Hebrides – Orkneys – Shetlands 2026
What a magnificent trip! We’ve now been sailing on the POLARIS for six weeks. The starting point of our cruise was Stornoway on the island of Harris. The capital of the Outer Hebrides has often been our port of departure or destination. The harbour master knows us well, so it was easy to secure a lovely berth in the town marina. Once our new guests had checked in on board, we got on with the usual preparations: allocating berths, stocking up on provisions, and going through the on-board and safety briefings.
Now we were finally ready to set off. In cool temperatures but otherwise good conditions, we first sailed to Ullapool, where, due to a lack of space in the marina, we spent a night at the enormous ferry pier. We then continued north via Kinlochbervie. Passing the windswept Cape Wrath, with its strong tidal currents and magnificent views, we sailed – partly under sail but also using the engine – towards the Orkneys. The archipelago to the north of the Scottish mainland welcomed us with glorious weather and, once again, impressive landscapes. Despite its proximity to the Hebrides, the conditions here are noticeably different from those in the west of Scotland.
Over the next few days, we explored the historic archipelago via Stromness, Pierowall and Kirkwall. There was often plenty of wind, which propelled our POLARIS to some real speed records well in excess of 10 knots. The programme on land was equally varied. As well as the obligatory town walks and pub visits, we took a trip to the Skara Brae excavations, where people lived hundreds of years ago, braving the elements in underground dwellings much like hobbits. We finally travelled to North Ronaldsay, the northernmost tip of the Orkneys. Here, too, we enjoyed a fascinating and beautiful shore excursion, climbed the lighthouse and watched the world’s only sheep that eat seaweed. In the evening, a couple of orcas even swam past our anchorage. Perfect!
After a stopover on the rocky island of Faire Isle, we continued northwards towards the Shetlands. Faire Isle, too, had already become a home away from home for us. This time, however, due to construction work, we didn’t moor in the small harbour but anchored offshore instead. Surrounded by hundreds of seabirds and a particularly large number of puffins, we spent the night here in a setting that could easily have featured in *The Lord of the Rings*. The next day’s shore excursion took us through the wild countryside and along steep cliffs to the brand-new birdwatching station, where you can even stay overnight and work as a volunteer to help out.
The Shetland Islands are only a relatively short distance away from Fair Isle. We soon reached the south coast, where we once again dropped anchor right in front of a huge sandy beach. Lerwick was our interim destination, before we were due to set off on our next journey towards the Faroe Islands. More on that later.
And because even the longest text couldn’t really do it all justice anyway, here are a few selected photos from our fellow sailor Annette Jagla. Many thanks for those.
