Magical places you can visit on a Scottish cruise with Fred Olsen
Scotland boasts the richest, most spectacular cruising anywhere, thanks to the flurry of world-class stops to savour and lashings of breathtaking scenery en route.
I'm a veteran of cruising Scottish waters, so here are five of my favourite stops when you sail with Fred Olsen*, others that stand out and a shortbread tin of places you'll enjoy as you voyage with Scotland's bountiful marine mammals and swathes of seabirds. Fred Olsen has years of experience in Scotland*, and it shows in the considered routes and stops.
Top 5 highlights
Kirkwall, Orkney Islands
No wonder Kirkwall* keeps winning cruise industry awards; it is brilliantly set up for cruises with shuttle buses taking you to the heart of the historic town. A swirl of superb souvenir shops and craft businesses has sprung up, with quality and authenticity high.
You can visit not one, but two distilleries in and around Kirkwall (Highland Park and The Orkney Distillery). Beyond the Orcadian capital, scenic coach trips hurl you way back in time, half a millennium before Stonehenge, to the heart of UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae, Maeshowe and Stones of Stenness stir the soul.
As does Scapa Flow, the largest natural harbour in the UK, home to the Royal Navy in both world wars, with the Scapa Museum brilliantly telling the tale.
Lerwick, Shetland Islands
Fans of the wildly popular BBC TV Series Shetland need no introduction to the charm of Lerwick's dramatic waterfront*, especially the chocolate box-pretty Lodberries.
Souvenir shop in the independent stores of Commercial Street, take a coastal walk looking out for killer whales, or visit Fort Charlotte.
Further afield, Jarlshof is one of the world's most impressive prehistoric sites and a UNESCO World Heritage contender. Shetland also boasts 100 beaches sprinkled around its sinewy shoreline: the tombolo at St Ninian's is arguably the finest.
Meanwhile, Sumburgh Head offers world-class wildlife viewing: the seabirds vie for attention with the passing whales.
Portree, Isle of Skye
The most famous Hebridean island well deserves the love that visitors and Hollywood producers lavish on its rugged hills, vast moors and craggy coastline. Portree* is the quintessential Hebridean port with its pastel-hued houses tempting you into its hostelries and shops.
Spreading further afield, trips to the Quiraing, the Old Man of Storr and the Trotternish Peninsula open up the savage mountain landscapes of this life-affirming isle. Armadale and Dunvegan castles open a window into the vicious old days of clan warfare.
Skye's Talisker Whisky is a huge draw too. As is sailing around Skye, drama in hand on deck, congratulating yourself on choosing a Scottish cruise.
Stornoway, Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides tempt across the vast Minch, another world away from the mainland on the very edge of the expanse of the Atlantic. Stornoway* is the only proper town and a brilliant hub, alive with culture, history, shops and museums, plus stately Lews Castle.
Fresh seafood and live music fuelled pubs propel Stornoway too. You could spend all your time here, but it's worth heading to the remarkable Callanish Standing Stones, towering Dun Carloway Broch, Gearrannan Blackhouse Village and the beaches of the west coast.
Tobermory, Isle of Mull
Mull's fulcrum is brochure cover material. Its trim, pastel-hued waterfront houses delight as you tender. The main street is alive with wee shops, legendary pubs and even a chocolatier, with the Tobermory Distillery at the end.
A network of walking trails explores the wildlife-kissed coastline. Delving deeper, Mull Castle Duart is one of Scotland's most famous castles (the home of the real James Bond), Calgary Bay is up there with any UK beach and you'll see why Mull* is so famous for its world-class wildlife, with everything from impossibly cute otters on to soaring sea eagles.
Even more superb Scottish stops
Invergordon* is a Highland port that is worth exploring in its own right, with its naval history. It also opens up easy access to a swathe of castles of all shapes and sizes.
The same goes for whisky distilleries that are easily accessed from this Cromarty Firth port.
Scotland's busiest ferry port of Oban*, meanwhile, buzzes with life, home to myriad bars, cafés and restaurants. Hike up McCaig's Follow for a sweeping view of Oban Bay and out to the isles, enjoy a dram at Oban Distillery or savour fish 'n' chips on the sweeping waterfront.
Ullapool* is a fantastic Western Ross village in a deeply scenic locale between mountain and loch. Just savour the views by the marina, or flit through the cosy sprinkling of craft and souvenir shops, with lots of short local walks to enjoy too. Ullapool is simply one of the most picturesque port stops in the UK.
And don't miss Loch a' Chàirn Bhàin, a sweeping Wester Ross sea loch surrounded by towering Highland massifs and super pretty scenery.
It may have been the playground of Britain's midget submarine fleet during WWII, but today the Fife port of Rosyth* offers one of the world's great sailaways and returns to port.
You ease under the Forth Bridges; nowhere else in the world boasts three such architecturally significant bridges from three successive centuries in such close proximity. Being on deck is a must as you'll snap lots of photos.
More sights to look for at sea
- Ailsa Craig - unmistakable granite stack alive with seabirds in the Firth of Clyde
- Culzean Castle - Ayrshire's finest castle; best views from the water
- Duart Castle - arguably Scotland's finest castle, brooding over the Sound of Mull
- Duncansby Stacks - towering sea stacks alive with all manner of birdlife
- Dutchman's Cap - a distinctive island named for its unique shape; you will want to take a photo
- Fingal's Cave - Scotland's version of the Giant's Causeway inspired Mendelssohn to write a symphony
- Foula - the most remote inhabited isle in the British Isles, 20 miles west of Shetland's mainland
- Loch Broom - spirit-soaring Wester Ross sea loch fronting the port of Ullapool
- Loch Hourn - the 'Loch of Hell' glowers north of the gorgeous Knoydart Peninsula
- Loch Torridon - one of Scotland's finest sea lochs, alive in a vast mountain amphitheatre
- Mull of Kintyre - romantic headland immortalised in song by Sir Paul McCartney
- Old Man of Hoy - Orkney's most famous sea stack, not conquered by man until 1966
- Out Stack - passing the savage rocky outcrop that is the UK's most northerly point is a real box ticker
- Pentland Firth - famous stretch of water separating Orkney from the Scottish mainland
- Sleeping Warrior - the highlight of the Arran Hills; the lofty mountain range that dominates the Firth of Clyde
- Sound of Mull - epic waterway alive with marine mammals
- The Small Isles -a quartet of striking isles south of Skye; Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna
- Troup Head, Moray Firth - wild seabird sanctuary
Climate in Scotland
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum daytime temperature °C |  6 |
6 |
 8 |
11 |
 14 |
 17 |
 18 |
18 |
16 |
13 |
8 |
6 |
| Hours of sunshine (daily) | ||||||||||||
| Days with some rainfall |  18 |
 15 |
18 |
15 |
16 |
14 |
14 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
18 |
18 |
| Sea temperature °C |  7 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
 9 |
 11 |
 13 |
 14 |
13 |
12 |
10 |
8 |
The above guide shows the climate in Edinburgh. Find out more about conditions across the country in our complete guide to the climate in Scotland.
Ready to set sail? Browse the latest offers on itineraries with Fred Olsen and get ready to experience the very best of coastal Scotland.
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