross via Bealach na bà Kyle Rhea

T ravel Plan – 8 nights

Monday 24th June

Inverness - Embarkation.

Tuesday 25th June

Cruise east coast.

Kirkwall, Orkney - Italian Chapel and Churchill Barriers.

Wednesday 26th June

Cruise Scapa Flow.

Stromness, Orkney - Skara Brae.

Thursday 27th June

Scrabster - Castle of Mey.

Cruise Cape Wrath.

Friday 28th June

Kinlochbervie - Smoo Cave.

Handa Island - Seabird Cliffs.

Saturday 29th June

Lochinver - Highland Stoneware.

Ullapool - Corrieshalloch Gorge.

Sunday 30th June

Cruise coast of Wester Ross.

Shieldaig - Applecross via Bealach na bà.

Monday 1st July

Cruise Inner Sound and Kyle Rhea. Tobermory, Mull - Walks ashore.

Tuesday 2nd July

Oban - Disembarkation.

Arts Society Accredited Lecturer

Jeremy Burton

Jeremy worked as a mining geologist in Zambia before joining the Army. After Sandhurst he joined the Irish Guards and was seconded to Clarence House as the Queen Mother’s equerry. Jeremy accompanied the Queen Mother to the Castle of Mey each August, and on numerous occasions thereafter as one of her guests. After she passed away in 2002, he was asked to help open the castle to the public. Jeremy had a particular interest in the Queen Mother’s jewellery collection. This inspired him to study gemmology and he spent many years as a precious stone dealer in London’s Hatton Garden, worked as an exploration geologist in South Africa and a gold miner in California.