Some of the places we may visit are:Oban: If you are travelling east (the west cruise is, of course, this itinerary in reverse) we embark our vessels at 1330 at Dunstaffnage Marina, near Oban, the gateway to the Hebridean isles.Castle Stalker: We head out into beautiful Loch Linnhe and cruise along the east side of the picturesque Isle of Lismore to an anchorage off lovely Shuna Island. We will see the famous Castle Stalker located on a small tidal loch and our spectacular backdrop up ahead is the Ben Nevis mountain range. We can go ashore and visit the local nature reserve on the mainland and admire the famous Castle Stalker. There are lovely walks across the causeway bridge to Port Appin.Loch Linnhe: To arrive at the Caledonian Canal entrance we cruise up Loch Linnhe. In this stunning sea loch you will have the opportunity to see many types of sea birds, including sea eagles, as well as dolphins and seals. We are surrounded with fantastic scenery with the impressive Ben Nevis mountain becoming closer as we travel up the loch. After carefully navigating the Corran Narrows we anchor off the Canal entrance at Corpach.Caledonian Canal: We enter the canal and climb up through the eight locks of “Neptune’s Staircase” to rise nearly  70 feet above the sea.  You can walk along the towpath or stay on board as we climb. Then we cruise to Gairlochy and our first inland, freshwater loch which is the long and narrow Loch Lochy. In the autumn, the surrounding hills are alive to the bellows of the rutting stags and the tree-lined parts of the canal are truly magnificent in their autumn colours. We cruise on through beautiful Loch Oich to reach the town of Fort Augustus.Fort Augustus: We can visit the bustling town of Fort Augustus with its canal side pubs, Clansman Centre and Caledonian Canal Heritage Centre. When we leave the town we begin our descent through the locks to Loch Ness.Loch Ness, Drumnadrochit and Urquhart Castle: Lochness is a large, long (23 miles) very deep loch and is famous for golden eagles, ospreys and of course “Nessie”! We can visit the pretty village of Drumnadrochit, home to the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition, and surrounded by Glen Moriston and Glen Urquhart. We can anchor off the fabulous, historical Urquhart Castle for an incredibly scenic night. Inverness: We finally cruise to the end of Loch Ness and arrive at Seaport Marina, near Inverness. Inverness is a beautiful historic city, capital of the Highlands, and not far from the site of the famous Battle of Culloden. For the active there is the Ness Island Trail, which follows the River Ness, and you can even walk the towpath to the Canal’s end at Clachnaharry, where it enters the sea.

Please note that your voyage is weather dependent. Weather doesn't just mean good or bad weather. There are many considerations such as tidal gates, wind direction and strength, the strength and direction of currents, overfalls, and fetch. Depending upon the weather and nature’s conditions, wildlife viewing varies.  

The word Uummannaq means ‘heart-shaped’ in Greenlandic, and refers to the twin-peaked granite mountain that is shaped like a heart covering nearly the whole northern half of the island. Folklore has it that on visiting, a piece of your heart remains on the island forever, calling you back. Sheltered by glaciated mountains, this charming fjord region is often referred to as the sunniest spot in Greenland and has been a refuge for Innuit migrations for over 4,500 years.

As you cruise to your next port of call, spend the day at sea savouring the ship’s facilities and learning about your destination’s many facets from the knowledgeable onboard experts. Listen to an enriching talk, indulge in a relaxing treatment at the spa, work out in the well-equipped gym, enjoy some down- time in your cabin, share travel reminiscences with newly found friends: the options are numerous.

The impressive towering cliffs and rocks lining Buchan Gulf provide one of the world’s most important nesting sites for northern fulmars. As we cruise into this glacial fjord system on eastern Baffin Island, keep your eyes peeled for pods of narwhals who are at home in these deep waters. Polar bears roam the shores of Icy Arm, a narrow fjord with the relics of an ancient Thule semi-subterranean home sitting on the edge of the boggy tundra.

The views of snow-capped mountains have given Pond Inlet in northern Baffin Island the name of Canada’s ‘jewel of the north’ and the area is a prime breeding ground for narwhals. Bowhead whales, ringed and harp seals, and walrus also warrant a vigilant eye. The Inuit community living in the hamlet of Mittimatalik are renowned for their craft skills from printmaking and stone carving, and nearby at Qulalukat the thousand-year-old Inuit sod houses merit a visit.

Bylot Island, off the northwest of Baffin Island, is home to Sirmilik National Park. Pronounced Siir-milick, in Inuktitut Inuit language Inuktitut it means "place of glaciers" which aptly describes the breathtaking iceberg-filled scenery surrounded by narwhals, beluga whales and ringed seals. The national park’s bird reserve is one of the most diverse seabird areas in the Arctic with more than 40 species breeding here, while hungry caribou, arctic foxes, arctic hares and wolves lie in wait.

Choked up by ice in winter, Peel Sound is a 125-mile long channel separating Prince of Wales Island to the west and Somerset Island to the east. The icebound arctic waters prevented several 19th-century explorers from achieving their goals - Sir John Franklin in 1846, Francis Leopold McClintock in 1858 and Allen Young in 1875. Take time to learn more about these early adventurers as you relax and spot polar bears on the pack ice.

Closely associated with the exploration of Canada’s High Arctic, Beechey Island Sites are five locations across Beechey Island designated as important historic sites. These include where British explorer Sir John Franklin wintered during his fateful 1845-46 Northwest Passage Expedition. Much of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago was mapped while searching for the missing crew. In 1903, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen stopped to pay respect to Franklin at the beginning of his successful sailing in search of the Northwest Passage.

Dundas Harbour is the eastern entrance of the Northwest Passage on the southeast coast of the world’s largest uninhabited island, Devon Island. Despite the harsh terrain, signs of life remain with the relics of a 1000 A.D. Thule settlement and a 1920s outpost from where Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) controlled illegal whaling. Nowadays NASA research scientists camp at the 14-mile wide Haughton impact crater. Cape Liddon and Cape Vera are notable for arctic fulmars and black guillemots.

The most rugged in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Ellesmere Island is the largest of the Queen Elizabeth Islands with towering mountains, lakes, fjords, ice caps and glaciers. Alert, the Canadian Forces Station, is the world's northernmost settlement. Quttinirpaaq National Park comprises a fifth of the island. Here, arctic willow and purple saxifrage grow on the mossy tundra where arctic hare and muskoxen wander. On nearby Skraeling Island, Viking chainmail was found alongside 4,000-year-old Dorset and Thule artefacts.

As you cruise to your next port of call, spend the day at sea savouring the ship’s facilities and learning about your destination’s many facets from the knowledgeable onboard experts. Listen to an enriching talk, indulge in a relaxing treatment at the spa, work out in the well-equipped gym, enjoy some down- time in your cabin, share travel reminiscences with newly found friends: the options are numerous.

Colourful homes dot the hillside of this harbour town. The history of the townsfolk unfolds at the open-air Upernavik Museum with a church, grocers and original colonial buildings. Whale hunting and sea kayaking are also covered alongside cultural exhibits from the area’s Viking and Norse history with the Kingittorsuaq Runestone. To the north is the Upernavik Icefjord dotted with icebergs. The world’s largest seabird cliffs are on nearby Apparsuit Island with thousands of breeding black-legged kittiwakes.

Qeqertarsuaq is the largest town on Disko Island, the largest island in Greenland, on the west coast and part of Disko Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Lyngmark Glacier rises above the town and the area’s lush hills, basalt columns and black sand beaches reflect its volcanic origin. The area is very fertile and home to diverse species not found elsewhere in Greenland. Keep an eye out for its hot springs as we move through floating icebergs and whales.

Sailing through the iceberg capital of the world from Disko Bay - or Qeqertarsuaq Tunua - to the Ilulissat Icefjord is one of the cruise highlights. Given UNESCO World Heritage Site status, the Ilulissat Icefjord is a popular tourist destination, and thanks to the productive Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, thousands of gargantuan icebergs calve from the Greenland ice cap into the sea. The city of Ilulissat, formerly Jakobshavn or Jacobshaven, is home to as many sled-dogs as people.

As you cruise to your next port of call, spend the day at sea savouring the ship’s facilities and learning about your destination’s many facets from the knowledgeable onboard experts. Listen to an enriching talk, indulge in a relaxing treatment at the spa, work out in the well-equipped gym, enjoy some down- time in your cabin, share travel reminiscences with newly found friends: the options are numerous.

At the head of one of the longest fjords in western Greenland, Kangerlussuaq has a history as a World War II airbase. Visit the 60-metre tall face of the Russell Glacier on the edge of the Greenland ice cap to hear and see it crack and break off into the meltwater. Other popular activities include kayaking on the fjords and wildlife tours of the glacial areas that attract muskoxen, reindeer, arctic foxes and gyrfalcons.

Itineraries are subject to change.