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Europe – England, Ireland and Scotland
British Isles
Fabled Lands, Wild Shores aboard the Island Sky
Overview
Dates May 19 — May 31, 2009
Activity Level Moderately active
Journey to the legendary British Isles on a ten-night cruise aboard the privately chartered Island Sky. Beginning in London, visit Stonehenge and then embark in Portsmouth. Explore Saint Michael’s Mount, stroll the grounds of Caernarfon Castle, and enjoy the quiet grandeur of Snowdonia National Park in Wales. Cruise across the Irish Sea to Dublin, where you’ll view illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages, including the ornate Book of Kells, at historic Trinity College. On the Isle of Man, explore Celtic history and the medieval Castle Rushen. En route to Edinburgh, visit the Giant’s Causeway; the tiny isle of Iona, where Christianity first appeared in Scotland; and Skara Brae, a remarkably well-preserved Neolithic settlement buried for centuries under sand dunes in the Orkneys.
To download a full brochure for this program, click the PDF button at the top right side of this page.
Map
Itinerary
- Days 1 and 2 — U.S. / London, England
- Day 3 — London / Salisbury / Portsmouth / Embark the Island Sky
- Day 4 — Penzance
- Day 5 — Holyhead, Wales
- Day 6 — Dublin, Ireland
- Day 7 — Isle of Man
- Day 8 — Portrush, Northern Ireland
- Day 9 — Iona, Scotland / Staffa
- Day 10 — Loch Torridon / Inverewe
- Day 11— Stromness / Skara Brae
- Day 12 — Aberdeen
- Day 13 — Leith / Disembark the Island Sky/ Edinburgh / U.S.
Highlights
- Enjoy 10 nights aboard the comfortable, spacious Island Sky as you cruise the ruggedly beautiful coastline of the British Isles.
- Visit awe-inspiring sites including Stonehenge, the Neolithic village of Skara Brae, and the otherworldly landscape of the Giant's Causeway.
- Admire the intricate detail of the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript created by monks 1,200 years ago.
- Explore St. Michael’s Mount, the famed medieval pilgrimage site perched on a rock on the Cornish coast.
- Board the Ffestiniog narrow-gauge railway and travel through the breathtaking scenery of Snowdonia National Park in Wales.
Program Leaders
Cassandra Hannahs
Cassandra Hannahs is a historian specializing in British cultural and architectural history. She taught for more than ten years at Middlebury College in Vermont, where she was a tenured professor of European history. She currently works in the fields of cultural resource management and historic preservation. As a medieval historian specializing in cross-Channel exchanges between Great Britain and Europe, she has published works in numerous journals and books, and has lectured throughout the United States, France, and Britain. She has both personal interest and expertise in British cultural and architectural history, and her lectures will examine the Celtic past and present from several different perspectives: archaeological, artistic, political, and cultural.
Captain Alfred S. McLaren
Captain Alfred S. McLaren is an Arctic and deep-sea explorer and research scientist. He has also served as a teaching and research professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, and as an adjunct research professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. A gifted speaker, Captain McLaren has been a frequent lecturer on voyages to the North Pole; the Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, and Russia; the British Isles; and Antarctica. During our cruise his lecture topics will include the Viking invasions of the British Isles, Early Scottish and Irish history, the evolution of the clans, and tracing your genealogy in the British Isles.
Lee Patterson
Lee Patterson is the Frederick W. Hilles Professor of English at Yale University, and a specialist in European medieval literature and history. His talks will range from the peculiarities of Irish monasticism to Dublin’s remarkable literary world to the scuttling of the German Imperial Fleet at Scapa Flow during World War I.
Sponsors
American Museum of Natural History
The Commonwealth Club
Smithsonian Journeys
Yale Alumni Association
Accommodations
Cruise Ship
The Island Sky.
The all-suite Island Sky offers exceptionally spacious and well-designed cabins. Wood paneling and brass predominate throughout the vessel, conveying the atmosphere of a private yacht. All suites, ranging in size from 216 to 306 square feet, have outside views with portholes, large picture windows, or patio doors leading to a private balcony. Each intimate suite has a sitting area, en suite bathroom, large wardrobes, mini-fridge, and telephone. The airy and finely decorated public areas include a lounge, elegant bar, library, spa with Jacuzzi, and a dining room that accommodates all guests at a single seating for meals featuring delicious international cuisine. The ship’s sun deck invites a leisurely stroll, and an outdoor café and bar area offers an ideal spot for relaxing and getting to know fellow travelers. The ship is air conditioned throughout, and there is an elevator between decks. The Island Sky is limited to 116 passengers, who enjoy a level of personal service and attention not found aboard larger cruise vessels.
Program Rates
Airfare
Round-trip airfare between the U.S. and London Heathrow airport(with return from Edinburgh) is not included in the program rates. We are happy to assist you with your air travel arrangements.
Program Rates
From $8,990 per person, double occupancy