From Scotland to Spitsbergen
Set off on a 14-day PONANT expedition cruise that takes you from marvellous Scottish shores to the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen. Aboard Le Lyrial, you discover the preserved landscapes of Northern Europe and the boundaries of Norway and its island, which is among the world’s northernmost.
Departing from Glasgow, Scotland's warm cultural capital with a rich artistic and architectural heritage, you will set sail for the Hebrides archipelago. You make a stop on Iona, the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland, home to an impressive abbey, and you discover Callanish on the Isle of Lewis. This port of call takes you back in time to between 2900 and 2600 BC, the period during which the island’s megalithic site would have been created… Before the circle of standing stones, aligned with the cardinal points, the mystery remains entire, the emotion is palpable.
Le Lyrial then sails towards the Shetland archipelago and the island of Mousa, which is home to Scotland’s best-preserved Broch - constructed in around 100BC, this tower-shaped fortification served to defend against invaders.
Surrounded by numerous rocky, verdant and snow-covered islets, your ship approaches the charming and historic Bronnoysund. A former Viking city, it is the gateway to the fascinating Vega Archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Formed of dozens of islands, reefs and isolated rocks, it is a veritable nature sanctuary for many colonies of seabirds, particularly eider ducks, during their nesting period.
Further north, you marvel at the mysterious charm of the Lofoten archipelago. These islands have landscapes of surreal beauty alternating between sea, spectacular fjords, mountain slopes, fine sand beaches and huts on stilts.
Your Arctic adventure begins with your stopover in Tromso. You also sail by Bear Island, halfway between the North Cape of Norway and the South Cape of Spitsbergen. You see many seabirds, such as guillemots or Atlantic puffins, which have found refuge in the vast cliffs of the south of the island.
Even further north, you reach Spitsbergen, the main island of the Svalbard archipelago. In the land at the end of the world, millennial glaciers, steely mountains and spectacular fjords form the backdrop for whales, arctic foxes, walruses and the kings of their realm, polar bears.
Your cruise ends in Longyearbyen.
We are privileged guests in these extreme lands where we are at the mercy of weather and ice conditions. The itinerary, landings on certain sites and the observation of certain wildlife cannot be guaranteed. They vary from day to day, making each PONANT cruise a unique experience. The Captain and the Expedition Leader will make every effort to ensure that your experience is as rich as possible, while complying with the safety rules and instructions imposed by the AECO.
When searching for a luxury yacht expedition cruise, there’s one name above all else that you need to know – Ponant Cruises. Founded in 1988 by former French Merchant Navy officers, Ponant combines succulent luxury with authentic adventures on all seven continents.
From classic Mediterranean itineraries and Caribbean sailings, to bucket-list expeditions around Greenland and Antarctica, Ponant cruises proudly counteract the banality of mainstream voyages with a unique take on the concept of small-ship cruising. It’s the absolute trip of a lifetime.
Sitting just below the Arctic Circle, a visit to Bronnoysund guarantees a journey of culture and extraordinary scenery. Bronnoysund is quintessential Norway, and encompasses everything you'd expect from this stunning country - along with plenty of surprises along the way. Raking fjords, scattered islands, and roaring rivers provide a huge natural bounty - but it’s the Torghatten Mountain that’s Bronnoysund’s true crowning glory. Torghatten Mountain rises like a colossal castle of sheer granite, and is particularly striking because it’s punctured right through the centre by a giant hole. Line up the view just right, and you can see sunlight bursting through the hole, as if illuminated by a massive spotlight. It's hard to imagine how such a striking phenomenon would form naturally, and indeed the local folklore has a persuasive explanation – that it was created when an arrow ripped through the troll king's hat, which was thrown into the air to protect a fleeing girl. The hat turned to stone, and the arrow’s hole is preserved there to this day. If you care to climb Torghatten Mountain, you can walk through its cavernous interior, to look down over the red wooden barns and glistening lakes below.
A sleek silhouette, a welcoming intimate atmosphere, discover aboard this new ship the philosophy that has made Ponant's sisterships such a success: the spirit of Yacht Cruises.
