EXPLORER 12 Days in SVALBARD

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the UK. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's West Central Lowlands. It is a friendly, bustling town with imposing 19th C buildings, vibrant theatre life, the most talked-about independent music scene outside the USA, and the city's buses and metro system make it easy to explore. Read more about Glasgow, Great Britain

Heimaey is the largest island (13.4 sq.km.) in the Westman Islands or Vestmannaeyjar cluster, 7.4 km off the south coast of Iceland. The Landnáma Icelandic record states it was first settled in about 900. It is the only island in Vestmannaeyjar that is populated, with around 5000 inhabitants. Read more about Heimaey, Iceland

The capital of the Westfjords of Iceland is Isafjordur. The landscape is majestic, with fjord after fjord towering above shore and sea, but each and every fjord has its own distinctive character. Tiny fishing villages nestle at their foot. Read more about Isafjordur, Iceland

Jan Mayen Island is an elongated volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean and part of the Kingdom of Norway, lying 1,000 km west of the North Cape and at the same latitude. Its closest land mass is Greenland 450km distant, and 550km to the SW is Iceland. The island was discovered so often in ‘modern’ times – mostly by whalers – it has been given a dozen names. Read more about Jan Mayen Island , Norway

Ny-Ålesund is one of four permanent settlements on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago in the Kingdom of Norway. It is administered by Kings Bay company, a Norwegian government enterprise. Lying within the Arctic Circle just 1255 km from the North Pole, it is the northernmost functional civilian settlement in the world, with a population varying from 35 to 180 (winter to summer). Read more about Ny-Alesund, Norway

Longyearbyen lies on the river Longyearelva on the Norwegian Island of Spitsbergen high in the Arctic. It is the world’s northern-most town, as all settlements further north are research or meteorological outposts. The modern town, fringed by abandoned mining detritus, enjoys a superb backdrop including two glacier tongues, Longyearbreen and Lars Hjertabreen. Read more about Longyearbyen, Norway