Even if you’re already visited the United Kingdom, it’s worth returning if you do it by small-ship cruise. This new vantage point will allow you to zip from the ship to land via Zodiac to explore medieval villages, contemporary cities, lush countryside, striking highlands and ancient castles. A British Isles cruise can include England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the Orkney and Shetland islands. The opportunities are endless. Let’s look at the highlights: 


What You Might See on a British Isles Small-Ship Cruise


Photo by Michael on Unsplash  - Skellig Michael  

As you sail around Ireland the British Isles, you’ll explore captivating islands and historic capital cities that have been shaped by Celtic, Norse and British influences throughout the ages. In one trip, you might visit the Ring of Kerry, enjoy a medieval lunch at Northumberland Castle and take tea at Edinburgh Castle. 

Here are some of the highlight you may hit - itineraries vary and there are plenty of options to cater to your interests. 

  • Skellig Michael: A remote and rocky island with an ancient monastery overlooking the ocean

  • Fingal’s Cave: Sea cave formed in hexagonally jointed basalt on the island of Staffa, and memorialized by Mendelssohn’s “Hebrides Overture”

  • Fort William: Outdoor capital near Ben Nevis, Glencoe and some incredibly scenic beaches

  • St. Kilda, a UNESCO double World Heritage Site: Internationally recognized birding destination, home to the UK’s largest Atlantic puffin colony and site of 4,000 years of human history

  • Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides: for white-sand beaches, tweed workshops and Neolithic sites

  • Fowey Estuary, South Cornwall: Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

  • Island of Islay: Known for its peaty single-malt whiskies and distilleries, including Bruichladdich, Laphroaig, Bunnahabhain, Ardbeg and Bowmore 

  • Northern capitals of Belfast and Dublin

  • Ring of Brodgar: A truly circular late Neolithic or early Bronze Age stone ring in the Orkney Islands

  • Puffin colonies in the Faroes and Grimsey 

  • Rathlin Island: Home to Northern Ireland’s largest seabird colony 

  • Iona: one of Scotland’s most sacred sites and a vibrant center of Christianity since AD 563, and home to a Benedictine abbey

  • Fort William, Scottish Highlands: Dominated by views of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain, and close to Glen Nevis, one of the best short walks in Scotland

  • Isles of Scilly: An enchanting archipelago off the tip of Cornwall known for its wildlife and the famed Tresco Abbey Gardens



Photo by Migle Siauciulyte on Unsplash

Check out this trip and contact me for many other choices for small-ship voyages through the beguiling British Isles.