From Scotland to Spitsbergen

Start your adventure in Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow which is overflowing with historic landmarks and a vibrant culture. The distinct architecture is reminiscent classic 19th-century fused together with modern early 20th-century dubbed ‘Glasgow Style’. The checkerboard layout makes the city easy to navigate with lively street entertainment around every corner.

Head up to the Scottish Isles and find Iona, a small island off the southwest coal of Mill in the Inner Hebrides. With just 130 inhabitants, Iona is famed for Iona Abbey, which was once the centre of Gaelic monasticism. The tranquil lands are typical of Hebridean beauty and the approach is particularly spectacular when the weather is sunny.

Callanish is a village on the west side of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Callanish is within the parish of Uig. A linear settlement with a jetty, it is on a headland jutting into Loch Roag, a sea loch 13 miles west of Stornoway.

Britain’s most northerly islands lie almost 160 kilometres (100 miles) north of the Scottish mainland, at a similar latitude to the southern tip of Greenland, or Bergen in Norway. Kept relatively warm by the Gulf Stream, Shetland’s 100 islands experience almost 24 hours of daylight in summer. They abound with nature reserves and archaeological sites and offer a taste of traditional island life.Mousa Broch, on the small uninhabited island of Mousa, is the best preserved of Scotland’s 570 brochs (fortified Iron Age towers). Storm petrels nest among its stones, which can be seen when visiting the broch at night. In daylight, a large colony of common and grey seals basks on its shores, and you may spot otter (Dratsi, in Shetland dialect).Jarlshof is one of Shetland's best preserved and most complex archaeological sites. It was exposed by storms in the late 19th century. The Old House of Sumburgh, built here in the 17th century, was named 'Jarlshof' by Sir Walter Scott in his novel 'The Pirate'.

Sitting just below the Arctic Circle, a visit to Bronnoysund guarantees a journey of culture and extraordinary scenery. Bronnoysund is quintessential Norway, and encompasses everything you'd expect from this stunning country - along with plenty of surprises along the way. Raking fjords, scattered islands, and roaring rivers provide a huge natural bounty - but it’s the Torghatten Mountain that’s Bronnoysund’s true crowning glory. Torghatten Mountain rises like a colossal castle of sheer granite, and is particularly striking because it’s punctured right through the centre by a giant hole. Line up the view just right, and you can see sunlight bursting through the hole, as if illuminated by a massive spotlight. It's hard to imagine how such a striking phenomenon would form naturally, and indeed the local folklore has a persuasive explanation – that it was created when an arrow ripped through the troll king's hat, which was thrown into the air to protect a fleeing girl. The hat turned to stone, and the arrow’s hole is preserved there to this day. If you care to climb Torghatten Mountain, you can walk through its cavernous interior, to look down over the red wooden barns and glistening lakes below.

Lofoten Islands are considered to be in “another world” and for good reason. The archipelago with its jagged coastline is a majestic setting of high alpine summits, sandy beaches, green prairies and spectacular fjords. Many of the fjords are UNESCO listed, so whichever you manage to see will be a treat. Reine is a picture-perfect village surrounded by blue waters, lush greenery and speckled colour from the fishermen’s cottages. Enjoy hiking, whale-watching and birdwatching from this idyllic setting.

With its centre located on the island of Tromsø, the municipality of Tromsø is more than five times the size of Norway’s capital, Oslo, and is the world’s northernmost university city. Lying 200 miles inside the Arctic Circle, it is known as the 'Gateway to the Arctic' because it was used as a starting point for hunters looking for Arctic foxes, polar bears and seals. In the 19th century it was a base for explorers on Arctic expeditions – a history that is remembered in the city’s Polar Museum, which you can visit on an excursion. Also commemorated in the area is the history of Norway’s indigenous people, the Sami. Visitors can learn about the traditions, heritage and modern preservation of the Sami culture at the Tromsø Museum. Nowadays, Tromsø is a charming mix of old and new, with wooden buildings sitting alongside contemporary architecture such as the impressive glacier-like Arctic Cathedral, which features one of the largest stained glass windows in Europe. Looking down on the city is Mount Storsteinen, and a cable car runs to the top, giving wonderful views over the surrounding countryside of forested peaks and reindeer pastures.

Spitsbergen: The Arctic’s Crown of Pointed Mountains
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago, a Norwegian territory located deep within the Arctic Ocean, about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. It is a premier destination for high-Arctic exploration and a vital center for international research.

Spitsbergen: The Arctic’s Crown of Pointed Mountains
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago, a Norwegian territory located deep within the Arctic Ocean, about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. It is a premier destination for high-Arctic exploration and a vital center for international research.

Spitsbergen: The Arctic’s Crown of Pointed Mountains
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago, a Norwegian territory located deep within the Arctic Ocean, about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. It is a premier destination for high-Arctic exploration and a vital center for international research.

Longyearbyen is the biggest settlement in Svalbard. Seat of the Norwegian administration, it also has the best services and infrastructure in the archipelago. Located deep in the Adventfjord, a sidearm of the Isfjorden (Icefjord), Longyearbyen’s airport can be used all-year round, but its harbor is blocked by ice in winter. Most shops, hotels, restaurants and a hospital are within easy walking distance of the port. One of the most prominent buildings in town is the UNIS center, where several Norwegian universities have joined forces to operate and offer the northernmost higher education to both Norwegian and international students. Adjacent to UNIS, and well worth a visit, is the Svalbard Museum, covering the natural history and exploitation of Svalbard. Remnants of the former mining activity can be seen all around Longyearbyen and even in town.