Scotland
The Hidden Coasts of Scotland: An Expedition on the Ocean Albatros
Program No. 24592RJ
Experience Scotland from Edinburgh to the Orkney Islands and Outer Hebrides as you join us for our Floating Campus onboard the Ocean Albatros!
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Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
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800-454-5768
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Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & PRICES
May 8 - May 19, 2025
May 16 - May 27, 2025
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12 days
11 nights
28 meals
10B 8L 10D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
4
Scrabster, Castle of Mey
At Sea
12
Edinburgh, Program Concludes
In Flight
At a Glance
The northern coast of Scotland is known for its incredible natural beauty, remote islands and ancient landmarks — and there’s no better way to experience them all than on this exclusive Road Scholar Floating Campus voyage! We’ll have the Ocean Albatros to ourselves on this learning adventure that begins and ends in Edinburgh and leads you on a journey to Aberdeen, the Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Outer Hebrides. Marvel in the remote landscapes of Scotland as your onboard instructors offer their insight into the history and biodiversity of the region through lectures, Q&A sessions and casual discussions. In true campus style, take part in onboard activities like a book club or photography instruction, enjoy a live performance of Scottish dance and music and get to know other Road Scholars who love learning — and voyages — as much as you do.
Activity Level
Choose Your Pace
This program offers two activity levels to choose from on every departure date: one that has more walking and standing and one at a less active pace. Must be comfortable getting in & out of tender boats and zodiacs, feel comfortable navigating around the ship and handle stairs while on board.
PLEASE NOTE: The ship is not suitable for wheelchair/electric scooter use.
What You'll Learn
- Spend a night in Edinburgh before and after your voyage to discover landmarks like Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile with a local expert.
- Learn about royal history at the Castle of Mey in Caithness, purchased and restored by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
- Discover Scotland’s prehistoric landmarks during field trips to the Callanish Standing Stones and the Ring of Brogdar in the Orkney Isles, both sites thought to be constructed for astronomical observations.
- Voyage to some of Scotland’s remote islands as you explore the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Sumburgh Head in Shetland and enjoy zodiac rides along Loch Torridon.
- Enjoy the camaraderie of other Road Scholars as you take in private lectures, unique field trips and educational onboard activities on this exclusive Floating Campus voyage.
General Notes
This learning adventure is part of Road Scholar’s Floating Campus. You’ll enjoy a true campus feel as we have the entire ship to ourselves and welcome a maximum of 150 Road Scholars, and enjoy field trips onshore in smaller groups of 35. Onboard experts will be on hand throughout the voyage and will offer instruction during exclusive lectures, Q&A sessions and discussions. Enjoy a book club, onboard activities, a live performance and the camaraderie that can only be found with an entire ship full of fellow Road Scholars! Please note that we need a minimum number of participants to enroll in this program to have exclusive use of the ship. In the unlikely event we do not meet the minimum number, then the cruise line may have its own passengers on the ship, though they will not be part of any Road Scholar activities.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Roula Skoula
Roula Skoula was born in Heraklion, Crete. She studied journalism in Athens and worked as a freelance print and radio journalist. After enrolling in the School of Professional Greek Tourist Guides, she travelled with university professors, learning history, philosophy, archaeology, and more. Roula has been a professional exploration leader since 1987. In addition to Greek, she speaks English and Italian. She continues learning to increase her vast knowledge of Greek history and culture and has worked with Road Scholar for the past 13 years.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Roula Skoula
View biography
Roula Skoula was born in Heraklion, Crete. She studied journalism in Athens and worked as a freelance print and radio journalist. After enrolling in the School of Professional Greek Tourist Guides, she travelled with university professors, learning history, philosophy, archaeology, and more. Roula has been a professional exploration leader since 1987. In addition to Greek, she speaks English and Italian. She continues learning to increase her vast knowledge of Greek history and culture and has worked with Road Scholar for the past 13 years.
Barbara Gigi
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Barbara Gigi was born in Milan in a family of southern Italian origins. Skilled in languages, she graduated the School for Interpreters and Translators learning French, English, and Dutch. Her career in the fashion industry lasted until she went back to pursuing her dreams of learning and traveling. When she isn’t serving with Road Scholar on study cruises around Europe and land programs in Italy, Barbara is a graduate student in Anthropology at the Ecole des hautes études en Science sociales in Paris.
Kevin Durjun
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Kevin Durjun has conducted Road Scholar Online Adventures in murder mystery, monarchy, theatre, and Edinburgh. He has a degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of Sussex and was the CEO of the British Acupuncture Council. A registered acupuncturist himself, Kevin advises numerous Chinese Medicine organizations. He hosts the weekly radio show “Acupuncture Point” for UK Health Radio and recently published “Delicious Mauritius Tastes and Tales from My Mother’s Kitchen,” a cookery book inspired by the beautiful island of Mauritius.
Jill Rosenfield
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Jill Rosenfield lives in Jerusalem and works full time as an Israeli official guide and Road Scholar group leader. For the past 25 years, she has led a wide variety of groups. She loves introducing the historical, cultural, and culinary wonders of Israel. Jill grew up in Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, before moving to South Africa to finish her schooling and university. After graduating, she emigrated to Israel and worked for many years as a special education teacher, then changed careers and became a licensed Israeli guide.
Libby Chandler
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Libby Chandler has had a love and passion for travel since her twenties. She was very lucky to have grandparents in Spain, a mother with her roots in Northern France, and was partly schooled in Austria. When she is not leading groups of students of all ages, Libby may be found up a mountain somewhere in Nepal or trying to be Monet in her garden.
Steve Ragnall
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Steve Ragnall is a historian and writer with a lifetime’s love of the sea. He has extensive sailing experience, including passages on tall ships, most notably the Bark Endeavour, a replica of Captain Cook’s ship. He is an honorary member of the Merchant Navy Association. Steve has worked extensively in local and regional radio as musician, writer and presenter. He worked with the BBC on their “Telling Lives” project in 2004-5, introducing short film making skills to the general public.
Donna Heddle
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Donna Heddle is the director of the University of the Highlands and Islands Institute for Northern Studies, and head of research environment and culture at UHI, leading the development of the university’s Arctic strategy. Her research interests include Scottish cultural history, language, and literature. She has won awards for course development and design. She is a trustee of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and of Sir Sean Connery’s Scottish International Education Trust, and has sat on the board of Museums Galleries Scotland and Hi-Arts.
Suggested Reading List
(13 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The Hidden Coasts of Scotland: An Expedition on the Ocean Albatros
Program Number: 24592
Scotland: a New History
Michael Lynch, named as 'one of the most influential historians in Scotland of the last thirty years', has written an extraordinary one-volume history of the country that spans twenty centuries, from the Picts to the present day.
Outlander
# 1 New York Times Bestseller, the first book in Diana Gabaldon’s acclaimed Outlander saga. Based in the Scottish Highlands, this spellbinding novel of passion and history combines exhilarating adventure with a love story for the ages.
Waverley (1814)
Waverley (1814), tells the story of Edward Waverley, a naïve young man who is posted to Scotland with his regiment. Edward must decide whether he will follow the civilization he has always known, or be drawn into an older world of honor.
The Complete Poems and Songs of Robert Burns
Burns is an icon for the UK and Scotland he is a national symbol. This volume of poems and songs is a best selling, beautiful edition of his work.
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886)
This gothic novella by Scottish author, Robert Louis Stevenson was originally published in 1886. The story is about a legal practitioner in London, named Gabriel John Utterson, who investigates bizarre incidents that occur between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the evil Edward Hyde.
No Gods and Precious Few Heroes (Vol 8: Scotland, 1914-80)
Harvie analyzes the pressures and influences that, over the past ninety years, have eroded Scotland's position as a world industrial power.
The Wasp Factory
The literary debut of Scottish author Iain Banks, The Wasp Factory is an imaginative and disturbing look into the mind of a child psychopath.
Robert the Bruce: King of Scots
Using contemporary accounts, Ronald McNair Scott tells the story of Scotland's legendary leader, and one of Europe's most remarkable medieval kings.
Trainspotting
Trainspotting is Scottish novelist Irvine Welsh’s 1993 work of fiction. Set in the late 1980s, the novel follows the “Skag Boys,” who are involved in Edinburgh, Scotland’s heroin scene, particularly in the neighborhood of Leith.
Before Scotland: The Story of Scotland Before History
This book follows the movement of hunter-gatherers north, the growth of fishing, and the establishment of farming. The author also covers cultural evolution in Scotland - the roles played by megalith builders, Celts, Picts, and others.
Sunset Song
The first and most celebrated novel by Scottish writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song evokes village life in the early twentieth century and offers a powerful portrait of a land and people in turmoil.
Scotland: the Story of a Nation
Encompassing everything from the first Mesolithic settlers in 7000 B.C. to the present movements for independence, Scotland: The Story of a Nation is history on an epic level, essential reading for anyone interested in the rich past of this captivating land.
How the Scots Invented the Modern World
As historian and author Arthur Herman reveals, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Scotland made crucial contributions to science, philosophy, literature, education, medicine, commerce, and politics—contributions that have formed and nurtured the modern West ever since.