Scotland
The Hidden Coasts of Scotland: An Expedition on the Ocean Albatros
Program No. 24592RJ
Experience Scotland from Edinburgh to the Orkney Islands and Outer Hebrides as you join us for our Floating Campus onboard the Ocean Albatros!
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Itinerary
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All itineraries and excursions are subject to change. Weather and water conditions may affect the progress of the ship, and we may miss ports if it is not safe to dock. The operators reserve the right to change the content and duration of excursions without prior notice and so the cruise itinerary should always be regarded as provisional. Whenever possible, Road Scholar’s published daily schedule will indicate port arrival and departure times. Prior to departure, if there is a major change, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
12 days
11 nights
What's Included
28 meals (
10B, 8L, 10D
)
6 expert-led lectures
8 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
10 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
In Transit to Program
Location:
In Flight
Day
2
Arrive in Edinburgh, Check-in, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Location:
Edinburgh
Meals:
D
Stay:
InterContinental Edinburgh The George
Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m. The group will be split between 2 hotels; please note that we have to take groups and bed configuration into consideration when assigning hotels; once your hotel is assigned, it cannot be changed.
Afternoon:
Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date programs schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
Welcome dinner at the Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel for all color groups.
Evening:
At leisure. Get to know your fellow participants, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
3
Check Out, Edinburgh Highlights, Transfer to Aberdeen
Location:
Aberdeen
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Ocean Albatros
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach, 2-4 steps up/down. Walking up to 2 miles on paved walkways. Transfer to Aberdeen is approximately 2 hours. NOTE: The On Your Feet group will not do the walking excursion and will have a panoramic drive of Edinburgh instead.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
This morning the Keep the Pace groups will depart the pier by motorcoach into the heart of Edinburgh's old town. Upon arrival at the Royal Mile, we will start our walking discovery along the cobblestone street that will take us past various buildings both old and new including John Knox House, the Church of Canongate and the Scottish Parliament building. We will stop for an OUTSIDE visit (we will not be going inside) of St. Giles Cathedral, this majestic building stands midway along the Royal Mile. The most notable external feature is the famed crown spire on the tower. Following a restoration in 1977, essential roof repairs were carried out and a magnificent new organ was installed. NOTE: the slower paced, On Your Feet groups will not go on the walking excursion and will have a panoramic drive of Edinburgh instead. During the drive, see the Georgian architecture of the New Town, parts of the medieval Royal Mile, and Princes Street with its civic gardens in the heart of the city. We will drive to the city's high points for some spectacular views over the city.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant en route to Aberdeen.
Afternoon:
Transfer to the port and board the Ocean Albatros. After completing boarding procedures and getting your cabin, take some time to unpack, freshen up, and relax and start becoming familiar with the ship. There will be a mandatory passenger briefing and safety drill. Please note that your departure is part of our Floating Campus programs. All routes and excursions are subject to change – weather and sea conditions may affect the itinerary. Sea conditions affect the progress of the ship, making it run late and sometimes miss ports because it is not safe to dock. Because of this, the cruise itinerary should always be regarded as provisional. The operators reserve the right to change the content of excursions without prior notice.
Dinner:
Aboard ship. Dinners always include a meat option, fish option and vegetarian option. Water, tea, & coffee is available 24 hours a day. Any other beverages will be charged to your cabin. The ship has a fully equipped onboard bar & offers a wide variety of cocktails, beers, non-alcoholic beverages and bottled water available for purchase.
Evening:
At leisure. You might like to check out the library or the jacuzzis.
Day
4
Scrabster, Castle of Mey
Location:
At Sea
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Ocean Albatros
Activity Note
Get on and off a motorcoach 2-4 steps up/down. Uneven terrain and several flights of steps inside castle. NOTE: On Your Feet group will not visit the castle & will visit the Strathnaver Museum instead. The drive to the museum is approximately 1 hour.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
The Keep the Pace Groups will head out this morning and visit the Castle of Mey with your Group Leader. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother first saw the then Barrogill Castle in 1952, while mourning the death of her husband, King George VI. Explore the castle and gardens with a local expert and learn more about why this property was so close to The Queen Mother’s heart and about King Charles’ commitment to the future of Castle of Mey. On the way back to the ship we will stop briefly at Dunnet Head, the most northerly point on the British mainland, which is an RSPB reserve and home to a lighthouse built by Robert Stevenson in 1831. The slower paced, On Your Feet groups will not visit the Castle of Mey and head out for a 1 hour drive to Bettyhill and the Strathnaver Museum. Bettyhill owes its very existence to the Highland Clearances, one of the darkest episodes in the history of the Highlands. At this time landowners ruthlessly cleared their lands of tenant farmers to make way for more lucrative sheep. Before the Clearances this area was heavily populated. Between 1811 and 1821 a total of 15,000 people were cleared from the estates of the landowner who would become the reviled Duke of Sutherland. Nearby Rosal was one of the villages cleared of its crofting inhabitants and in an unusual move the local landowner, Elizabeth, Countess of Sutherland, had the village of Bettyhill built in 1814 to house the displaced crofters. Today we will visit the older part of the village and the Strathnaver Museum which is housed in the old parish church to learn more about the Clearances and their devastating effect on the population of the Highlands.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Free time. Enjoy the activities of your choice aboard ship, including a lecture on topics relevant to our program.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. Enjoy activities aboard ship, spend time with fellow Road Scholars.
Day
5
Stornoway, Ancient Lewis, Blackhouse Village
Location:
At Sea
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Ocean Albatros
Activity Note
Zodiac landing: possibility of rough seas; bumpy sailing; splashing water; may get wet; getting in/out of Zodiac with assistance from staff. Get on and off a motorcoach 2-4 steps up/down. Some rough, uphill paths walking over grassy surfaces with stones and some steps. Sturdy waterproof footwear recommended.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
This morning we will board the Zodiacs for our ride to the pier where we'll then head out on a full-day field trip to Ancient Lewis & Blackhouse Village. We will depart Stornoway across the beautiful west coast for a brief stop at the Dun Carloway Pictish Broch. Built in the last century BC, it would have served as a defensible residence for an extended family complete with accommodations for animals. Visit Gearrannan Blackhouse Village, a reconstructed settlement of traditional blackhouses where people and animals lived in close proximity. The houses were made using dry stone masonry and have thatched roofs, distinctively weighted down with rocks. We will also see a Harris Tweed weaving demonstation here.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We will continue our scenic journey to the most northerly point of the island to take a moment and soak up the views at the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse. Next, stop at the Port of Ness harbor. Ness has been home to many seafarers, enjoy some free time in the village and admire the picturesque harbor area. Return along part of the same coastal roads completing our drive as we head back across moorland to Stornoway.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. Enjoy activities aboard ship, spend time with fellow Road Scholars.
Day
6
Scenic Cruising: Sound of Mull, Oban, Dunollie Castle
Location:
At Sea
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Ocean Albatros
Activity Note
Zodiac landing in Oban: possibility of rough seas; bumpy sailing; splashing water; may get wet; getting in/out of Zodiac with assistance from staff. Getting on/off a motorcoach, 2-4 steps up/down. Walking up a steep hill during the walking excursion in Oban. NOTE: The On Your Feet group will not join the Oban Walking Excursion & Dunollie Museum & Castle and will instead go on a coach drive of the Scottish Highlands and Glencoe.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
This morning we will enjoy scenic cruising in the Sound of Mull. This is an important waterway for vessels sailing from Oban and separates the island of Mull from the Scottish mainland. Enjoy a lecture on topics relevant to our program.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
The ship is scheduled to arrive in Oban at 12:00 Noon. We will board Zodiacs for the ride to the pier. Once we disembark from the Zodiacs, the Keep the Pace groups will head out on a walking excursion of historic Oban and visit Dunollie Museum & Castle, a short distance along the coast from Oban town center. NOTE: you will encounter steep hills during the walking excursion in Oban. The On Your Feet groups will not join the Oban Walking Tour & Dunollie Museum & Castle, instead we will have a panoramic drive along the Scottish Highlands. After disembarking the Zodiac, board our motorcoach that will take us through the picturesque scenery of the Pass of Brander and around the tip of Loch Awe with views of Kilchurn Castle before continuing to Tyndrum where a short stop is made. The route climbs to Rannoch Moor; the Great Moor is one of the last remaining wildernesses in Europe. Driving through the majestic Glencoe – once a scene of the infamous 1692 massacre and now a centre for serious mountaineering providing some of the finest climbing and walking in Scotland. A stop is made at the award-winning Glencoe visitor centre to learn more about the history, geology and nature of this region. Leaving the visitor centre, the route continues along Loch Linnhe, and you’ll admire the views of the islands of Lismore and Mull along the shoreline of this sea loch. You’ll pass Castle Stalker, a tower house situated on its own islet set against a dramatic backdrop of mountains, before arriving back in the coastal town of Oban.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. Enjoy activities aboard ship, spend time with fellow Road Scholars.
Day
7
Loch Torridon, Scenic Zodiac Cruising
Location:
At Sea
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Ocean Albatros
Activity Note
Zodiac cruising; possibility of rough seas; bumpy sailing; splashing water; may get wet; getting in/out of Zodiac with assistance from staff.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
This morning we'll board Zodiacs and enjoy cruising in Loch Torridon. This stunning loch was created by glacial processes and is approximately 15 miles long.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Free time. Enjoy the activities of your choice aboard ship, including a lecture on topics relevant to our program.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. Enjoy activities aboard ship, spend time with fellow Road Scholars.
Day
8
Lerwick, Sumburgh Head Bird Cliffs
Location:
At Sea
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Ocean Albatros
Activity Note
Get on and off a motorcoach 2-4 steps up/down. ½ mile steep uphill walk at Sumburgh Head. NOTE: The On Your Feet group will not visit Sumburgh Head and will visit a local harbor village, a Shetland Pony farm, and a local jewelry workshop.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
The more active Keep the Pace groups will head out with your Group Leader on a Field Trip to the Sumburgh Head Bird Cliffs. We will depart Lerwick, the capital of Shetland, as we begin our trip to the island’s most southerly point. We will visit the RSPB Reserve at Sumburgh Head where we will see Shetland’s first lighthouse, built in 1821 by Robert Stevenson. The cliffs around Sumburgh Head are on the southernmost tip of Mainland Shetland and attract thousands of seabirds, including puffins, guillemots, shags and fulmars. Gannets are regularly seen offshore too. A local expert will further enhance our visit here. The slower paced, On Your Feet groups will not visit Sumburgh Head and will enjoy a visit to a local harbor village. We will then visit a Shetland Pony farm to learn about the history and characteristics of this small and hardy pony directly from a local breeder. Next, travel through Girlsta and Weisdale before visiting a Shetland Jewelry workshop, where a local jewelry maker will show us how the beautifully hand crafted, local jewelry is designed and made.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Free time. Enjoy the activities of your choice aboard ship, including a lecture on topics relevant to our program.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. Enjoy activities aboard ship, spend time with fellow Road Scholars.
Day
9
Kirkwall, Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae
Location:
At Sea
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Ocean Albatros
Activity Note
Get on and off a motorcoach 2-4 steps up/down. At Ring of Brodgar soft/uneven ground. Skaill House has flights of stairs. NOTE: The On Your Feet Group will not visit Skaill House and the visit to Ring of Brodgar & Skara Brae will be at a slower pace.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
This morning we will head out to explore the Ring of Brodgar & Skara Brae with our Group Leader. Depart Kirkwall and head into the west of Mainland, Orkney’s largest island. Head into the Neolithic Heartland of Orkney; an area designated as a World Heritage Site due to its wealth of pre-historic archaeology. Visit the Ring of Brodgar; a huge ceremonial circle of stones dating back almost 5000 years. Continue to Skara Brae to admire one of the best preserved Neolithic villages in Western Europe. Our next stop for the Keep the Pace Groups is Skaill House, Orkney’s finest manor. Skaill was built by Bishop George Graham in 1620 on the site of a farmstead thought to date to the Norse period. NOTE: the slower paced On Your Feet groups will not visit Skaill House.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Free time. Enjoy the activities of your choice aboard ship, including a lecture on topics relevant to our program.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. Enjoy activities aboard ship, spend time with fellow Road Scholars.
Day
10
Invergordon, Loch Ness Discovery
Location:
At Sea
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Ocean Albatros
Activity Note
Zodiac landing; possibility of rough seas; bumpy sailing; splashing water; may get wet; getting in/out of Zodiac with assistance from staff. Get on and off a motorcoach 2-4 steps up/down. Uneven terrain and steps at Urquhart Castle, walking up to 3 miles. Wear waterproof sturdy footwear.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
We will board zodiacs for the ride to the pier. Once we reach the pier, depart Invergordon with our Group Leader and head to the banks of Loch Ness. Visit the ruins of Urquhart Castle, a critical strategic stronghold in the highlands, positioned on the banks of Loch Ness. In 1692 the castle was blown up to stop it falling into Jacobite hands. What remains are picturesque and impressive ruins, surrounded on three sides by the cold deep waters of Loch Ness. From the Castle’s Jetty, we will join a boat cruise on one of the world’s most famous lochs. Look for the evasive Loch Ness Monster, which has baffled some of the world's most notable researchers for decades. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and mountains and learn of the Loch’s history and geology from a local expert. Disembark at the Loch Ness pier and return to the ship.
Lunch:
Aboard ship.
Afternoon:
Free time. Enjoy the activities of your choice aboard ship, including a lecture on topics relevant to our program.
Dinner:
Aboard ship.
Evening:
At leisure. Enjoy activities aboard ship, spend time with fellow Road Scholars. Prepare for disembarkation tomorrow.
Day
11
Aberdeen, Disembark Ocean Albatros, Transfer to Edinburgh
Location:
Edinburgh
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
InterContinental Edinburgh The George
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; 2-4 steps up/down. The group will be split between 2 hotels; please note that we have to take groups and bed configuration into consideration when assigning hotels; once your hotel is assigned, it cannot be changed.
Breakfast:
Aboard ship.
Morning:
Complete disembarkation procedures and transfer to Edinburgh.
Lunch:
On your own.
Afternoon:
Check into the hotel, the remainder of the afternoon is free.
Dinner:
At Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel for all color groups.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Day
12
Edinburgh, Program Concludes
Location:
In Flight
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Hotel check out by 12:00 p.m.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!
