Jewels Of The Northern Seas - 6135A

Dover, the world’s busiest ferry port, is located in the county of Kent, England, at the extreme SE corner of Britain. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, 35 km away across the Straits of Dover. Possibly best known for its lyrically famous ‘White Cliffs’, archaeological finds have revealed that the area has always been a focus for peoples entering and leaving Britain, and this continues to this day. This goes some way to explaining why this region in Kent has more than its fair share of castles, stately homes and museums than any other coastal region in the UK. Read more about Dover, Great Britain

Portland Harbour, dating back for thousands of years, is located beside the Isle of Portland off Dorset on the south coast of England. It is home to one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. Today the harbour is a popular location for wind surfing, diving and sailing, and it hosted most sailing events in the 2012 Olympic Games. It is also world-renowned for its Portland-stone that is quarried here, and has been used world-wide for many well-known buildings, such as the United Nations Building in New York. Read more about Portland, Great Britain

Bantry Bay is located in County Cork in Ireland. From the far SW of Ireland, the elongated inlet reaches 35km to the NE. Bantry and the Harbour are about 30km inside the entrance. In front of Bantry Harbour is Whiddy Island, the main petroleum terminus for Ireland with its deep harbour. Read more about Bantry Bay, Ireland

Foynes - aka Faing - is a small town and major port in County Limerick in the mid-west of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary. It is noteworthy for having been, in the early years of aviation, the last port of call on the eastern shore of the Atlantic for flying boats. Surveying flights for flying boat operations were made by Charles Lindbergh in 1933 and a terminal was begun in 1935. This resulted in claims to fame, as their invention of Irish Coffee in order to alleviate the suffering of cold and wet passengers, remains extremely popular. Read more about Foynes, Ireland

Galway, a city in County Galway of the Republic of Ireland, is the fastest-growing city in Ireland. Located as the most central port on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. The city also bears the nickname City of the Tribes, after the fourteen merchant families that led the city during the Middle Ages. The city is known as Ireland's Cultural Heart and is renowned for its vibrant lifestyle and numerous festivals, celebrations and events. Read more about Galway, Ireland

The Aran Islands are a group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay on the west coast of Ireland. The islands are formed of exposed karst limestone, and where the stone is covered in green meadows hand-built rock walls delineate the fields with their livestock. There certainly is a great supply of stones here to make walls! The 1200 inhabitants primarily speak Irish, as well as English. Read more about Aran Islands, Ireland

Killybegs is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It boasts Ireland's finest natural deepwater harbour, is Ireland’s largest fishing port, and is a bustling town with plenty to offer the visitor. The town is situated at the head of a scenic harbour filled with trawlers, and at the base of a vast mountainous tract extending northward. Visit the Killybegs Information Centre to find out about self-guided tours. Read more about Killybegs, Great Britain

Greencastle lies at the northernmost tip of Ireland in County Donegal, the Republic of Ireland. It is situated on the west bank of Lough Foyle, the estuary of the River Foyle. (On the east bank is Northern Ireland, UK.) Greencastle is a commercial fishing port. As fishing has declined, the town is a typical Donegal holiday village. Read more about Greencastle, Great Britain

Greenock is a town located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland, that forms part of a continuous urban area with Gourock to the west and Port Glasgow to the east. Evidence of the wealth generated in its early days can be seen in the large villas of Greenock's west end, one-time home to ship owners, industrialists, and investors. The area is fronted by the 1.6 km sweep of the Esplanade with its views across the Clyde to Kilcreggan. Built on a hillside near the centre of Greenock, the Cemetery with historic grave stones in a lovely setting provides some of the fascinating history belonging to the people buried there. Read more about Greenock, Great Britain

Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, and is currently experiencing a successful tourist boom. One of the most visited cities in the UK, Belfast has plenty of attractions and is a good base from which to visit virtually anywhere else in the North. In the city centre concentrate on the glories resulting from the Industrial Revolution – grandiose architecture and magnificent Victorian pubs – and the rejuvenated area from Ann Street to Donegall Street now known as the Cathedral quarter. Among the fascinating places that tourists visit is the Belfast Castle with its restaurants, small heritage centre, and beautiful views of the whole city. Read more about Belfast, Great Britain

Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and port in the north-west of England, known for its shipbuilding and steel-making industries. Being only around 20 minutes from the Lake District, Barrow has been referred to as the 'gateway to the lakes'. Barrow itself has several tourist attractions, including the Dock Museum. The museum tells the history of Barrow's shipbuilding, as well as offering gallery space to local artists and schoolchildren. Read more about Barrow-in-Furness, Great Britain

This capital and largest city of Ireland is situated on the mid-east coast at the mouth of the River Liffey. Dublin has more green spaces per square kilometre than any other European capital city, with 97% of city residents living within 300 meters of a park area. But Dublin’s greatest draw remains Dubliners themselves, both native-born and blown in. When at their ease, they are the greatest hosts of all, providing a life-affirming experience that will restore your faith in human nature. Read more about Dublin, Ireland

Dover, the world’s busiest ferry port, is located in the county of Kent, England, at the extreme SE corner of Britain. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, 35 km away across the Straits of Dover. Possibly best known for its lyrically famous ‘White Cliffs’, archaeological finds have revealed that the area has always been a focus for peoples entering and leaving Britain, and this continues to this day. This goes some way to explaining why this region in Kent has more than its fair share of castles, stately homes and museums than any other coastal region in the UK. Read more about Dover, Great Britain

Cowes is an English seaport town on the Isle of Wight. It is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank. The two towns are linked by the Cowes Floating Bridge, one of the few remaining chain ferries. Cowes is a gateway town for the Isle of Wight. Read more about Cowes (Isle of Wight), Great Britain

Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, and is currently experiencing a successful tourist boom. One of the most visited cities in the UK, Belfast has plenty of attractions and is a good base from which to visit virtually anywhere else in the North. In the city centre concentrate on the glories resulting from the Industrial Revolution – grandiose architecture and magnificent Victorian pubs – and the rejuvenated area from Ann Street to Donegall Street now known as the Cathedral quarter. Among the fascinating places that tourists visit is the Belfast Castle with its restaurants, small heritage centre, and beautiful views of the whole city. Read more about Belfast, Great Britain

Holy Loch, in the Scottish county of Argyll, is a small Sea Loch (lake, firth or fjord), one of many small lochs that open to the 130 km major water way the Firth of Clyde. Holy Loch is about 1 km wide and 3 km long, depending on the tide. The loch is lined with small settlements which back onto the Highlands that rise from 400 to 700m. In the region are remains of old churches from as early as the 6th C; and by the 15th C Holy Loch received its name, and it became the spiritual home of the powerful Clan Campbell. Read more about Holy Loch, Great Britain

The tiny uninhabited Staffa Island, aka Pillar Island, famous for its fascinating pillar- like rock formations, lies in the inner Hebrides, Scotland. With its coastline displaying columnar basalt such as those on Am Buchaille, amazing sea cliffs, The Colonnade perhaps being the most outstanding, makes the effort of visiting - the island lacks a genuine anchorage - extremely worthwhile. Read more about Staffa Island, Great Britain

Tobermory, the core area of the UNESCO Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve, is part of the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada - a strip of land separating Lake Huron from Georgian Bay. With its frame houses and twin harbours of "Big Tub" and "Little Tub" the atmosphere is one of a quiet urban village. With many unique wildflowers, it boasts the largest concentration of orchids in North America, and is a perfect getaway spot for naturalists, photographers, divers, hikers, and kayakers looking for that special place. Read more about Tobermory, Great Britain

Stornoway is an attractive town and the administrative centre of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The shape of the town is defined by the harbour, and is home to a beautiful, rugged landscape of rolling grassy hills and crinkly inlets of the sea. Take a leisurely stroll round the harbour and see everything from the ferries to cargo boats and small visiting yachts, as the harbour is definitely an asset to the town. Interestingly, several streets in the centre are pedestrian areas with good access to an interesting range of shops. Read more about Stornoway, 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. One night in January 1973 a volcanic eruption of the mountain Eldfell began on Heimaey. Read more about Heimaey, Iceland

Reykjavik, the capital and largest city of Iceland, is the gateway to Iceland's stunning natural wonders, which range from ice fields to boiling thermal pools. The landscape on the island seems to be in a continual process of transformation much like its society, which blends Nordic tradition with sophisticated technology. On the waterfront see the open-air history of shipping disasters. In town walk past parliament building, city hall, Tjörnin pond, Höfði House(where Gorbachev and Reagan met in 1986 to end the Cold War), Hallgrímskirkja (the largest church in Iceland), and Laugavegur (the main shopping street) Read more about Reykjavik, Iceland

Vigur is an island in the Ísafjardardjúp fjord in Western Iceland, offshore from villages such as Hamar, Kobleinseyri and Trod. It is the second largest island in the fjord, and it is filled with bird life, being a nesting ground for Puffins, terns, guillemots and several other species. There’s an historic building on the island known as the Viktoriuhus that acts as a small museum of items from the Westfjords Folk Museum. To reach Vigur there are trips by boat from Isafjordur during the summer months. Read more about Vigur Island, 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. On arrival take a stroll through the streets of the town. Read more about Isafjordur, Iceland

Located on the southernmost tip of Greenland, the largest island in the world, is Prins Christian Sund (Danish), 500m wide and 100 km long, with mountains either side rising 1000m above sea level. A scenic cruise through this channel is one of the world’s best day-scenes from a cruise ship. It is awe-inspiring, with its rugged beauty of narrow passages, dramatic rock formations, steep fjords, drifting ice floes, and towering glaciers marking the southern tip of the massive Greenland ice field. Passage through this channel may reveal white-beaked dolphins, and four species of whales. Read more about Prince Christian Sound, Greenland

Qaqortoq is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. It is the most populous town in the region and the fourth largest town in the country. The oldest standing building of Qaqortoq is a black-tarred log building from 1797. The building was designed by royal Danish architect Kirkerup, pre-assembled in Denmark, shipped in pieces to Qaqortoq, and then reassembled. Read more about Qaqortoq, Greenland

Nanortalik is Greenland's southernmost town and is located in a scenic area with some of Greenland's most picturesque fjords, small woodlands and steep mountainsides. The town's name means ‘place of polar bears’, which refers to the polar bears that occasionally pass through the town in summer, together with the pack ice from the Arctic Ocean. It is a small town where everyone knows everyone else, and visitors appreciate meeting a friendly population of hunters who live in beautiful natural surroundings. A walk along the main street takes you past Nanortalik's tourist office, which is one of the most attractive tourist offices in South Greenland and features many souvenirs, books and handicrafts made by local artists. Read more about Nanortalik, Greenland

St John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is located on Canada's SE Atlantic Seaboard, where the Bay of Fundy meets the mouth of the St. John River. The architecture of St. Read more about St John's, Canada

Saint-Pierre is the capital of the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. These are the only two low-lying inhabited islands in an archipelago of eight islands in the Atlantic Ocean, 18 km off the south coast of Newfoundland, Canada. They form the last remaining part of the French North American Empire. The 5500 inhabitants of St Pierre possess French citizenship, and St Pierre is the commercial and administrative centre. Read more about St Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon

The 96 km Saguenay River is a major river of Quebec, Canada. It is bordered by steep cliffs and has a very high flow rate. The river drains into the Saint Lawrence River at Tadoussac, where its cold waters merge with the warmer waters of the St. Lawrence River, creating a krill-rich feeding ground that draws marine mammals and birds. Read more about Saguenay River, Canada

Quebec, capital of the Canadian province of the same name, is so ‘French’ it is said that to visit Quebec is to experience France without crossing the Atlantic. French must be the predominant language on signs, retail or food service employees always greet customers in French, and there are even laws dictating whether parents can send their children to English or French school. The architecture, ambience and mostly French-speaking citizens are proof that some of France has been permanently ingrained in North America. In addition to its European flair, Quebec City is the only remaining walled city north of Mexico. Read more about Quebec, Canada

Trois Rivieres is French for three rivers, and is so named for the fact that the Saint-Maurice River - which is divided by two small islands at the river's opening - has three mouths at the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada. The city's main street is Boulevard des Forges, an area several blocks long in the heart of the Old City that is composed of century-old buildings, housing, a great variety of cafés, restaurants, clubs, bars, and shops, which are appreciated by all visitors. In the warmer months, the area - due to various festivals - is turned into a pedestrian mall. Read more about Trois Rivieres, Canada

Montreal is the largest city in Quebec, Canada, and is also the largest inland port in the world. Situated between a majestic mountain and the sparkling St Lawrence River, sailing into the port with its impressive skyline of grand 19th century grey stone buildings never loses its fascination for passengers. Old Montreal is one of the main attractions, where visitors can travel by horse-drawn carriages, stroll along the cobble stone streets, visit museums, art galleries, chic boutiques and vintage coffee shops. It is regarded as one of the most well-preserved ‘Old Towns’ west of Europe, which makes it a truly different North American city. Read more about Montreal, Canada