- All Inclusive Board Basis
- Wind and waterproof expedition jacket
- Professional photos from your trip taken by our onboard photographer
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The Scottish Isles - Island Hopping in the Hebrides
MS Spitsbergen
17th Apr 26
10 Nights
Day 1
Glasgow, UK
A former industrial powerhouse, Glasgow has reinvented itself as a cultural hot spot, packed with museums, galleries and parks. Discover the splendid Art Nouveau architecture of Charles Rennie Mackintosh before your expedition cruise begins.
To experience mainland Scotland’s unique history and nature, why not arrive a little earlier and join our optional Pre-Programme.
You’ll embark your ship MS Spitsbergen in Fairlie, a small community outside of Glasgow. Lying on the shores of the Firth of Clyde and nestled against a backdrop of the North Ayrshire Hills, this area is known for coastal towns that boast both Viking heritage and scenic walks.
Get to know the ship before meeting the Expedition Team – your guides for the adventure ahead. Enjoy your first onboard dinner as we set sail.
Day 2
Beautiful Isle of Arran
Welcome to the Isle of Arran with its heather-cloaked landscapes. Known as ‘Scotland in miniature’, Arran’s varied landscape is split by the Highland Boundary Fault, giving the island its distinctive highland peaks in the north and lush lowlands in the south.
Why not try a hike with views of the craggy peaks of Goat Fell and see if you can spot Scotland’s ‘Big Five’: the Golden Eagle, red deer, red squirrel, otter and harbour seal, all of which can be found on Arran.
While here, discover the grandeur of Brodick Castle, and explore the gardens which will be brimming with spring life.
Day 3
Islay's whisky and nature
Islay, the ‘Queen of the Hebrides’, is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, with rugged uplands and coastline. The island is the proud home of world-famous peaty single malts – but that's far from the only reason to visit.
Islay is a wildlife haven, home to over 200 species of birds – including oystercatchers, gannets and Golden Eagles. From its sandy beaches, you can sometimes spot dolphins and basking sharks.
Join a local guide on a heritage walk, and of course, no trip to Islay is complete without a 'wee dram' from one of the island’s famous and historic whisky producers, including Laphroaig and Ardbeg.
Day 4
Sustainable Isle of Gigha
Our Scottish isles cruise continues to tiny Gigha (pronounced ‘Gee-a’), a little sandy slice of paradise in the Hebrides. The island is community-owned, bought by its 163 residents in 2002, and has a sustainable local economy. Why not try some of its seafood, such as Gigha halibut and oysters.
At only seven miles long, the only way to get around Gigha is on foot or by renting a bike. Visit the woodland gardens of Achamore House and admire the colourful rhododendrons. Then explore white sandy coves and the turquoise waters along the coast, such as the Bàgh Rubha Ruaidh and Bàgh na Dòirlinne beaches.
Day 5
Mull's colourful fishing port
Brightly coloured Georgian houses line the waterfront in the picturesque fishing port of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. As we explore, your local guide will bring the port to life with stories of its vibrant past and present.
Learn about the local heritage at the Mull Museum, try a dram of local whisky, stroll around the loch in Aros Park or soak up the views across the Ardnamurchan Peninsula on a walk along the wooded coastal path.
The Isle of Mull is a magnet for birders. It has the highest breeding density of Golden Eagles in Europe, and White-tailed Eagles can often be seen soaring above the coast. While here, you have the opportunity to visit one of the historic castles which guarded these waterways when the Lord of the Isles ruled the region in the 12th century.
Day 6
Expedition Day
Today we plan to explore the Outer Hebrides and attempt a landing at one of the many tiny islands. Your Captain and Expedition Leader will choose the best landing site depending on the conditions of the day.
The mighty wind and waves of the Atlantic have carved sheltered harbours here, allowing settlements to arise as far back as the Neolithic period. Perhaps we’ll visit a remote community and get a sense of their way of life, or head to a pristine white sand beach for a nature landing. We may also take our small expedition boats for some coastal cruising in search of wildlife such as puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes and seals.
Day 7
Stalwart Stornoway
We travel next to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides, home of the famous Harris Tweed cloth. We'll visit Gothic-style Lews Castle, with its trails and fantastic views. Lewis is also home to 'Scotland's Stonehenge', the 5,000-year-old Callanish Standing Stones, and Dùn Carloway, the best-preserved Iron Age broch in Scotland.
We'll also cruise the wild and beautiful Shiant Isles, a tiny archipelago set in the Minch Strait. One of the most important breeding colonies for seabirds in Europe, keep an eye out for European Shags, Common Eiders, Northern Fulmars and Great Skuas in the surrounding waters or on volcanic ledges.
Day 8
Isles of Beauty
We’ll sail to Loch Scavaig on the Isle of Skye, where dramatic scenery surrounds us. “The wildest scene in the Highlands” – that's how the Victorian poet Lord Tennyson described Loch Coruisk and the surrounding craggy peaks of the Cuillin Mountains. We'll put on our hiking boots to explore the loch with the Expedition Team.
Our next stop is one of the remote Small Isles. This small archipelago with Gaelic-named isles Eigg, Canna, Muck, and Rum, is home to incredible wildlife and scenery. You might spot Golden and White-Tailed Eagles, Red Throated Divers, stonechats, seals, dolphins and porpoises. Stroll along white sandy beaches, quiet byways, or rugged coastal paths and cliffs.
Day 9
The Spirit of Iona
Your adventure continues to Iona, off the coast of Mull in the Inner Hebrides. You can visit the restored 6th century abbey, one of Scotland's oldest and most sacred Christian pilgrimage sites. Join the Expedition Team for a hike or enjoy a walk at your leisure to the aptly named ‘Bay at the Back of the Ocean’. This sweeping white sand bay faces the wild Atlantic Ocean head-on and is fringed with machair, a typical grassy vegetation of the Hebrides.
If conditions allow, we’ll also sail to Staffa. We’ll attempt to take our small boats for a closer look at Fingal's Cave, marvelling at the hexagonal basalt columns, superb natural acoustics and mesmerising, coloured waters.
Day 10
Colonsay birds and blooms
Take a coastal walk on the Isle of Colonsay and enjoy breathtaking views from Kiloran Bay and Plaide Mhòr. Or if you’re lucky enough to be in a kayak, you may catch sight of whales, porpoises and dolphins.
Flora thrives on Colonsay, with over 400 species of plants present. You’ll see some of them in the woodland gardens of Colonsay House. It's a paradise for birdwatchers, with choughs, Red Northern Divers, eagles, fulmars, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and shags among the birds you can spot. Later in the spring, be sure to listen out for the rattle of the elusive corncrake.
Day 11
Back to Glasgow
Your adventure to the wild Scottish Isles ends back in Glasgow (Fairlie).
Wander the small community of Fairlie before making your way back to vibrant Glasgow as the final stop of your island-hopping odyssey. Its impressive fishing and shipping heritage is manifest in the Victorian architecture of the west end of town. It’s well worth exploring this area some more if you have time before you head home.
Why Book
MS Spitsbergen
Overview
Named after the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, MS Spitsbergen embodies the history of Hurtigruten's 1896 'Sports Route' between mainland Norway and Svalbard. She is a modern and environmentally progressive ship, perfect for exploring off-the-beaten-track.
Rebuilt in 2016 and extensively refurbished in 2025, MS Spitsbergen combines modern expedition capability and adaptability with elegance and simplicity. With space for just 220 guests, she offers a relaxed, intimate atmosphere that speaks to Scandinavian style — and the agility to access remote places larger ships can’t.
Rebuilt in 2016 and extensively refurbished in 2025, MS Spitsbergen combines modern expedition capability and adaptability with elegance and simplicity. With space for just 220 guests, she offers a relaxed, intimate atmosphere that speaks to Scandinavian style — and the agility to access remote places larger ships can’t.
An HX trip includes everything from daily excursions and activities to our onboard Science Centre, meals, gratuities, drinks* and more. All designed to give you the expedition experience of a lifetime.
Food & Drink
Superb local cuisine
Get ready for an expedition cruise that will delight all your senses. Our chefs are dedicated to delivering a world-class gastronomic experience that draws inspiration from the places we’ll visit.
Entertainment
You’ll find a variety of stimulating and relaxing places aboard MS Spitsbergen, where you’ll quickly feel at home. It’s casual and comfortable, yet stylish and inspiring, with a fresh, Scandinavian chic.
Health & Fitness
Whether you want to get your pulse racing or calm it down and feel each breath, your ship has everything you need. From intense exercise to deep relaxation, you’ll find just what the day requires for your mind and body.
Kids & Teens
We do welcome children onboard. However, HX Hurtigruten Expeditions doesn't allow children under the age of 5 to travel with us to Antarctica and South Georgia. For safety reasons, children under 12 years of age will be considered for participation in excursions at each landing.
For those travelling to the Galápagos on Santa Cruz II only - Parents with children below the age of 6 need to present at embarkation a release form signed by their parents or guardians to board a Galápagos cruise. If children between the ages of 6-18 are accompanied by one parent/legal guardian, a minor consent form signed by the other parent, or both parents if the minor is accompanied by a legal guardian, must be presented on boarding.
Terms & Conditions
Terms and conditions: Advertised offers are based on 2 adults sharing the lowest category stateroom/cabin/suite unless otherwise stated. Single supplements may apply. Offers are subject to availability and can change without any prior notice and may go up or down in price. Cruise Line campaign(s) and saving messages are strictly controlled by the Cruise Line(s) and are subject to change or be withdrawn without notice. Flight inclusive packages, where promoted, are based on the cheapest UK departure airport so please ask for further details. Advertised hotels, if any, are suggested however are changeable at a possible additional cost. All prices and port itineraries are correct at the time of print but are subject to change by the Cruise Line(s) without prior notice. Hays Travel reserves the right to correct any errors or omissions in this brochure. Some ports of call may be tendered whereas vessels drop anchor a short distance away and use small boats to reach the shore. Full board to all-inclusive inclusions vary by the Cruise Line(s) and restrictions may apply. Some onboard facilities and items may incur a charge. Select destinations may require travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers to be completed prior to travelling. Hays Travel LTD accepts no responsibility or compensation for any incomplete forms or declined entries from the respective country or countries that the individual(s) are visiting.
The Scottish Isles - Island Hopping in the Hebrides
FROM £5,733PP
MS Spitsbergen
17th Apr 26
10 Nights
From
£5,733PP
