It would sound flippant to say “we make up the itinerary as we go along” but in effect that is the very nature of small ship cruising at sea, and a big part of its charm; every trip is different. Where we can go each day will be determined by factors such as wind, tide, sea state, visibility, and the need to reach somewhere sheltered each night. In such matters, your safety is the most important consideration and the skipper will always have the last word.

That said, we will be seeking to fully exploit the advantages of our mobility, and an eight-night cruise is easily enough time to circumnavigate the islands if we wish to and conditions permit. Given favourable weather, we will definitely want to visit Fair Isle to the south. Other destinations might include the isles of Mousa and Noss, Burravoe on Yell, the Wick of Tresta on Fetlar, Burrafirth on Unst. Landings on some of the smaller uninhabited islands might also be possible. If conditions are exceptionally fair, we may even venture to the edge of the continental shelf, about 25 nautical miles to the north of the Ramna Stacks, which should be a favoured feeding area for cetaceans. We will also be guided by the wishes of our guests, within reason. The one thing that is sure is that we will leave Lerwick on the afternoon of Day One, and return there mid-morning on Day Nine.

The Ness of Sound, Yell

More than likely, we will have a walk ashore somewhere each day. This needn’t be strenuous, but the ground can be rocky and uneven, or wet and boggy. You will need a fair level of agility for negotiating vertical ladders at piers, and for getting in and out of the tender – sometimes on slippery rocks. It is possible we may have to make beach landings, and this can involve getting your feet wet (so bring Crocs or similar). The farthest we are likely to hike would be the trek across Hermaness NNR to the seabird cliffs, which is about 45 minutes walk from our landing point, mostly on a wellmaintained boardwalk. You will always have the option of staying on board the boat if you prefer. We don’t expect to be using road transportation at any point, and have not budgeted to include such.

This being a cruise holiday, it is inevitable that we spend some time sailing from place to place. During these sea passages, guests are encouraged to participate in wildlife watching out on deck as much as possible. The more pairs of eyes we have available, the more we are likely to see!