Europe

British Isles

Castles, cliffside villages, and capital cities across England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.

Overview

Sailing the British Isles

A round-Britain itinerary strings together capital cities and dramatic coastline in one trip. Edinburgh, Dublin, and the cliffs of the Scottish and Irish coasts, all without repacking. Most sailings run round-trip from Southampton, making it an easy add before or after a London stay.

Best time to sail: May – September

Where to Sail

The routes within the British Isles

The classic round-Britain route, and a longer one that pushes north to Iceland.

Round Britain & Ireland

The classic route: Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland in one week-plus sailing, round-trip from Southampton.

Southampton, England (round-trip)Edinburgh (Rosyth or Leith)Belfast, Northern IrelandDublin or Cork (Cobh), IrelandGuernsey, Channel Islands

British Isles & Iceland

The same round-Britain route extended north to Iceland’s volcanic coastline. A longer sailing for travelers who want more remote scenery.

Southampton, England (round-trip)Edinburgh (Rosyth)Reykjavik, IcelandFaroe IslandsBelfast or Dublin

Did You Know

Why the British Isles is worth it

1Edinburgh Castle sits on an extinct volcanic rock that's been fortified for over 3,000 years, making it one of the oldest continuously occupied sites in Europe.

2Dublin's Guinness Storehouse is shaped like a giant pint glass. If you filled it with the actual beer, it would hold about 14.3 million pints.

3Belfast's Titanic Belfast museum sits on the exact slipway where the Titanic was built and launched in 1911. You can stand right where it was constructed.

4The Giant's Causeway, a popular day trip from Belfast, has roughly 40,000 interlocking hexagonal basalt columns formed by a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago, and Irish legend says a giant built it to reach Scotland.

A Closer Look

What the British Isles actually looks like

Edinburgh Castle
The castle still sits on the volcanic rock that made it nearly impossible to attack, right above the old town shore excursions walk through.

Temple Bar, Dublin
The most photographed pub facade in Ireland, and the anchor of the cobblestone district where most Dublin port days end up.

The Giant's Causeway
Tens of thousands of naturally hexagonal stone columns, a popular day trip from Belfast and one of the strangest coastlines in Europe.

Photos: Saffron Blaze, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gordon Leggett, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chmee2, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

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