Quest for Adventure Captain's blog

At 7am Quest of Adventure arrived alongside in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to cloudy skies with sunshine peeping through. Occasional showers were forecast throughout the day but were momentarily kept at bay whilst the passengers set off on their shore excursions.

A varied selection of excursions were available today. The first being “Visit to St Patrick’s Country” – a morning tour following in the footsteps of St Patrick through the beautiful countryside where he made his spiritual heartland. A visit to Downpatrick was the first stop, which is designated at the saint’s burial site and is also the medieval capital of County Down.

Other tours include Belfast City Highlights, visiting the key landmarks of this vibrant city: Donegal Square, Grand Opera House and Botanic Gardens to name just a few. The full day tour was very popular with three coaches heading out to the Giant’s Causeway and the Spectacular Antrim Coast. The afternoon tour was ominously titled ‘The Birthplace of the Titanic’, visiting Queen’s Island where Titanic and her sister ships Britannic and Olympic were designed.

Back onboard and following a delicious afternoon tea in the Discovery Lounge with musical accompaniment from Adam Reece, Chris Gidney interviewed BBC TV Presenter Sally Magnusson about her life, career and famous father to an appreciative and packed audience.

After dinner Assistant Cruise Director Angela presented an intriguing Northern Ireland Trivia Quiz in the Shackleton’s Bar to many enthusiastic teams, followed by Showtime in the Discovery Lounge with Piano À Deux performing “From Carmen to Can-Can”. Tomorrow we have a relaxing day at sea, the only one for this cruise! On Wednesday morning we will be arriving in to Leith and I will be handing over the ship to Captain Wesley Dunlop. My wife and family will join me in heading back home from what has been a very enjoyable cruise.

These Christian theme cruises are deservedly becoming increasingly popular and we have two more advertised: A Central America cruise later this year, and a Voyage to the Holy Land in April 2013, which will include two overnight stops in Israel. Some of our passengers will also disembark tomorrow, with more leaving in Newcastle and then the majority disembarking in Dover.

Until next time I wish you all enjoyable cruising and may God bless you.

Today we arrived at 8am in Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man. The weather was not as good as earlier in the cruise as the wind had picked up whilst the temperature had dropped to 13°C. I warned the passengers that the tendering operation might be difficult for some, but these passengers are made of stronger stuff and were quite determined to head ashore. After the authorities had cleared the ship, we started to dispatch the tours of the day. Last time we were here in Douglas, back in May, I am told there were considerable delays in getting everyone ashore. Therefore, on this occasion, I had decided to borrow a local boat, the MV Karina, to assist us in the morning. She takes one hundred passengers and combined with our tenders we had everyone ashore promptly.

The first tour “TT Course by Motor Trike”, saw passengers experience the excitement of a three-seater trike. The emphasis on this tour was enjoyment rather than high speed. They travelled through some very pretty towns and villages, around tight twisting roads and across the renowned Ballaugh Bridge before riding over the spectacular mountain section. A short stop was enjoyed at the famous Creg-ny-Baa pub before returning to the ship. One of our passengers in Murray Walker, the famous motor racing commentator whose first love is motor bikes, and I half expected to see him racing past on two wheels!

On the second tour “Rushen Abbey” the passengers visited the most important medieval religious site on the Isle of Man. The Abbey lies less than two miles from Castle Rushen and is now administrated by Manx Heritage. The Abbey was founded in 1134 on a site donated by King Olaf I, and soon came within Cistercian control. It has been the main centre of learning on the island, where the most important documents were produced. The Abbey was finally dissolved in 1540 and demolished. We had the chance to learn about Christianity on the Island and what life was like for the Cistercian community there.
The third tour “Tynwald and Lady Isabella” went via the scenic Plains of Heaven to Tynwald Hill, located in the little village of St. John’s. The passengers visited the exhibition in the nearby church hall and continued afterwards across the island to Laxey, a former mining village and home to the Lady Isabella waterwheel, the world’s largest with a 72 feet diameter and built in 1854 to pump water from thriving lead mines.

The last tour today “Cregneash and Steam Train” drove passengers along the magnificent panorama of the south coast on the descent to the village of Port St Mary and the Heritage Hamlet of Cregneash. This was the main setting for the now-infamous film ‘Waking Ned’. They then travelled to the Calf Sound, for a brief photo before continuing back up the southern seaboard to Castletown, the former capital of Mann. Here they boarded a vintage narrow-gauge steam train for a delightful journey back to Douglas, along a line dating from 1874.

I had pushed the all aboard time back to 7pm so that passengers could make the most of what turned into a beautiful day here in Douglas Bay. The wind had died down a little and the sun had broken through. Neil had been busy as usual and invited a couple of local clergymen to join us for the Sunday services. Father Brian Dougherty from Saint Mary's Presbytery came on board to offer Mass in Shackleton’s. This was followed by an open-air service on the aft deck with the beautiful promenade of Douglas providing the backdrop. For this service we were delighted to be joined by the Bishop of Sodor and Man, The Rt Rev Robert Paterson and his wife, Pauline. With a line-up of me, Lord Carey, Ernie Rea and the Bishop it made for a very enjoyable service. The Bishop was interviewed by Lord Carey about his role and Christianity on the Isle of Man. The service was followed by Holy Communion with Lord Carey. At the other end of the ship, Professor Keith Jeffrey set the scene for tomorrow’s port of call with his lecture, ‘From the Titanic to the Troubles: Belfast and Ulster in the 20th Century’.

At 7pm we heaved the anchor and prepared to sail along the south coast of the Isle of Man and then northwards towards Belfast in Northern Ireland. After dinner the passengers could enjoy a Manx Trivia quiz with the Cruise Staff David and then another chance to see the superb Dana in concert, celebrating the 42nd anniversary of her Eurovision Song Contest Victory with “All Kinds of Everything”.

At 3 o’clock this morning we picked up the pilot for Liverpool whilst off the coast of Anglesey and then sailed up the Mersey to our berth in the shadow of the Royal Liver Building. Shortly after 8am we were docked in the vibrant city of Liverpool, with surprisingly glorious morning sunshine. In 2007 the city celebrated its 800th anniversary, and was the European Capital of Culture the following year. Much investment took place on the waterfront and the area immediately around the berth is particularly clean and charming now.

We had two tours on offer today. The Cathedrals of Liverpool gave passengers the opportunity to visit Liverpool’s two mighty symbols of the Christian faith: the two cathedrals that face each other and dominate the city’s skyline. Both are dedicated to Christ: the Anglican to Christ and the Blessed Virgin and the Catholic to Christ the King.

The second tour was titled ‘Iconic Liverpool Panoramic tour’ which saw passengers enjoy a comprehensive panoramic tour of the iconic highlights of this cosmopolitan port. They also had the chance to see some of the famous sites associated with the “Fab Four”. The weather changed to sunshine and showers in the afternoon and many passengers had visitors coming to see them. We are sailing the short distance to Douglas tonight so I decided to stay in port until11pm. Lord Carey led an afternoon bible study and the pre-dinner lecture was delivered by Professor Christopher Andrew and titled, “From the IRA to Bin Laden: MI5 and the terrorist threat”.

Tonight we had 1960s theme running through the evening. Nicky hosted a 1960s quiz in the Shackleton’s Bar and then everyone put on their dancing shoes to enjoy a fantastic Beatles tribute band called ‘The Cheatles’. Not only their musicianship but also their costumes and onstage banter evoked memories of nearly 50 years ago. On departure I turned the ship and we headed back out into the Irish Sea. Neil continued the Sounds of the Sixties out on deck and then it was a relatively early night as it will be another busy tender port tomorrow in Douglas on the Isle of Man.

Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has been used as a port since the Middle Ages.

Today the weather was very good as the sun was out and we had just a slight bit of wind. We dropped the anchor adjacent to the landing stage for the town and the tenders ran back and forth between the ship and the shore. At 8.12am I was on the Bridge as Quest for Adventure joined in with the national bell ringing to mark the opening day of the Olympics. I headed ashore fairly promptly as I had arranged to go to St David’s Cathedral bright and early so that I could join in with ringing of the bells. I gave the rope quite a tug and was relieved when I didn’t go flying up into the rafters! We had two shore excursions on offer today which were to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, and St David’s Cathedral and Bishop’s Palace.

The tour to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park took the passengers for a panoramic drive through the stunning scenery and on to Fishguard, a bustling little port to the west of the pretty Preseli Hills. They then continued to go on to St David’s, Britain’s smallest city, where they could see its Norman cathedral, the most important religious monument in Wales.

The second tour took passengers to St David’s Cathedral where they could admire the beautifully carved wooden ceiling above the nave, and marvel at the way the aisle pillars lean out of the perpendicular, the result of an earthquake in 1248. They then continued on to the Bishop’s Palace which is now in ruins but once contained lavish apartments.

The tendering operation meant that passengers were rather staggered coming back for lunch, but everyone was finished in time to hear local harpist Carys Ann Evans perform a beautiful recital in the Discovery Lounge. With the recital complete, Chris Gidney then welcomed Irish singer Dana to the stage to interview about her life, career and faith. The doors to the galley were then thrown open by Executive Chef Thomas Heinzel with passengers enjoying the opportunity to have a look behind the scenes. I was then on the Bridge to meet with the Mayor of Milford Haven who explained how they are trying to encourage more ships to visit this part of southwest Wales.

We raised the anchor at 5pm ready to sail the high speed run round the coast of Wales to Liverpool. As we sailed, Ernie Rea delivered the afternoon lecture, ‘Ulster’s Loyal Tribe: The future is bright but not necessarily Orange’. Before dinner I welcomed passengers to the Britannia and Free Spirited Club party in the Discovery Lounge and then the guests had a choice of entertainment this evening with a classical concert from the Maestro Trio, a Welsh trivia quiz, or watching the magnificent Opening Ceremony of the Olympics on the big screen outside the Sundowner Bar. I wonderful way to end a perfect Welsh day!

Today we docked in Falmouth, Cornwall. Again we experienced perfect weather and a very enjoyable day. Cornwall is a favourite county for second homes, and it was therefore ironic that I was joined by one of my second homes, as the Saga Ruby was also with us today. They were only staying for the morning and tendering to a point just behind our stern. The major source of income for this area is tourism, especially along the coast. Falmouth Docks are, however, still very much active as a shipbuilding centre and dry-dock facility. RFA Lyme Bay was berthed just ahead of us receiving a major overhaul. With its sandy beaches, equable climate and spacious harbour, Falmouth is a favoured holiday resort and yachting centre.

Once the authorities had cleared the ship, we started with the tour dispatch. We had three tours during the day. The first one, “Romantic Cornwall and Land’s End” took our passengers to see the contrast between the spectacular cliffs and granite moors of the far west and the softer, sub-tropical vegetation further inland. The journey took them alongside the River Fal and then past Penzance to reach the granite mass of Land’s End. This famous headland has now been developed into a popular attraction. The return journey went via the sleepy village of Marazion, were there was a photo stop to photograph the Mount and its medieval castle and priory buildings.

The second tour, “Magnificent Truro Cathedral”, took passengers to the famous cathedral, noted for its three spires, the central tower and the western towers. In many ways it resembles a French cathedral, with its soaring vaults, flying buttresses and its location in the heart of the city. The cathedral has one of the finest organs in England, built by Henry Willis in 1887 and delivered to Cornwall by boat. It also has a modern Chapter House, added in 1967.

The third and last tour, “The Eden Project” emerged from a once industrial landscape in 2001 to become one of the nation’s most remarkable attractions. The passengers could see giant water lilies found in tropical South America, the hallucinogenic ibogo derived from West Africa, plus an array of Mediterranean and British flora.

At 7pm it was all aboard and shortly afterwards we left Falmouth to hear round Land’s End and on to south west Wales. In the evening there was a Cornish Trivia Quiz with Neil. After that, Neil welcomed the legendary George Hamilton IV on stage with his show “Songs and Stories”.

We arrived this morning to the anchorage for St Peter Port, Guernsey on the Channel Islands. It was another gorgeously hot morning. This chief town and capital of Guernsey is located on the east coast of the island where a narrow valley reaches the sea. Shortly after 8am everybody began to muster in the Discovery Lounge ready to start their shore excursions via our tenders.

The tours for today included Guernsey’s Places of Worship, where our guests enjoyed a scenic drive from the harbour to the little chapel at Les Vauxbelets which was built single–handedly by a French monk. Island Panoramic and Little Chapel took passengers to view the outside of the Little Chapel which has been created from thousands of broken pieces of china, pebbles and glass. That tour then continued to the west coast to view St Apoline’s chapel. The Guernsey Bird Watching tour took our passengers to a location where they were able to see some unusual birdlife including the redwing and lapwing. Finally, the Clifftop and Countryside Walk enabled our more energetic passengers to reach a spectacular viewpoint to see the stunning vistas of Alderney, Sark, Herm and Jersey before enjoying some time to relax on Renoirs beach.

Having been joined by an RFA ship yesterday in Portland, it was the turn of the Royal Navy to visit today. HMS Argyll (F231) came quite close by on the starboard side in what the locals tell me is a regular manoeuvre for their ship. All aboard was set for 6pm and this gave us time in the late afternoon to hold a Praise & Worship on the aft deck. Myself, Lord Carey and Ernie Rea led the service with Neil and my son, Todd, providing the music. The Filipino Choir kindly performed a long medley to start proceedings and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to hold the service outside in the glorious sunshine.

The pre-dinner lecture was delivered by Sally Visick and looked at ‘Cornish Gardens’ ahead of our visit to Falmouth tomorrow. It was another flat calm evening as we headed west along the English Channel. Neil took advantage of the conditions to hold one of his famous deck parties and a great night was enjoyed by all.

Today we arrived in Portland, Dorset at 8am. The isle of Portland is just south of Weymouth and the whole area is a hive of activity with preparations for the sailing events of the Summer Olympics reaching a climax. We were joined at the docks by RFA Mounts Bay which is presumably here to offer extra security measures during the sailing events.

Upon arrival the sun was shining. It was very hot and stayed that way throughout the day.

Many passengers enjoyed our excursions which consisted of trips to Salisbury and Stonehenge, Abbotsbury Swannery, Dorchester and Athelhampton, and Salisbury Cathedral and Old Sarum. The first tour to Salisbury and Stonehenge led passengers to the famous stone circle and the cathedral with its 404ft high spire. The next tour to Dorchester and Athelhampton took passengers to the county town which is very picturesque with all its 18th century houses and beautiful gardens. The third tour to Salisbury Cathedral and Old Sarum took passengers round the gothic building where they saw the oldest working clock in Britain. The fourth tour to Abbotsbury Swannery took passengers past the abbey ruins and the tithe barn. This is the only place in the world where visitors can walk through the heart of a colony of nesting mute swans that tolerate the presence of humans.

I decided to stay in port until 7.30pm so that we could remain alongside for my Welcome Cocktail Party. At the conclusion of the party Neil announced that a brass band had been arranged to perform as we sailed away, and that we would be receiving a cannon fire salute. The majority of passengers therefore made their way out to the open decks and, with fingers covering their ears, heard the three almost deafening blasts from the cannon. A wonderful send-off to mark the first full day of the cruise.

The evening show saw a wonderful performance from 1970 Eurovision Song Contest winner Dana, concluding with her hit song “All Kinds of Everything”.

Well good evening ladies and gentlemen and it’s good to be back here on ‘Quest for Adventure’. My name is Captain David Warden-Owen and I am delighted to be taking this ship around the British Isles on this cruise to discover Britain’s hidden heritage and also look into the Christian heritage of our country. I joined in Leith on Saturday and took over from Captain Alistair McLundie. We had 200 or so passengers join us in Leith. Some were joining for this cruise, which calls into Leith again on 1st August, whilst others were just enjoying a taster cruise down to Dover to see if they’d like to sail with us in future.We called into Newcastle upon Tyne yesterday morning and then today we have been in our “home port” of Dover.

The weather has been absolutely delightful and is forecast to stay with us as for at least the first part of the cruise. Before sailing late this afternoon we carried out the mandatory lifeboat drill and then I met those passengers who are here for the Christian theme. I am joined by former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, Broadcaster Ernie Rea, and Head of ‘Christians in Entertainment’ Chris Gidney in leading this sizeable group of passengers on our voyage around the Christian heritage of the British Isles. Chris has brought two guest entertainers from his pool of artistes with him, namely Eurovision Song Contest winner Dana and Country and Gospel legend George Hamilton IV.

With loading of the stores completed we left Dover at 7pm to head for our next port of call, Portland in Dorset. After dinner Neil introduced all the lecturers to the passengers, which include Professor Christopher Andrew (history), Professor Keith Jeffrey (history), David Saunders (natural and maritime history) and Lynn Davis (watercolours).

It is a near flat calm in the English Channel and the sun set just behind the nuclear power stations at Dungeness as we head along the coastal route towards Portland. It promises to be an interesting and inspiring cruise, and one which my family and I are very much looking forward to.

We had continued sailing down the Norwegian coast yesterday, and still had a little further to go this morning as we headed for Ålesund. Professor Geoffrey Boulton presented his morning talk ‘When Nature gets Angry’. This was followed by a Classical Singing Masterclass with Debra Stuart and Richard Morrison.

By lunchtime we were heading closer to the entrance to the Storfjord, at which lies the town of Ålesund. The town was voted “the most beautiful town in the country” by Norwegians in 2007. On 23rd January 1904 a devastating fire raged through the streets of Ålesund. Over 16 hours the whole centre of the town, consisting of around 850 houses, burned to the ground and left 10,000 people homeless. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany sent four ships laden with supplies and building materials. With help and donations from all over Europe, the people of Ålesund completed the rebuilding of their town by 1907. The buildings feature a number of Norse influences, including figures and scenes from Norse mythology. In 1988 the town won the Houens National Memorial Prize for the preservation of Art Nouveau architecture.

Today, Ålesund is twinned with Peterhead and is Norway’s largest fishing town. Over two-thirds of the world’s production of klipfish (split, salted and dried cod) is loaded onto ships that sail from Ålesund. The region is also a world leader in ship design and advanced maritime technology.

With the ship safely alongside the shore excursions headed off to visit Ålesund and the stunning countryside that surrounds it. Tours included Archipelago Panorama, Sukkertoppen Mountain Hike, Sunnmøre and Aksla, Runde Bird Rock, and Ålesund Town Walk.

We were docked in the centre of the town and those wishing to go ashore independently could simply wander down the gangway and meander through the labyrinth of streets and waterways. All aboard was set for 7.30pm and we then sailed for Scotland. The Reverend Professor Andrew McGowan concluded his series of evening prayers and the concert tonight featured Isla St Clair and the Rhona MacKay Trio. On Saturday morning we will dock in Leith and that will be the end of the National Trust for Scotland charter for 2012. As always it has been a pleasure to come back and be Captain for the NTS. The work that Elaine Bruges, Robert Lovie and their teams put in to making this annual charter such a success deserves great praise and we all look forward to welcoming them back in 2013. On that occasion we will again have a one-week followed by a two-week cruise. The first cruise plans to visit Inishowen Peninsula, Islay, St Kilda, Lewis, Knoydart Peninsula and Rum; whilst the second cruise will see the NTS head south for the first time since our charters began in 2008 with visits to Douglas, Brittany, Galicia, Bilbao, Bordeaux, Honfleur and Alderney. More information can be found at www.nts.org.uk. I will be handing over to Captain David Warden-Owen in Leith and wish him and all the officers, staff and crew an enjoyable remainder of the summer season.

Firstly I must say well done to all those who noticed the deliberate error in the blog entry for Magdalena Fjord. We were indeed 567 nautical miles from the North Pole, but this should have been transcribed as approximately 623 land miles. Sadly there is no prize for those who spotted the mistake. However, something was spotted in the early hours of yesterday morning. My navigator, James, and his quartermaster were up on the Bridge manning the midnight-4am watch when two Blue Whales came close to the ship. The ORCA team who often sail with us had kindly left some identification material on the Bridge so they were able to double check that it was indeed a pair of Blue Whales. Sighting them this far north is quite rare. Unfortunately, given it was the early hours of the morning, we felt we ought not to wake everybody up in their cabins. Needless to say even I was left feeling a little envious of them after they told me!

Today we have been in Alta, back on the Norwegian mainland. Alta is situated at the head of the Altafjord, and is home to some 19,000 inhabitants. The town comprises the former villages of Bossekop, Bukta and Elvebakken. Nowadays, Alta is a centre of commerce and services, serving all of western Finnmark and northern Troms. Local commerce and industries include slate works and mining, agriculture, aquaculture and fishing. Although Alta is situated at the 70 degrees latitude, pine forests and fertile land cover the wide valley. In fact, it is the northernmost place on earth where barley can grow!

We were docked promptly this morning and the passengers had a choice of six shore excursions. Maze Sami Village, Alta Canyon, Mount Komsa Hike, Rock Art of Alta, Kåfjord, and Life in Alta were the names of the tours available and all were enjoyed by the passengers. The last of the passengers came up the gangway at one minute to 4pm, which was also our departure time, so with everyone already at their stations we departed. Alta is one of the few places where you feel like you should be looking at both the sea and the sky as you arrive and depart as the cruise ship berth is just beyond the end of the main airport runway!

The pre-dinner lecture was delivered by Patrick King and titled, ‘When the Pipers Play’. The evening entertainment featured the All Scotland Accordion Champion Craig Paton with his one-man show ‘Accordion Music with a Twist’. The Quest Quartet joined him on stage to augment a few numbers and a great evening was had by all. Sadly I couldn’t be there to watch the show as I was up on the Bridge throughout the night taking the ship through the inner lead to give the passengers a smooth ride.

The world’s most northerly permanent settlement, Ny-Ålesund was founded in 1916 by the Kings Bay Kull Company as a coalmine. The mines were closed in 1963 after a series of explosions. The town is well known for its role in 20th century polar exploration and for its aviation pioneers. Famous names who began their expeditions here include Zeppelin, Amundsen, Ellsworth, Byrd and Nobile.

Today Ny-Ålesund is a research base. The main focus is on atmospheric and climatic research and geophysics. The Arctic Marine Laboratory opened at the beginning of June 2005 and has increased importance of ongoing and new biological programmes. It is also the northernmost lab of its kind in the world. Smaller fields of research are glaciology, geology, geomorphology, zoology and botany. The scientific community is international and includes many nations who have their own research stations including China, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Norway, South Korea and the USA. Together with the technical and administrative staff of the Kings Bay AS, which still owns the area, there are about 200 inhabitants in summer, fifty of whom stay throughout the winter.

We were berthed by 8am and rather than having a shore excursions programme, the passengers were simply free to wander ashore and explore under their own steam. Speaking of steam, I walked ashore with my son, Scott,and wife Jenny to show him the historic steam engines and coal wagons that used to run between the jetty and the mines. Many passengers were taking advantage of the most northerly post office in the world and stamping their cards with a special ‘Spitsbergen’ and ‘Ny-Ålesund’ franking machine. Another cruise ship was in port and they were tendering so I was pleased to have the berth and get our passengers that little bit closer. Whilst we were alongside, the Station Manager of the Natural Environment Research Council Arctic Research Base, Nick Cox, came on board to deliver a talk about his work up here in Ny-Ålesund.

All aboard was set for 12.30pm and shortly afterwards we began preparations to leave port. It had been a stunningly beautiful day. Out of the wind, the warmth of the sun was quite something and we appear to be enjoying better weather up here than those of you reading this at home!

During the afternoon there was a Communion Service conducted by the Rev Prof Andrew McGowan and featuring the Filipino Choir. The pre-dinner lecture was delivered by Dr Lizanne Henderson and titled, ‘The Cultural History of Bears’. Sadly I could not attend as I had been called to an important meeting in the Hotel Director’s office, only to discover that it was a surprise gathering for my birthday! Even my wife and son had kept quiet about it, but soon Scott was taking centre stage with all the crew. It was a very kind gesture on everyone’s behalf and made me feel slightly happier about becoming slightly older.

Later in the evening a boat came out to meet us from Longyearbyen to take the two rangers (and their guns) back to their base and with that we said goodbye to Spitsbergen and headed south towards Bear Island. The show tonight featured well-known personality Isla St Clair with her solo show ‘Northern Lights’.

The Magdalena Fjord is one of the most beautiful and best-known fjords. It is small and has an alpine feel, with steep sides and a glacier sliding into the sea. Named after Mary Magdalene, the fjord boasts jagged peaks that are typical of those that inspired the Dutch discoverers to name the island Spitsbergen. The land is dominated by a combination of magma and metamorphic rock. Dating from the Caledonian orogeny, a mountain building period of about 400-500 million years ago, this rock was created when liquid magma from the Earth’s core pushed upwards to form igneous intrusions. Earth movement and glacial erosion has sculpted this hard rock to create the rugged landscape we see today.

On the fjord’s southern side lies the Gravneset Peninsula with its beautiful beach and Trinity Haven Bay. On the high ground in the middle is a graveyard with the graves of whalers scattered across the hillside. A memorial to the whalers stands on top of the hill. Near the beach are the remains of old blubber ovens from the 17th century whaling period. We arrived into the fjord early this morning and dropped off the landing party, including the two local armed rangers who have sailed with us from Longyearbyen. While the landing party were busy building our floating jetty and setting up the hot drinks station I took the ship a little closer to the nearby glacier so that the passengers could have a better view. Soon afterwards we were back at the anchorage and with the tenders lowered into position we were ready to begin taking passengers ashore. The tenders and zodiacs ran back and forth to the beach and it really was a spectacular setting. One of the passengers decided she wanted to go for a swim and, to everyone’s amazement, did just that! When asked how it had felt she replied, “Refreshing”.

The deck and hotel team did a great job ensuring that everyone had an enjoyable and safe time ashore. With all the passengers back on board it was time to take down our jetty and bring everything back to the ship. We also thought it would be a nice touch to send a food parcel ashore of fresh fruit and biscuits for the two policemen/rangers who live in the small wooden shed just above the beach area.

After lunch we heaved the anchor and prepared to leave Magdalena Fjord. There was one other small yacht in the fjord and they gave us a wave as we headed out into the Arctic Ocean. While Professor Roger Crofts presented his afternoon lecture, ‘Svalbard: Explore or Exploit?’ I sailed the ship almost due north in search of the pack ice. There was no ice in sight until approximately 9pm when the radar showed an unexplained mass on the horizon. Sure enough, the sun was shining and was reflecting brilliantly off the pack ice. I halted just before the ice and then slowly but surely edged Quest for Adventures bow into the ice before retreating, just to say the ship has been christened with the ice touching her hull!!, and then sailing along the edge for an hour. The most northerly point we reached was 80° 33’ 33” N, a mere 567 nautical miles (approximately 515 land miles) from the North Pole. As I mentioned, the sun was shining in a clear blue sky and despite the freezing temperatures the National Trust for Scotland went ahead with their Open Air Ceilidh. For once I was pleased to have the excuse of being on the Bridge rather than dancing! I was impressed to see how many of the ship’s crew entered into the spirit of the occasion. Executive Chef George, Executive Sous Chef Ross, Safety Officer Alistair, Cruise Director Neil, Zodiac Driver Tony and even my Staff Captain Dmytro were all wearing kilts and the ladies all wore a tartan sash. Having Stripped lots of Willows and danced the Gay Gordon we turned the ship southwards, back towards Spitsbergen and our next port of call, Ny-Ålesund.

It has been a long but very rewarding day here in the uppermost reaches of the Arctic.

Svalbard is one of the world’s largest areas of untouched wilderness. The archipelago has a landmass of over 23,500 square miles and comprises three main islands. The largest island is Spitsbergen, meaning ‘pointed peaks’. Around two-thirds of Svalbard is covered with glaciers. The archipelago was officially discovered by Willem Barentsz in 1596, although there is the suggestion of Vikings or Russian Pomors having been here earlier. Svalbard was once home to large colonies of whale, walrus and seal, and hunting and whaling was carried out here until the end of the 18th century. Simultaneously, land-based hunters began trapping arctic fox, polar bear and reindeer as well as collecting eiderdown. In the 19th century polar exploration and research became more advanced and Spitsbergen was a popular starting point for attempts to reach the North Pole, both by sea and latterly air.

Longyearbyen is Svalbard’s capital and the oldest existing settlement in the archipelago. It is the seat of local government and Norway’s main administrative centre on Svalbard. The American engineer John Munroe Longyear opened the first coalmine here in 1906, and the little town is named after him. The Norwegians bought this American mining company in 1916 and the Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani was founded, which is still in operation today and remains the town’s biggest employer. The small and colourful community has developed from a typical mining settlement into a town with a number of businesses and industries and a wide range of cultural activities.

Tourism has grown rapidly, both in summer and winter, although it is only in summer that the majority of cruise ships visit. The popularity of Longyearbyen as a cruise destination was evident this morning in that the pier was not available for us to berth. Hence, the tenders were lowered and morning was spent at anchor. We moved alongside the berth during lunchtime. This did not affect the shore excursions as the numerous tours headed off to explore this vast wilderness. Tours included Guided Walk of Longyearbyen, Guided Hike to the Glacier, Summer Dog Sledding, and Advent Valley. For the hike to the glacier, one of the guides brought along his young husky – who attracted far more attention than the hike itself!

All aboard was set for 7pm and with the crew having finished using the WiFi at the Harbour Master’s office we were ready to set sail for Magdalena Fjord, further up the coast of Spitsbergen. The show this evening featured the Rhona MacKay Trio taking the passengers on a Musical Voyage with ‘Sailing By’.

After an overcast day at sea yesterday we arrived into glorious sunshine here in Norway. The first sighting of land was the glacier-carved peaks of the Lofoten Islands rising straight from the sea. Between the mountains, which are composed of some of the oldest rocks in the world, are stretches of fertile farmland, fjords and deep ravines, while the coastline is sprinkled with fishing villages. Leknes is the administrative centre of the municipality of Vestvågøy. With a population of over 10,000 it is the most populated municipality in Lofoten. The town is situated in the geographical middle of the Lofoten Islands.

We were only staying here for the morning as we have 688 nautical miles to run up to Spitsbergen upon departure. Hence, the passengers were all quick to get off and enjoy their morning in the warmth of the Arctic sun. Shore excursions included Henningsvær & Svolvær, Lofoten Birdlife, RIB Adventure, Lofotr Viking Museum, Lofoten Crafts, and Nusfjord and Flakstad Church. While the passengers were out on their excursions I instructed that the zodiacs should be lowered into the water and the deck cadets and officers should try and construct the jigsaw puzzle that is our floating jetty. We plan to use this jetty when we visit Magdalenefjorden in Spitsbergen this coming Saturday. My son, Scott, was keen to lend a helping hand and by following his advice the jetty was assembled in no time. The zodiacs practised coming alongside and all looks in good order for our visit on Saturday. Everything was then packed away so that we would be ready to depart at 1pm.

The afternoon saw a busy entertainment programme. Robert Lovie interviewed television personality Isla St Clair before pianists Walter Blair and George Donald performed solos and duets on the Steinway piano in Shackleton’s Bar. The evening concert featured Paul Anderson and Shona Donaldson with ‘The Singing Land’.

Situated in the heart of the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic, the Faroe Islands lie halfway between Iceland and Norway. The archipelago is composed of 18 islands covering around 500 square miles. The islands have over 680 miles of coastline and at no time are you more than three miles from the sea. Since 1948, the Faroe Islands have been a self-governing region of the Kingdom of Denmark and have their own parliament and their own flag. The Faroe Islands are not, however, a member of the European Union. Faroese is the national language, which is rooted in Old Norse.

We arrived this morning into Tórshavn, the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands, located in the south of the island of Streymoy. It is one of the smallest capital cities in the world. Tórshavn was settled by Vikings in the 9th century who were fleeing from the tyranny of Harald I in Norway. They established a parliament, or ‘ting’, in the centre of the islands where Tórshavn now stands today. The old part of the town is still known as Tinganes. They met here annually in the summer and settled their quarrels, talked together and traded. This summer court and market gradually grew into a permanent trading area and became the Tórshavn that we see today.

With the ship safely alongside the berth the shore excursions headed off. These included Streymoy Hike, Hestur Island Boat Trip, Saksun and Fossá, Faroese Life through the Ages, and Mid Streymoy Panorama. We were not staying too long in Tórshavn as, once we departed, we had 640 nautical miles to run up to the Lofoten Islands in Norway. All aboard was therefore set for 2.30pm and shortly afterwards I received permission from my son, Scott, that we were ready to depart. He pointed which direction I should go and with agreement from the pilot we headed past the breakwater and back into the Atlantic Ocean.

There were a couple of afternoon lectures whilst we were at sea. Professor Ted Cowan presented ‘The Faroes and the Viking World’, followed by Professor Geoffrey Boulton delivering ‘Scientific Discovery in the Arctic’. The show tonight featured Mezzo-Soprano Debra Stuart with ‘A Song in my Heart’.

Next stop – Arctic Norway!

After less than a week away we were back in St Kilda today. For information about St Kilda then please look back to the blog entry for 2nd July. Today though, there was one major difference. The sea conditions were not in our favour and despite numerous attempts to find a steady position for the ship it was not possible to secure an anchorage. Therefore, reluctantly, I had to surrender to the elements and abandon the plan to allow passengers to go ashore here. What this did do was bring into harsh reality the conditions that the people of St Kilda had to put up with prior to their evacuation in 1930. With the landing not possible I took a more circuitous route around the islands with the lecturers delivering a detailed deck commentary.

With our morning in St Kilda complete we headed north towards our next port of call, Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands. The afternoon itinerary had been changed around to accommodate live coverage from Centre Court at Wimbledon. This being a National Trust for Scotland cruise you can guess who the passengers were all supporting. I think Andy Murray had the passengers well-being in mind as the rain delay happened just as we began serving afternoon tea, and then the match finished just as I was about to open the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail Party. Only our Maître d’hôtel, Kirsten, appeared to be smiling, but then she is from Switzerland and adores her compatriot, Roger Federer.

The sea conditions had picked up during the afternoon and it was a little bit bumpy in the Atlantic Ocean. This did not deter our hardy souls among the passengers and it was impressive to see such a comprehensive turnout at the cocktail party. I introduced the senior officers to the passengers and then enjoyed hosting my table in the dining room.

It was wisely decided not to risk the harp concert tonight as the conditions were such that it would have been hard to keep the harp upright, so instead the Quest Quartet played in the Discovery Lounge whilst the National Trust for Scotland musicians had an impromptu jamming session in Shackleton’s Bar.

We arrived early this morning having sailed up the Clyde to Greenock. The luggage was swiftly offloaded and soon we were saying goodbye to our ‘Islands of Inspiration’ passengers.

Shortly after lunch we were ready to welcome our new passengers on board. The Cruise Leaders, Professor Roger and Lindsay Crofts, again greeted the embarking passengers at the gangway whilst Piper Jim Butler patrolled the quayside to offer everyone a musical welcome. Given the news reports from the rest of the UK we were lucky just to have the occasional shower to contend with. Everyone was on board by 3.15pm and so I conducted the mandatory safety drill and we were then ready to spin round and head back down the Clyde and out towards St Kilda. A pipe band appeared on the quayside and kindly played us off. I was particularly delighted to see two of our new passengers, as my wife and son have joined me today for this trip to Spitsbergen. People think that a Captain’s job is high pressure, but given that my son has asked to see a polar bear I definitely have my work cut out now!

All the passengers, and there are many familiar faces, were busy exploring the ship and finding their own favourite areas before enjoying a delightful dinner prepared by Executive Chef George Streeter. After dinner everyone gathered in the Discovery Lounge for the Welcome Aboard Introductions. Roger and Lindsay introduced Cruise Director Elaine Bruges who then introduced her staff and the guest lecturers we have on this cruise before she in turn handed the microphone over to Entertainment Manager Robert Lovie. Including Robert there are thirteen musicians travelling with us, and each of them made a cameo appearance tonight to offer a flavour of what Scottish delights there are to look forward at the evening shows. It certainly looks like a wonderful mix of entertainers and lecturers, and we’ll be sure to hit the ground running tomorrow as we have a busy day ahead at St Kilda.

The weather forecast is not looking very kind, but fingers and toes are crossed that we manage to have everyone go ashore.

We had rounded the coast of Northern Ireland during the night and early this morning we sailed in to the heart of Donegal Bay before picking up our pilot for the final approach to Killybegs here in the Republic of Ireland. Fishing provided much employment in the past and is still a chief source of employment, as evidenced by the flotilla of fishing boats lining the inner harbour. Killybegs is still the most productive fishing port in Ireland, a fact that is celebrated annually with a famous fish festival and the traditional ‘blessing of the boats’.

Away from the sea, Killybegs has been historically known for its carpet and tapestry industries, especially the Donegal carpets which are hand knotted in the Turkish style. At its peak the carpet factory employed as many as 80 workers, the majority of whom were women. The world’s largest carpet loom is still housed at the old factory in the town and has been used to produce carpets that adorn rooms in Dublin Castle, the Vatican and Buckingham Palace. Today the building is home to the Killybegs Maritime and Heritage Centre and the loom forms part of its collection.

Six different shore excursions were on offer to the passengers today. They covered a wide range of activities and included Glenveagh Castle and Gardens, Walking the Bluestack Mountains, Wild Donegal and Glencolmcille, Birdwatching at Malinbeg, Waterbus Cruise of Donegal Bay, and Scenic Coastal Drive. The latter tour took passengers through the unique landscapes that inspired many of Enya’s mystical Irish compositions from when she was growing up in this area.

With the passengers all ashore I put the crew through their paces with the weekly drill. Everything went according to plan and I then had time in the afternoon to begin preparing my cabin for the arrival of my wife and son tomorrow in Greenock. A man’s work is never done! All aboard was set for 3.30pm and once everything was in place we set off from the quayside against quite a strong wind. We passed the bizarrely-named ‘Rotten Island’ completely with its rather unusual lighthouse as we headed back into Donegal Bay and round the coast of Ireland, back towards Scotland. As we sailed away, many passengers were enjoying afternoon tea in front of the big-screen television outside the Sundowner Bar, enjoying watching Andy Murray make it through to the Wimbledon final. With afternoon tea complete, two of the NTS rangers, Duncan Stevenson and Karl Munday, presented illustrated talks on the current work of the Trust before Cruise Director Elaine Bruges gave an overview of the plans for 2013, when I am very pleased to say the NTS will be chartering us again. Kenneth Steven then delivered the results of his poetry competition before Derek Alexander concluded the series of talks with ‘Creative Finds’.

The evening concert featured all the musicians and singers who have been with us for this trip around Scotland and Ireland. Dr Anne Lorne Gillies announced this is her last ever NTS cruise and was thanked for her contributions, not only to the NTS, but also to her dedicated preservation of historic Gaelic songs and texts. Tomorrow morning we will arrive into Greenock for our turnaround day. Around thirty passengers are staying on for the next cruise, which is a run up to Spitsbergen, while the others will be wending their way home. It has been a marvellous cruise, and given the weather reports from the rest of the UK we have been incredibly lucky. We visited islands that I hadn’t set foot on before, and they really were ‘Islands of Inspiration’.

Staffa is a beautiful, uninhabited island, home to hundreds of seabirds and set within waters teeming with marine life. But the island is best known for its magnificent basalt columns. Their effect is most overwhelming at An Uamh Binn (Musical Cave) or, as it is more commonly known, Fingal’s Cave, which has enthralled and inspired travellers for hundreds of years.

We were not due to anchor off Staffa until 10am, which allowed me time this morning to take the ship on a sightseeing route round the Treshnish Isles. This small archipelago lies just over three miles northwest of Staffa and contains many islands and skerries. The NTS lecturers came up to the Bridge to deliver a deck commentary and soon the names of Lunga, Bac Beag, Bac Mòr, Sgeir a’ Chaisteil, Fladda, Cairn na Burgh Mòr and others were tripping off the tongue. There are several possible duns on the islands, but the population is now zero, with the last village being abandoned in 1857. The weather was glorious, flat calm and sunny skies. The only risk posed to anyone was that of being sunburnt rather than seasick!

We moved on from the Treshnish Isles and circumnavigated Staffa before dropping the anchor and lowering the zodiacs into the water. We were not using our tenders today, as these dangerous waters require a high degree of local knowledge, and therefore I had suggested to the NTS, that we use local boats and boatmen from neighbouring island of Iona to take our passengers ashore. I was also aware that the owner and skipper of one of the boats was a good school friend of mine, in fact we were in the same class back in the 80’s. I have in the past used these tenders as there is a guarantee that they can deliver getting passengers ashore if there is at all a chance.

The passengers queued for their tender tickets and the boatmen worked hard to get everyone ashore and quickly and safely as possible. The tide was quite low and the channel to the jetty did not look wide enough, but with the flat calm conditions the boats were able to access the jetty and safely disembark the passengers. In between the to and fro of the boats, Clive and Tony were picking up passengers who wanted to get up close to Fingal’s Cave and experience the magnificence from the water line.

I too fancied having a look and took the local tender ashore, via the entrance to Fingal’s Cave. I have sailed round Staffa many times, but to be at sea level and close to the mouth of the cave one can really appreciate the awesome power of nature. The amazing basalt columns are formed from molten lava. As the 1,200°C liquid rock cooled, it hardened, shrank and fractured into a regular series of stone pillars. If the cooling pattern had been exactly the same across the lava, the rocks would have formed an exact geometric pattern of six-sided columns. But, because they cooled at slightly different rates, the columns vary in size and number of sides. Neil, our Cruise Director when the ship is Adventure Cruising, sailed in with me and kindly took the photos attached to prove I have now got onto Staffa, and good photos too.

Fingal’s Cave itself was brought to the attention of the wider world by the famous botanist Joseph Banks in 1772. He wrote, “Compared to this what are the cathedrals and palaces built by men! Mere models or playthings, imitations as his works will always be when compared to those of nature.” At the time, the Romantic Movement was spreading across Europe with its emphasis on wilderness, emotion and natural splendour. Staffa, with its wild beauty, soon because one of the ‘must see’ sights on the Highland Tour. Throughout the 19th century Staffa was visited by a variety of well-known individuals. Queen Victoria, Jules Verne, Walter Scott, Joseph Turner, Robert Louis Stevenson and more were all captivated and inspired by the magic of the island.

The island became internationally renowned through Felix Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture (“Fingal’s Cave”). He wrote that the inspiration for this piece of music came during a visit to the island in 1829, while he was standing in the cave listening to the roar of the waves. Fortunately there was not too much of a roar today, with one of the boatmen commenting that they have an average of about ten days a year when the conditions are this perfect. Everyone had time to explore both the cave and the rest of the islands, with particular focus being given to the puffin colonies.

All aboard was at 2.30pm and shortly afterwards we raised the anchor and continued to our next area of sightseeing. After a sumptuous Chocolate Tea in the dining room, complete with the unique calorie-free Chocolate Fountain, the passengers were back out on deck to witness us pass through the Gulf of Corryvreckan. This is a narrow strait between the islands of Jura and Scarba. Whirlpools and standing waves can form here due to the unusual combination of tides, sea floor and currents. I used to camp with my father on the banks of the strait as a wee boy and it was a delight to be taking Quest for Adventure through the channel. The tide was now quite high so it was not as dramatic as I feared it could be, but one could still clearly see the stirrings and whirlpool effects on the surface of the waters. Once through the channel we turned southward and I had one final task before setting course to Killybegs. My parents live near Crinan so I sailed past their bay and blew the Horn. Its special to me as my father is a retired Sea Captain and when I was a boy, he used to sail his ship past and blow the whistle when we were waving from the beach, so I thought it only fitting I returned the favour, be it 40 years on!!

The pre-dinner talk was delivered by Mark Butterworth and titled, ‘A Tour Around Scotland’, whilst the evening concert featured Anne Lorne Gillies presenting ‘Sailing Beyond the Sunset’ with songs from Scotland, England, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy and the jungle

The most westerly of the Small Isles, Canna is five miles long and 1¼ miles wide. It is joined to neighbouring Sanday at low tide and by a bridge. In 1821 a total of 436 people lived on the two islands, but within 40 years this had fallen to 127 people. Many emigrated to the New World – either willingly or forcibly – as a result of the clearances instigated by Donald MacNeil, his son and his trustees. Today the permanent population is just 17.

Canna is home to a thriving crafting township on Sanday. The bulk of the population either work on behalf of the NTS on the farm or assist in providing essential services to the visitors such as B&B and a cafe/restaurant.

Canna is run as a successful hill farm and has just over 800 blackface and north country cheviot sheep along with around 120 beef cattle in the form of Aberdeen Angus and shorthorn breeds. The island is a Special Protection Area due to its large population of seabirds, including shags, puffins, razorbills and black guillemots, which nest in the cliffs of its dramatic shoreline. Canna is also a Special Area of Conservation and has breeding pairs of sea eagles, golden eagles, peregrine falcons and buzzards.

Canna and Sanday were transferred into the care of the NTS in May 1981 at the wish of the owner, the eminent Gaelic scholar Dr John Lorne Campbell, who also included his Celtic and Scottish library. Campbell married the American musician Margaret Fay Shaw in 1935 and three years later the couple bought the island of Canna and moved into Canna House. They farmed the islands for 40 years and made it a sanctuary for wildlife. He continued his work recording Gaelic heritage while writing and publishing extensively about Gaelic and Highland culture and life. Canna House and Gardens were open to our passengers today to have a chance to view the exhibits and imagine life for this couple who gave so much to preserve our proud Gaelic heritage.

It was a calm morning and even a sprinkling of showers failed to dampen the spirits among our hardy passengers. The tenders ran back and forth taking passengers to the CalMac pier and the NTS rangers offered guided walks around the bay. The tea room was doing a roaring trade and the single post box has probably never been quite so full. Clive, Tony and Neil offered tours on the zodiacs to see the seals that were relaxing on the rocks at low tide, and later in the afternoon a basking shark made an appearance. The CalMac ferry arrived at midday and stayed until 3pm, which arguably led to a record number of visitors to the island at one time. The ferry left promptly at 3pm, which was unfortunate for one lady who was then seen running along the pier to try and catch it. The next service is not until Friday, so Neil radioed through to me and asked if it would be possible for one of the zodiacs to make a run over to Rhùm. By chance the sea conditions were flat calm and being the good Samaritans that we are I acquiesced to the request as long as Zodiac Tony was happy to drive the 4½ miles there and back. Armed with extra fuel, a map and my Navigating Officer from the Bridge, they set out and did their good deed for the day.

The tender service finished around 6pm, but we stayed at anchor in the sheltered protection of Canna, and then had the pleasure of inviting the local population on board to enjoy dinner with us. The locals were delighted to be invited and had a wonderful evening with us, culminating in a lively ceilidh on the aft deck with live music provided by the team of NTS musicians.

Earlier in the evening the irrepressible George Donald of “Scotland the What?” fame had performed a hilarious one-man show in the Discovery Lounge and it was then a beautiful warm evening out on deck for the ceilidh. Shortly before 11pm the tender ran ashore taking back the local population and then we heaved the anchor and prepared to head for Staffa, our next island on this cruise around the highlights of western Scotland.

Skye, the largest island of the Inner Hebrides, has been inhabited since the Mesolithic period, and has suffered a turbulent history, with Norse invasions, bloody clan rivalry, ruthless torching of townships and the tragedy of the Highland Clearances. Fortunately it is much more peaceful nowadays and we were greeted by flat calm conditions and scattered clouds as we dropped the anchor and prepared to tender our passengers ashore.

Portree, sheltered by the black cliffs of Ben Tianavaig, is the largest town on the island, but is called ‘the village’ by locals. The town was previously known as Kiltraglen (the church at the foot of the glen), but is thought to have been renamed as Port an Righ (Port of the King) after 1540 when King James V visited to assert his authority over the chieftains of Syke.It was not until Sir James MacDonald developed Portree into a fishing port in the late 1700s that the fortunes of Portree experienced a turnaround with steamers stopping here from all parts of Europe. Thomas Telford built the pier here in the 1820s which characteristic waterfront similar to that found in Tobermory.

Eight different shore excursions were on offer to the passengers today, so the tenders were very busy shuttling back and forth. The tours included Skye’s Glorious Glens, Trotternish Walking Tour, Cuillins Hike – Rubh’ an Dunain, Dunvegan Castle and Gardens, Loch Coruisk, Balmacara Estate, and Armadale. Fortunately we were staying at anchor until 11pm tonight, so there was no rush to get back to the ship. With the first of the excursions ashore I welcomed on board a couple of local officials to mark Quest for Adventure’s maiden call here in Portree. It is always good to catch up with the locals and find out the latest news about cruise ship development and such things.

The vast majority of passengers were back in good time to enjoy Derek Alexander’s pre-dinner illustrated talk on the ‘Archaeology of Canna’ – tomorrow’s destination. The evening show was ‘An Evening with Richard Morrison’ featuring songs from his own repertoire and also from that of his famous father.

We arrived this morning into Village Bay on the island of Hirta in the St Kilda archipelago. It is easily the most awe-inspiring archipelago in the British Isles, lying 41 miles west of North Uist. It is the most westerly inhabited territory in Great Britain (with Rockall being the most westerly uninhabited) and is renowned for its extraordinary colonies of seabirds as well as its fascinating human history.

We were landing today on the largest island in the archipelago, Hirta, which comprises almost 78% of the landmass. It is hard to imagine what life must have been like for the last 36 people who, at their own request, abandoned the island in 1930. The National Trust for Scotland were bequeathed the islands in 1956 and the process of restoring the village on Hirta still continues today. Caring for the unique subspecies of flora and fauna that exist in such a fragile state on the islands is a huge ongoing project. Trust rangers live on Hirta during the summer months in order to monitor seabird activity, as well as to co-ordinate the work parties and visitors that come ashore to visit St Kilda.

Four Trust rangers are sailing with us on this cruise and they were first ashore this morning as the tenders battled against quite a swell to reach the landing stage. I had warned the passengers that the visit may have to be curtailed if the weather conditions worsened.Throughout the morning, I manoeuvred the ship broadside to the swell and wide, and used the ship as a breakwater which worked well. However as the morning wore on, the wind increased and it was taking more and more power on the engines and Bow Thruster to hold position so I had to make the decision to start getting passengers back. Fortunately almost all those who wanted to go ashore were able to do so before I decided that the wind was picking up too much and I sounded the ship’s whistle to advise all those on land to make their way back to the landing stage. Clive and Tony were busy taking passengers on zodiac rides around the bay to offer a closer inspection of the puffins and numerous other seabirds that make St Kilda such a highlight for bird enthusiasts.

With all the passengers back and the tenders safely stowed I took Quest for Adventure on a spot of scenic cruising. Various members of the National Trust for Scotland lecturing team came up to the Bridge to offer an insight via a deck commentary for all those gathered in the sunshine out on deck. No matter how many times I have now sailed round this archipelago it never fails to impress me with its sheer size and raggedness. With our scenic cruising complete we began to head back towards the Outer Hebrides and round to our next destination, the Isle of Skye. An afternoon lecture took place at 5pm, titled, ‘Songs of St Kilda’ with Dr Anne Lorne Gillies, Rhona MacKay and Eddie McGuire.

At 6.15pm on was stationed at the port side entrance of the Discovery Lounge to welcome the passengers to my cocktail party. It was marvellous to see so many familiar and friendly faces and dinner was already being served by the time I took to the stage. Fortunately everyone had stayed to listen to me as I introduced my fellow management team who are here to ensure the cruise is a success. I then hosted my table in the dining room along with cruise leaders, Professor Roger and Lindsay Crofts, before sampling the evening show which featured fiddler Raemond Jappy and accordionist Craig Paton. The perfect way to round off what has been a challenging but rewarding day.

Today we called at Stromness, the second largest town in Orkney, located in the south-west of Mainland. The old town is clustered along the winding main street, full of character and flanked with houses and shops built from local stone, with narrow lands and alleys branching off it. The town stretches along the shore of Hamnavoe, an inlet of Scapa Flow which served as a major naval base during the World Wars.

The town has a strong maritime history, and flourished during the late 17th century. The wars between France and England at this time made the English Channel a dangerous place, so ships diverted their course round the north of Scotland. Stromness became an important stop-off point for ships of the Hudson’s Bay Company and a convenient place to recruit their crews.

Today we were adding to the maritime history of Stromness as this was, perhaps surprisingly, the first time I had ever brought a ship into this part of Orkney. Whilst I have visited Kirkwall many times, and various other parts of Orkney, I have never had the opportunity to venture across to Stromness. The passage to Stromness from Leith took us though the Notorious Pentland Firth, the stretch of water between Mainland Scotland and the Orkney Islands. The current blasts through this stretch and this morning was no different. We had 8 knots of current against us and at times it was if we were not moving!!. We embarked our pilot , whom was familiar to me having been up this way many times on the various Saga ships and we were soon reminiscing about all the locals I knew and had sailed with. It’s a small world the shipping world. You always seem to run into people you have sailed with before where ever you are in the world. We let go the anchor at 9am and by 9.30am we were ready to go with our tendering operation.

It was a fair distance for our tenders to run into the wee harbour, and with the current against them it was taking about twenty minutes to run ashore and only ten minutes to run back to the ship! Clive and Tony dropped the zodiacs into the water to offer an alternative service to and from the shore, and it was a busy day with a plethora of shore excursions heading off throughout the day. Options included Neolithic Orkney, Orkney Odyssey, Cycle Neolithic Orkney, Stromness Walk, Ness Battery, Mull Head and Gloup Nature Walk, Orkney Panorama, and Maeshowe and Gurness. The weather was overcast during the day with occasional and sometimes heavy showers passing over. However, by the late afternoon the sun had broken through and you’d have thought it had been a beautiful day here. I stood on the Bridge talking with the pilot as the last tender came back to the ship at approximately 6.30pm. With everyone safely aboard we heaved the anchor and set our westerly course towards our next archipelago, St Kilda.

The skyline was quite dramatic as we headed out of the Orkney Islands and towards a slowly setting sun. On the port side the Old Man of Hoy was standing proud, at a height of 449ft. It is thought that this famous sea stack is around 400 years old but may not be around much longer as erosion at the base is indicating a potential collapse in years to come.

The pre-dinner lecture was delivered by photography lecturer, author and historian Mark Butterworth and titled, ‘Destination St Kilda’. This was rather appropriate as we are scheduled to arrive into Village Bay at eight o’clock tomorrow morning. The concert this evening was titled, ‘A Night of Music and Poetry’ and featured the Rhona MacKay Trio and Kenneth Steven.