Connemara, Ireland, 5/10/2017, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
British & Irish Isles
Our run of glorious weather continued today. We approached the seaside village of Roundstone in Connemara, County Galway, in mirror-calm sea conditions and with brilliant blue skies above us. We had a variety of activities organized for the day to cater for all tastes. For those wanting to stretch their legs they could go for a hike in the magnificent setting of the Connemara hills and valleys. We also had an archeology tour on offer, which took a closer look at the evidence of early Irish settlers across the whole western seaboard of Ireland. There was also the opportunity for guests to simply walk around the village and get a feel for the culture and history.
The sun shone for the entire day and we enjoyed the stunning scenery and warm hospitality of the locals. Other highlights included: hiking part of the pilgrimage route said to have been taken by Ireland’s patron saint, Saint Patrick, during his travels through Ireland; visiting the landing site of Alcock and Brown’s historic first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic in 1919; and visiting a Neolithic wedge tomb.
We ended the day with some highly entertaining Irish music, featuring a masterclass on the uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes) and odhrán (Irish drum) by musician Thomas O’Suillivan.
Jim hails from the seaside town of Cobh in the south of Ireland. He is a highly respected ornithologist and ecologist with more than 40 years of birding experience in Ireland, Europe, North and South America, Africa, the Antarctic, and the Arctic. Be...
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Alas, our last day of the voyage has come upon us. We spent a quiet night alongside the harbor of Lerwick, the main city on the Shetland Islands. This morning we were up and about early to ready ourselves for the morning activities on offer, which included a wildlife hike, an archaeological outing and a city highlights walk. We happily ate our breakfast and with our engines well stoked, we set off for the day. Those of us who chose the wildlife walk headed for Sumburgh Head at the southern tip of the Shetland Mainland to view a seabird colony. It was an excellent walk where we saw many birds and even an old lighthouse. It was a great chance to stretch our legs while enjoying the breathtaking views which offered many quiet reflective moments. The archaeological tour included some remarkable sites covering huge time scales and helped us to continue our understanding of those who went before us. This included the remarkable ruins at Jarlshof. We have been privileged to see many sites on this journey and they certainly have challenged us afresh as to how we view our ancestors. For those of us who took part in the city highlights walk, it was a chance to appreciate the more recent history of the city and the Shetlands, going back 500 years. Guests saw the places where the huge herring catches were brought into the city, visited the city defenses at Fort Charlotte, walked the small interconnected lanes that allowed people to easily get about the place, and saw war memorials, libraries and churches. It was interesting to see all the different places for Christian worship, which covered all the different denominations. The walk ended at the Shetland Museum and Archives. If one listened carefully to the enthusiastic chatter during lunch it was obvious that no matter which option was chosen by our guests, they were all equally enjoyed. When we were all safely back on board, the ship set sail for the city of Bergen in Norway. The waters glistened under the sunny skies and seabirds kept us company for the rest of the day, particularly northern fulmars and the larger gannets. Watching them fly above served as a reminder of how these magnificent birds have made the seas and oceans their home. There were two presentations this afternoon. The first was ‘The Sinbad Voyage: Back to the 1001 Nights’ by Tim Severin and the second was ‘The Vikings’ by Vinnie Butler. For tea our wonderful galley team prepared scones with clotted cream, strawberry jam and passion fruit curd. The day ended with the Captain’s Farewell Cocktails and Dinner. Yes, it is sad that the expedition has come to an end, but we return home challenged, changed, and thankful for all that has been learned, shared and experienced.
We sailed overnight to the tiny and remote island of Fair Isle, set midway between the Shetland Islands and Orkney Islands. A little over three miles long and two miles wide, it has been occupied since the Bronze Age in 3000 B.C. The island currently has a close-knit population of roughly 70 people who live on small family farms, known locally as crofts. Renowned for its rugged coastal beauty, it is also famous for its distinctive and internationally acclaimed style of knitting. The unique Fair Isle knitting style was developed on the island centuries ago when the womenfolk found a ready demand for their knitwear with passengers and sailors on passing ships, which they bartered with for everyday and luxury items. The combinations of different colored wools make Fair Isle garments most attractive and there’s always a demand for sweaters. When we arrived at the small quayside we received a very warm welcome by some of the locals. The more energetic within our group hiked over to the Fair Isle Community Hall, while friendly locals offered to drive those who didn’t fancy the walk. The hall is a vortex of life here on the island. A table had been set out for us with a mouth-watering selection of freshly baked cakes, biscuits and scones and the wonderful odors from the treats mixed wonderfully with the smell of tea and coffee. Tables festooned with locally made craft items were arranged around the room, with the money generated from sales helping to supplement the islanders income. Young and old alike stood at their stalls while a battery of folk served our refreshments. The sense of community here is palpable. An erstwhile owner of the island, George Waterston, founded the Fair Isle Bird Observatory. Research on the migration of a variety of terrestrial birds and the large seabird colonies that are found here has been ongoing for over 50 years now, and a team of wardens conduct surveys and band the birds. The cliffs are home to guillemots, shags, gannets, fulmars, puffins, razorbills and kittiwakes and there is a sizeable population of grey seals, which we spotted as we made our way back to the ship in our Zodiacs. The highlight of the afternoon was a visit to the Broch of Mousa, which is on the small island of Mousa in Shetland. The structure dates to 100 B.C. and is shaped somewhat like an inverted flower pot. It was a single protected family farmstead of a high-status family in Celtic society. Built two thousand years ago, it still does not fail to impress. It is possible to climb to the very top rim of the building via an intra-mural stairway and many of the guests took advantage of this. Of the 120 or so examples of brochs in the Shetland Islands, this is the finest. In its day the broch would have been a secure and comfortable dwelling.
While now considered to be quite a remote area, Orkney was in many ways a focal point of civilization in the Neolithic Age. Situated on a maritime crossroads between the North Sea and the Atlantic, Orkney was at the center of the northwest European maritime world at a time when communication by sea was far more efficient than by land. This morning we visited two iconic sites relating to this period: Skara Brae, and the Ring of Brodgar. Skara Brae is a settlement which was kept in an incredible state of preservation under sand dunes until it was uncovered by storms, and subsequently excavated. Today it is maintained in remarkable condition, and we were fortunate enough to be able to view it. The Ring of Brodgar is a classic Neolithic stone circle. Though its function is poorly understood, the spectacular scale of the monument implies great significance to the society who built it. In the afternoon we visited some of Orkney’s other diverse offerings. A lot of our group went on a tour of the Scapa whisky distillery, where they got to see the process behind one of the most highly regarded single-malt whiskies in the world. Others went to visit St. Magnus Cathedral, which was built by the Norse and towers over the town with its distinctive red stone. It looks as much like a fortress as it does a church. They also visited an elegant Italian chapel which was constructed by Italian prisoners of war during WWII. Made entirely of improvised materials, the chapel is a nod to Italian Renaissance style and was a real labor of love for those who made it. Moving away from history, many guests opted for a walk and birdwatching, taking in the islands beautiful landscape. Worthy of many days of exploration in their own right, the Orkney Islands are a true highlight of the circumnavigation of Britain and Ireland.
