British Isles Cruise - from Greenock - Glasgow - 129814

The Scottish port of Greenock is just a kilometre from Glasgow with views of the Scottish Highlands. Greenock has excellent shopping facilities in the form of the Braehead Shopping Centre and the large Ikea store. Sights in Glasgow include: the Gallery of Modern Art, the Cathedral, the Police Museum, the Mitchell library, the Transport Museum, Tollcross Park, and the Scotland Street School Museum.

This town with a population of around 8,100 is the ideal starting point for excursions to the Inner Hebrides. It's no surprise that Oban has been a busy holiday destination for 150 years. The natural harbour, from where the ships set off for the islands, is the centre of business. This is also where the majority of the shops are. In addition to MacCaig's Tower, sights include the Oban Heritage Wharf, the Oban Distillery and the 'World in Miniature'.

The island capital of Stornoway is on the east coast of the twin islands of Lewis and Harris at the most northerly-westerly tip of the British Isles. One of the most important attractions in the city is Lews Castle, dating from the 19th century, which today is home to a Gaelic-speaking university college. The extensive grounds of Lews Castle are the perfect place to take a stroll. In the spring, rhododendron and gorse bloom in brilliant colours. Martin's Memorial Church in the town centre and several other churches are other must-sees.

Kirkwall is the capital of the northern Scottish island council area of Orkney, where visitors can expect to find a landscape made up mainly of craggy cliffs and strange sandstone formations. The pretty capital and business centre is famous primarily for its whisky distilleries and St. Magnus Cathedral. The cathedral dates from the 12th century and is one of the most beautiful examples of Norman architecture in the British Isles. Other sights include: Tankerness House, a 16th century town house that houses the local history museum of the Orkney Islands, and the Stone Age village of Skara Brae, which is more than 5,000 years old.

Lerwick is the main port of the Shetland Islands and a cornerstone in the economy and infrastructure of the region. With its ideal location, it is a popular destination for cruise ships en route between Iceland, the Faroe Isles, Norway and Scotland. With the many small islands - home to the Shetland ponies, the Shetland Islands are also a popular destination for day-trippers from Aberdeen and Orkney.

The Norwegian harbour town of Eidfjord is famous for its candle factory located in the town centre, where visitors can buy hand-made candles. The Hardanger National Park with its impressive waterfalls is in the direct vicinity of Eidfjord. Other attractions include Eidfjord church, an exhibition of works by the painter Nils Bergslien, and the "Troll Train".

Norway's fourth-largest city grew important through herring fishing. At the beginning of the 20th century it was also home to the largest canned foods industry in the world. Today, Norway's oil capital is characterised by a mixture of Nordic rustic charm and a cosmopolitan atmosphere, which visitors can experience during a visit to the fish market in particular. Since the city has been spared any fires, entire districts with the original old wooden houses have been preserved. Almost 200 of these restored white wooden buildings in narrow steep cobbled streets with gas laterns in the Gamle Stavanger area are a reminder of the time of the city's founding. Sights include: Canning Industry Museum, the Maritime Museum, Utstein monastery, Lysefjord, Romanesque-gothic cathedral.

Bergen is one of the most charming cities in Norway, not least due to its unique setting between seven hills. With a population of 218,000 it is the second-largest city in the country and the capital of "Fylke Hordaland". The town of Bergen was granted the city charter in 1070 by Bishop Olav Kyrre. Not that long after, in 1217, King Hakon IV. declared the town to the Norwegian seat of government. Today, the oldest and most famous wooden houses of the city are at the "Bryggen", the former dock of the Hanseatic League. These unique buildings were among four properties in Norway to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Sights include: the Hanseatic museum, the Bryggen Museum, Bergenshus fort, St. Mary's Church and the Leprosy Museum, and the aquarium.