Searching for Scotland cruises that will take you on a memorable adventure among the unique islands of Western Scotland? Welcome to ElegantCruises.com, the “elegant” small ship cultural and expedition cruising company. 

Island Hopping on Our Scotland Cruises
What better time is there to book Scotland cruises with ElegantCruises.com than during the early summer. Imagine yourself aboard our elegant cruise ship the Andrea, gliding past dramatic islands of enormous natural beauty with abundant bird and marine life. Our Scotland cruises begin in the charming west coast port of Oban, winding through the Scottish Islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides, to the remote northern islands of the Shetlands and Orkneys and finishing on the other side of Scotland in Aberdeen with its sparkling granite building skyline.

Scotland Cruises: History Lessons
Scotland has a rich and colorful history full of mythic folklore with tales of fallen monarchs, uprisings, glorious victories and bloody defeats. From the early prehistoric people who first inhabited the Scottish Islands thousands of years ago to the successive influences of Celtic, Viking and Roman peoples who have inhabited, conquered or overrun the islands since then, each has left reminders of their time. The lyrical names of the islands are the most obvious reference to the predominating conquering cultures. Most Inner and Outer Hebrides Island names have Scot/Gaelic derivations, while the names of the Northern Isles tend to be derived from Viking names. The far northern Shetland Islands remained an outpost for the indigenous Celtic tribes hundreds of years after the Roman invasion of the British Isles However, the Viking/Nordic invasion of the islands, starting in the 700’s AD and continuing for over 500 years was so overwhelming that only a few Celtic names for places survive today. Archaeologists and historians are still arguing about whether the Celts from the Shetland Islands were slaughtered or were enslaved and their culture eradicated? Nevertheless, Shetland is an archaeologist's dream. Wherever you go on the islands you can see evidence of the people who lived there thousands of years ago. Our Scotland cruises will take you to some of the greatest Neolithic sites in Europe.

Birdwatchers Welcomed on Our Scotland Cruises
Scotland is known as a bird-watchers paradise. It has been a favorite destination since the late 19th century when bird watching became a popular British leisure pursuit. If you want close-up views of thousands of birds breeding and nesting, the islands in the west, the Hebrides, the Shetlands and Orkneys are the best places to visit. Your Scotland cruises itinerary is designed to take you to the faraway St. Kilda archipelago with the largest nesting grounds in the world for the Northern Gannet. The Shetland Islands also are renown as a place to enjoy sensational seabird colonies and see amazing bird rarities. More than half the world population of the Great Skuas and Artic Skuas breed in the Shetlands, which is also a summer home to Red-throated Divers, and waders and moorland birds such as Golden Plover, Redshank, Snipe, Dunlin, and the Ringed Plover among other wild fowl. Our Scotland cruises are for people who not only want to experience spectacular birding at the most diverse seabird colonies, but also to enjoy the timeless, unspoiled landscape, ancient traditions, and friendly people of these breathtaking islands.

A Few High Points From Our Scotland Cruises
ElegantCruises.com believes there is simply no better way of exploring the astounding Scottish coastline then aboard our elegant cruise ship, the Andrea, renovated in the polished 18th century Gustavian décor style featuring a classic nautical sensibility often lacking in larger ships. ElegantCruises.com wants to mention just a few highlights from our Scotland cruises itinerary. Our Scotland cruises travel to some of Scotland’s most dramatically beautiful lochs, as well as to the often magical, otherworldly quality of Scotland’s west and northernmost islands with their varied and striking terrains. On the magnificent island of Gigha, the most southerly of the Hebridean Islands, you will have the opportunity to visit the lovely gardens of Archamore House with its 50 acres of remarkable cultivations of not only towering rhododendrons and vibrant azaleas, but also other exotic plants. Because Gigha has one of the warmest climates in Scotland, there many sub-tropical plants among the plantings. ElegantCruises.com Scotland cruises bring you to the dramatic island of Staffa, with its basalt cliffs. Its most famous cave known as Fingal’s Cave was the inspiration for Mendelssohn's 'Hebrides Overture'. Formed completely in hexagonally jointed basalt, the cave’s structure is unique. A few more days into our Scotland cruises, the isolated windswept archipelago with the island of St Kilda in the Outer Hebrides rises out of the sea. Created from volcanic rock and with cliffs rising to over 400m, these islands are a marvel. Such spectacular scenery will amaze you every day of your Scotland cruises trip.

Scotland Cruises Offer Plenty of Opportunities For Wild Life Viewing
Bring your cameras, video cameras and binoculars on your Scotland cruises from ElegantCruises.com since there will be plenty of opportunities to use them. Observe wildlife such as otters and seals playing in quiet coves, or listen to the sound of wild birds as they crowd the jagged cliffs in huge and noisy colonies. All of our Scotland cruises have Zodiacs boats aboard. Capable of maneuvering easily, their low center of gravity and buoyancy make them especially convenient and safe to take passengers ashore to isolated beaches, for nature walks on the islands or for adventures exploring the rugged coast looking for basking seals and of course, seabirds. What better way to observe and capture with your camera the spectacular scenery and wildlife you’ll encounter on our memorable Scotland cruises than from the intimate expedition ship, the Andrea.

Discover Mystical Neolithic Ruins on Your Scotland Cruises
A compelling reason to venture forth on ElegantCruises.com Scotland cruises is to experience the remote places within the Scottish Islands that reveal the remains of Neolithic ruins. An unforgettable stop on our Scotland cruises itinerary is a visit to the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides and to the Stones of Callanish, some of the most famous stones in Scotland, which date back to 1,800 BC. The area around Calanais has over 20 extraordinary stone monuments erected between 3000 and 4000 years ago. As with many other stone circles in Britain, the stones at Calanais are said to incorporate many astronomical alignments within its structure. There are local folklore that explains the presence of these stones. The Neolithic people of Scotland have left many wondrous, mystical remains in the Orkney Islands as well. As you travel northward on our Scotland cruises you will have more opportunities to visit archaeological sites on the distant, treeless and windswept Shetland Islands. This area is rich with ancient treasures that date as far back as 6,000 years. The itinerary of our Scotland cruise includes an afternoon exploration of Maes Howe and the nearby archaeological sites that include the scarred and moldering Standing Stones of Stenness that are visible for miles, the henge monument of Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae, a seaside Stone Age settlement.

Scotland Cruises From ElegantCruises.com Make Lasting Memories
What makes the Scotland cruises offered by ElegantCruises.com such a successful adventure? A comfortable handsome ship for your pleasure, an ample range of attractions and activities offered for lasting memories and the visually stunning diversity of the Scotland Islands landscape all add up to one extraordinary trip. ElegantCruises.com invites you to discover on our indelible Scotland cruises aboard the Andrea some of the most beautiful and unspoiled places of the Inner and Outer Hebrides, as well as the secluded northern islands of the Shetlands and Orkneys.