Sail through Scotland's Caledonian Canal and the Inner Hebrides aboard Lord of the Glens, the only ship capable of transiting both with ease and grace. The 62-mile Great Glen seems to have been created by uncorking bucolic landscapes and spilling them over the Atlantic and North Sea in a colossal rush of isles, lochs, and canals.
National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson shares some of his favorite highlights from traveling in Scotland aboard the intimate Lord of the Glens.
To the uninitiated, Scotland’s wildlife amounts to a whole lot of sheep, those shaggy Highland cows, and of course, Nessie! But there’s an abundance of other species if you know where to look.
There are a select few destinations with which you connect at some deep, intangible level and the Highlands and Islands of Scotland does that for me, says David Barnes, Expedition Leader aboard Lord of the Glens. See why.
Experience Scotland as few others have on a stirring voyage that cuts through the heart of the Highlands and out into the wild isles that surround this fabled region.
The last full day of our expedition brought us all the way to the most eastern region of the Galapagos, San Cristobal Island. Two of the highlights of the day were the stunning red-footed boobies and of course, the infinite landscapes that San Cristobal offers. We started our morning with an early hike at Punta Pitt and enjoyed the sea lions that were everywhere. During lunch, we navigated to Cerro Brujo, categorized as one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world. We had a spectacular day to end our expedition. We created so many memories filled with wonderful moments we had in this unique place!
During the day we visited Santa Cruz Island, and in the first part of the morning we went to the Galapagos Giant Tortoise Breeding Center to learn about the efforts done to rescue these reptiles from extinction. Throughout the morning, we were able to see baby turtles as well as the adults. During a short stop, we walked into the building that houses the remains of the famous Lonesome George, the last tortoise of the Pinta Island species. At the end of the morning, we went to the upper part of the island and had the opportunity to visit two different farms as well as a local school where we enjoyed interacting with the students. After lunch we had the opportunity to observe the giant tortoises in their natural habitat, walking among them as they grazed, unphased by our presence.
Today we are crossing of the infamous Drake Passage, the body of water separating the tip of South America from Antarctica. Weather plays in our favor, and thanks to calms seas and northerly winds, we are able to cover a good distance at a great speed. If everything goes according to plan, we might step foot in Antarctica as early as tomorrow morning!
It was a beautiful day in “Gizzy”, as the locals call it. We chose our own adventures today, ranging from a visit to the local arboretum displaying trees from around the world, a homestead and farm visit, and of course, a winery tour and tasting since we’re right in the middle of Aotearoa New Zealand’s beautiful wine country.
With a gentle following sea astern, we set our bow to the shores of Antarctica. Gentle breezes pushed us past towering tabular icebergs as seabirds streamed alongside our ship. The horizon was full of the blows from fin and humpback whales, some passing close to National Geographic Explorer , giving us incredible views of these stunning creatures. Much to our surprise, cryptic animals such as strap-toothed beaked whales and a southern bottlenose whale were spotted from the bridge to the delight of all present. Calm seas in a breathtaking landscape lay ahead on our course to the seventh continent.