Northern countries Cruise - from Glasgow - 107174

The Vestmannaeyjar Islands ("Westman Isles") became world famous at the beginning of 1973. A huge volcanic explosion with a stream of lava measuring 1600 m destroyed the majority of the main settlement of Heimæy.The lava flowed through the streets and could only be stopped by the use of waterpumps used to spray sea water onto the hot lava non-stop. This also prevented the loss of the natural harbour of Heimæy. Without it, the main source of income of the island population would have been lost, which would probably have led to the abandonment of the permanent settlement. Sights include: the lighthouse at Storhöfoi, the Hjörleifur valley.

Ísafjörður comprises several districts stretching from the end of the Fjords on the Northern side to the original settlement, where the harbour is. On the other side of the fjord is the airport - although really it is nothing more than a runway with a tiny check-in building. Although all of the fjords in the North-West are losing inhabitants to more prosperous areas, Ísafjörður has been successful in keeping its residents and has even recorded a slight growth in population, to around 3,500. The town was founded as a settlement for the Hanseatics and later taken over by the Danes. Ísafjörður is an excellent example of the development of Icelandic architecture. There are five listed buildings in Ísafjörður - all of which were built in the 18th century. The oldest house dates from the mid-18th century, the most recent from 1788. Four of the houses are in Neostikaupstaour and one is in Haestikaupstaour. Other sights include: the museum

Ny-Ålesund, a former mining town, is the most northerly settlement in the world and was the starting point of many Polar expeditions. Today, it is a scientific research station. The small museum with its post office, which once served as the base station for many expeditions, is a must-see.

Longyearbyen is the capital of the Svalbard islands (Spitzbergen). For thousands of years the island was located close to the equator. At that time, there were many trees on Svalbard, which later broke down to become coal. As a result of the continental drift, the islands slowly wandered North to their current position close to the North Pole. Sights include: the art gallery, the Svalbard Museum, where exhibits include stuffed arctic animals and items relating to mining as well as several trappers' huts.