For decades the White Sea was a forbidden area and today, because of its geographic isolation, it remains a region of great mystery. During this voyage we will have five days in the region where we will concentrate on Archangel and the Solovetsky Islands. It was on the Solovetsky Islands that Stalin built one of his infamous Gulags, the ‘Red Army’ established a vital submarine base and an important ship building industry was founded.

However, the most fascinating aspect of these islands is the 16th century Solovetsky Monastery. This vast medieval fortress with its fascinating and turbulent history is remarkably well preserved.

Our journey to the far north will begin in Edinburgh’s port of Leith and take us to the Northern Isles and then along the vast stretch of Norway’s Atlantic coast. This is a voyage of magnificent seascapes and landscapes, of fjords and islands, and towns and villages which hug the shoreline against a backdrop of towering mountains.