Dublin to Dublin

The stunning Isle of Lunga is the largest island in the Treshnish archipelago. With volcanic origin the isle was populated until the 19th Century, and remains of black houses can be seen around this magnificent coastal jewel. Abundant plant life and exotic birdlife are now the main inhabitants of the area. Fortunate visitors view the magnificent array of birds, especially the great puffins that breed on the islands plateau. One can sit within just a few feet away without disturbing the avian ambassador’s peace. The 81 hectare island is home to many rare and endangered plants such as, primroses and orchids. Views over the landscape and across the ocean can be seen from the 300 foot high cliffs.

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The stunning Isle of Lunga is the largest island in the Treshnish archipelago. With volcanic origin the isle was populated until the 19th Century and remains of black houses can be seen around this magnificent coastal jewel. Abundant plant life and exotic birdlife are now the main inhabitants of the area. Fortunate visitors view the magnificent array of birds especially the great puffins that breed on the islands plateau. One can sit within just a few feet away without disturbing the avian ambassador’s peace. The 81 hectare island is home to many rare and endangered plants such as primroses and orchids. Views over the landscape and across the ocean can be seen from the 300 foot high cliffs.

With a population of 120 residents, Iona is Located off the Southwest of Mull. The island is 3 miles long and 1.5 miles wide but draws in thousands of visitors each year due to its natural beauty and historical interest. Saint Columba and his fellow monks landed here in 563. This beautiful stretch of coastline brings out the true beauty of Iona facing onto the Gulf Stream that gives the island its mild climate. Located to the south of the road lies Sìthean Mòr (Large fairy hill) and alternatively known as the Hill of Angels, this is said to have been the setting for many rituals and traditions dating far back in history. This wonderful highlight, Iona Abbey was founded by Saint Columba in 563 and is said to have survived many Viking attacks. Although little remains of the monastic buildings of this period, the magnificent Abbey is the main attraction.

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If tiny islands that resonate with peace and tranquillity are your idea of travel heaven, then welcome to Iona. Almost 200 miles east of Edinburgh, set in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides, this magical island has a spiritual reputation that precedes it. And luckily, more than lives up to.The island is miniscule. Just three miles long and only one and a half miles wide, this is not a place that hums with urban attractions. 120 people call Iona home (this number rises significantly if the gull, tern and Kittiwake population is added), although residential numbers do go up (to a whopping 175) in summer. The beautiful coastline is lapped by the gulf stream and gives the island a warm climate with sandy beaches that look more Mediterranean than Scottish! Add to that a green field landscape that is just beautiful, and you’ll find that Iona is a place that stays with you long after you leave.Iona’s main attraction is of course its abbey. Built in 563 by Saint Columbia and his monks, the abbey is the reason why Iona is called the cradle of Christianity. Not only is the abbey (today an ecumenical church) one of the best – if not the best – example of ecclesiastical architecture dating from the Middle Ages, but it also serves as an important site of spiritual pilgrimage. St. Martin’s Cross, a 9th century Celtic cross that stands outside the abbey, is considered as the finest example of Celtic crosses in the British Isles. Rèilig Odhrain, or the cemetery, allegedly contains the remains of many Scottish kings.

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As an isolated island of the remote St Kilda Group, Boreray island is one of the most far flung and weather impacted islands of the North East Atlantic. Imagine trying to live here during stormy weather. Landing requires jumping or swimming ashore; and yet the island has been lived on or visited from Neolithic times. Collecting seabirds and their eggs, and storing them for winter, may have been even more important than raising sheep. Boreray Sheep are the rarest breed of sheep in Britain. They evolved from short-tailed sheep brought from the Scottish mainland but have been isolated long enough to have evolved into a distinctive small and horned breed. Only found on Boreray Island, they remained as a wild flock when the last people left the St Kilda Islands in 1930. The Souy are a separate and different breed of sheep found on the other St Kilda Islands. Look out for the Boreray Sheep grazing on the slopes of hilly Boreray Island. Seabirds thrive on Boreray and its two attendant rocks stacks, raising new chicks each summer. Northern Gannets glide overhead as they attempt difficult landings at nest sites. Seeing gannets plunge from a great height into the sea is an exciting way to understand the effort required to feed themselves and chicks. Northern Fulmers nest on the volcanic rock cliffs and Atlantic Puffins fly in and out of burrow-strewn slopes. Boreray is part of the St Kilda World Heritage Site, a rare example of a site recognised for both its outstanding natural and cultural values.

It may be surrounded by pulse-raising volcanic scenery, boast extraordinary wildlife, and sit on a dramatic, jutting fjord – but it’s fair to say Djúpivogur likes to take things slow. In fact, Djúpivogur relishes its peace and quiet so much that it’s won recognition as a ‘Cittaslow’ – a Slow City. So prepare to take a new, leisurely look around, as you relax into the breathtaking natural glory of Iceland, and explore this unique location – filled with folklore, fabulous food and fantastic fjords.

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Slow the pace and discover the refreshing approach to life that Djupivogur has made its trademark. Sitting on a peninsula to the south-east of Iceland the glacial approach to life here wins many hearts. A place where hammers knock on metal in workshops artists ladle paint onto canvases and wild ponies roam across mountains Djupivogur is an uninhibited artistic hub – full of makers and creatives. The most expansive project is the 34 egg sculptures that dot the coastline created by the Icelandic artist Sigurður Guðmundsson. Each egg represents a different native bird species. Fishing remains the primary industry and you can savour the soft fruits of the labour in restaurants serving up smoked trout and fish soup within their cosy confines. Wander the surrounding landscapes where snow-freckled mountains rise and lazy seals lie on dark rock beaches to feel Djupivogur’s natural inspiration seeping under your skin. Alive with greens and golds in summer further ventures reveal bright blue glaciers and the sprawling waterfalls of Vatnajökull National Park. The cliff-hugging puffins of Papey Island are a short boat ride away while Bulandstindur Mountain’s pyramid shape is a stand out even among these fairy-tale landscapes

The town of Húsavík sits below Húsavíkurfjall mountain on the eastern shore of Skjálfandi bay. Just above the town is lake Botnsvatn, a popular place for outings. The lake is just the right size for a nice hike around it. The lakes surroundings are rich in vegetation and bird life and trout is said to be abundant, though small. Húsavík harbour lies below the bank right in the heart of town. The harbour once boasted a large fishing fleet, bustling with the activity of fishermen. It still serves as a fishing harbour but today’s activity revolves more around the successful whale watching businesses. The first organised whale watching excursions in Iceland started from here in 1995. Since then, whale watching has become a major attraction and Húsavík continues to be the leading destination for whale watching. In addition to the tours, a fascinating whale museum is located right by the harbour. Húsavík is considered to be the oldest settlement in Iceland. The Swedish explorer, Gardar Svavarsson, spent one winter there in 870 AD during which time he built himself a house from which the settlement derives its name.

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There’s simply nowhere better than Husavilk – the European capital of whale watching – for getting up close and personal with the majestic giants of the ocean. Feel the awe as whales breach the waves around you before gulping in air and plunging away with almighty tale flicks. Pretty Husavik is framed by the majestic Húsavíkurfjall mountain which swells up behind creating a stunning backdrop for the town’s tiny wooden warehouses cherry red houses and undulating fishing ships. Sail among gentle giants in Shaky Bay spotting humpbacks minke whales and the world’s biggest – blue whales. You may also see teams of smaller white-beaked dolphins skipping across the waves displaying the full range of acrobatic skills. The town’s whale museum is an interesting journey through Iceland’s relationship with the sea giants while its restaurants serve up local specialities – taste juicy reindeer burger and plokkfiskur a buttery mash of local fish. Hikes and horseback rides into the surrounding countryside can take you up around Lake Botnsvatn to views down from the slopes of the Húsavíkurfjall – where purple spired lupin flowers spill down amongst the emerald slopes. From the summit look out over views of the bay reaching out to the crumpled snowy peaks beyond. Or feel the full force of this land of natural power at Dettifloss Waterfall one of Europe’s most powerful thrashing flumes.

A charming fishing village and port in the middle of Iceland’s eastern fjords, Eskifjörður is surrounded by a spectacular panorama of glaciers, icebergs, volcanoes and waterfalls accessible via land and boat. Two mountains, Eskja and Hólmatindur, dominate the fjord; Hólmatindur is renowned by locals as the most beautiful mountain in the vicinity. In 1786, Eskifjörður was established as an official trading post and has been a commercial centre since 1798. In 1998, Eskifjörður joined Neskaupstaður and Reyðarfjörður to form the new municipality of Fjarðabyggð, or ‘fjords-settlement’. Since village culture and industry has been shaped by the sea, a stroll through Eskifjörður is recommended. Along the way, historical buildings, piers and the Maritime Museum offer a splendid look at the vestiges of the town’s seafaring history, as does the Randulfssjóhús Lodge, unchanged since 1890. You can taste the shark and dried fish still produced here utilizing traditional methods observed for generations, or set sail around the picturesque fjord and try your hand at fishing the teeming coastal waters. Eskifjörður’s geology is especially notable for producing some of the most beautiful and exquisite stones in existence. Some of the world’s largest spar crystals have been excavated from one of the most famous spar mines along the coast, and thousands of polished, cut and original stones from all over the island are displayed in the Sören & Sigurborg Stone Museum, and the Petra Collection in Stöðvarfjörður. Due to its compact size, Eskifjörður can be easily explored in just a single day.

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Almost swallowed up by the looming forms of Eskja and Hólmatindur mountains the quiet fishing village of Eskifjordur minds its own business in the midst of some of Iceland’s most extroverted natural scenery. A place where the wind’s gentle whistle and the whir of fishing rods unspooling are the only sounds you hear as you stroll Eskifjordur is a peaceful introduction to eastern Iceland’s fjord lands. Get lucky and you’ll witness the scenic setting bathed in an otherworldly achingly-beautiful light – as daylight trickles away and emerald plumes spread across the night’s sky. Natural wonders abound here whether it’s the streams that gurgle the finger-like reach of the Reyðarfjörður fjord or the geothermal pools that bubble with warmth from the depths of the earth. Hólmatindur mountain lends the area’s scenery evocative drama soaring from the waters like a snow-speckled pyramid. Ambitious hikers who conquer the peak will be richly rewarded with magnificent widescreen panoramas across the stunning landscape.  The views are no less mesmerising from ground level with pretty cherry-red fishing huts adding a charming accent to the landscape. Indulge in gentler walks among the cacophony of birdlife or take in cultural pursuits like the Maritime Museum and exposed spar mine nearby. Fishing is a way of life here and the glass-smooth fjord waters hold a rich bounty for keen anglers.

In bustling Kirkwall, the main town on Orkney, there’s plenty to see in the narrow, winding streets extending from the harbor. The cathedral and some museums are highlights.

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Scattered just off the northern tip of Scotland Kirkwall is the capital of the Orkney Islands – a scenic archipelago of fascinating dual heritage. The Viking influence is deep while a prehistoric past and World War history adds to the endless stories that these dramatic islands have to tell. Sparse and beautiful let the sweeping seascapes of frothing waves and dance of the northern lights enchant you as you explore. Windswept beaches are inhabited by whooping swans while grassy cliffs hide puffins amid their wavy embrace. Sea caves and crumbling castles – and the dramatic meeting of the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean add to the romantic beauty of these lands which may be physically close to the UK but feel an entire world away. The sandstone St. Magnus Cathedral is the centrepiece of Orkney’s main town – a place of winding lanes and atmospheric walks – and Britain’s northernmost cathedral is a masterpiece that took 300 years to complete. Started in 1137 the beautiful cathedral is adorned with mesmerising stain-glass windows and has been evocatively named as the Light of the North. Look down over the ruined Bishop’s and Earl’s Palaces nearby from the tip of the cathedral’s tower. Or test out the islands’ history-rich distilleries which produce smokey single malts – said to be the best in the world. You can also venture out to Europe’s best-preserved Stone Age Village at the extraordinary World Heritage Site of Skara Brae which offers an unparalleled vision into prehistoric life.

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As an isolated island of the remote St Kilda Group, Boreray island is one of the most far flung and weather impacted islands of the North East Atlantic. Imagine trying to live here during stormy weather. Landing requires jumping or swimming ashore; and yet the island has been lived on or visited from Neolithic times. Collecting seabirds and their eggs, and storing them for winter, may have been even more important than raising sheep. Boreray Sheep are the rarest breed of sheep in Britain. They evolved from short-tailed sheep brought from the Scottish mainland but have been isolated long enough to have evolved into a distinctive small and horned breed. Only found on Boreray Island, they remained as a wild flock when the last people left the St Kilda Islands in 1930. The Souy are a separate and different breed of sheep found on the other St Kilda Islands. Look out for the Boreray Sheep grazing on the slopes of hilly Boreray Island. Seabirds thrive on Boreray and its two attendant rocks stacks, raising new chicks each summer. Northern Gannets glide overhead as they attempt difficult landings at nest sites. Seeing gannets plunge from a great height into the sea is an exciting way to understand the effort required to feed themselves and chicks. Northern Fulmers nest on the volcanic rock cliffs and Atlantic Puffins fly in and out of burrow-strewn slopes. Boreray is part of the St Kilda World Heritage Site, a rare example of a site recognised for both its outstanding natural and cultural values.

St Kilda is a remarkable uninhabited archipelago some 40 nautical miles beyond the Outer Hebrides. The stunning cliffs and sea stacks are home to the most important seabird breeding colony in northwest Europe. St Kilda is one of the few places in the world to have received dual World Heritage status from UNESCO in recognition of its Natural Heritage and cultural significance. Village Bay on the island of Hirta once supported a population of over 200, but the last islanders left in the 1930s. Recent restoration work on the village by the National Trust for Scotland offers a marvellous link with the past. One of the caretakers acts as shopkeeper and postmaster for any visitors who might like to send a postcard home from St. Kilda.

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Gloriously remote, St. Kilda is an archipelago 50 miles off the Isle of Harris. Although the four islands are uninhabited by humans, thousands of seas birds call these craggy cliffs home, clinging to the sheer faces as if by magic. Not only is St. Kilda home to the UK’s largest colony of Atlantic Puffin (almost 1 million), but also the world largest colony Gannets nests on Boreray island and its sea stacks. The islands also home decedents of the world’s original Soay sheep as well as having a breed of eponymously named mice. The extremely rare St. Kilda wren unsurprisingly hails from St. Kilda, so birders should visit with notebook, binoculars and camera to hand.While endemic animal species is rife on the island, St. Kilda has not been peopled since 1930 after the last inhabitants voted that human life was unsustainable. However, permanent habitation had been possible in the Medieval Ages, and a vast National Trust for Scotland project to restore the dwellings is currently being undertaken. The islands even enjoyed a status as being an ideal holiday destination in the 19th century. Today, the only humans living on the islands are passionate history, science and conservation scholars. One of the caretakers even acts as shopkeeper and postmaster for any visitors who might like to send a postcard home from St. Kilda.It should be noted that St. Kilda is the UKs only (and just one of 39 in the world) dual World Heritage status from UNESCO in recognition of its Natural Heritage and cultural significance.

Nestled behind lofty city walls, Londonderry is a destination of culture, which boasts an increasingly envied reputation. This Northern Irish city is still riding on the momentum of a fantastic 2013, when it was named as UK City of Culture, and singled out as one of Lonely Planet’s top 5 destinations to visit. The wonderfully preserved city walls are perhaps Londonderry’s most treasured charm, and they encircle 1,450 years of history, and are over 400 years old. The walls came to the fore of the city’s history during the Siege of Derry, back in 1688 – when King James’s forces attacked, causing mass starvation and suffering over 105 days of stalemate. It takes approximately an hour to wander the entire circuit of the walls, and see their seven gates, and you’ll absorb a feast of information along the way. View the mighty cannons that boomed during the siege, or stop into one of the plentiful cafes, should you need a little refreshment before continuing your journey. St. Columb’s Cathedral, which dates back to 1633, towers over the walled city, and is one of the city’s most significant historic sites. Its dreamy spire contains a set of bells that have peeled out melodies here since 1638, making them Ireland’s oldest.

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Nestled behind lofty city walls, Londonderry is a destination of culture, which boasts an increasingly envied reputation. This Northern Irish city is still riding on the momentum of a fantastic 2013, when it was named as UK City of Culture, and singled out as one of Lonely Planet’s top 5 destinations to visit. The wonderfully preserved city walls are perhaps Londonderry’s most treasured charm, and they encircle 1,450 years of history, and are over 400 years old. The walls came to the fore of the city’s history during the Siege of Derry, back in 1688 – when King James’s forces attacked, causing mass starvation and suffering over 105 days of stalemate. It takes approximately an hour to wander the entire circuit of the walls, and see their seven gates, and you’ll absorb a feast of information along the way. View the mighty cannons that boomed during the siege, or stop into one of the plentiful cafes, should you need a little refreshment before continuing your journey. St. Columb’s Cathedral, which dates back to 1633, towers over the walled city, and is one of the city’s most significant historic sites. Its dreamy spire contains a set of bells that have peeled out melodies here since 1638, making them Ireland’s oldest.

Dublin is making a comeback. The decade-long “Celtic Tiger” boom era was quickly followed by the Great Recession, but The Recovery has finally taken a precarious hold. For visitors, this newer and wiser Dublin has become one of western Europe’s most popular and delightful urban destinations. Whether or not you’re out to enjoy the old or new Dublin, you’ll find it a colossally entertaining city, all the more astonishing considering its intimate size.It is ironic and telling that James Joyce chose Dublin as the setting for his famous Ulysses, Dubliners, and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man because it was a “center of paralysis” where nothing much ever changed. Which only proves that even the greats get it wrong sometimes. Indeed, if Joyce were to return to his once-genteel hometown today—disappointed with the city’s provincial outlook, he left it in 1902 at the age of 20—and take a quasi-Homeric odyssey through the city (as he so famously does in Ulysses), would he even recognize Dublin as his “Dear Dirty Dumpling, foostherfather of fingalls and dotthergills”?For instance, what would he make of Temple Bar—the city’s erstwhile down-at-the-heels neighborhood, now crammed with cafés and trendy hotels and suffused with a nonstop, international-party atmosphere? Or the simple sophistication of the open-air restaurants of the tiny Italian Quarter (named Quartier Bloom after his own creation), complete with sultry tango lessons? Or of the hot–cool Irishness, where every aspect of Celtic culture results in sold-out theaters, from Once, the cult indie movie and Broadway hit, to Riverdance, the old Irish mass-jig recast as a Las Vegas extravaganza? Plus, the resurrected Joyce might be stirred by the songs of Hozier, fired up by the sultry acting of Michael Fassbender, and moved by the award-winning novels of Colum McCann. As for Ireland’s capital, it’s packed with elegant shops and hotels, theaters, galleries, coffeehouses, and a stunning variety of new, creative little restaurants can be found on almost every street in Dublin, transforming the provincial city that suffocated Joyce into a place almost as cosmopolitan as the Paris to which he fled. And the locals are a hell of a lot more fun! Now that the economy has finally turned a corner, Dublin citizens can cast a cool eye over the last 20 crazy years. Some argue that the boomtown transformation of their heretofore-tranquil city has permanently affected its spirit and character. These skeptics (skepticism long being a favorite pastime in the capital city) await the outcome of “Dublin: The Sequel,” and their greatest fear is the possibility that the tattered old lady on the Liffey has become a little less unique, a little more like everywhere else.Oh ye of little faith: the rare ole gem that is Dublin is far from buried. The fundamentals—the Georgian elegance of Merrion Square, the Norman drama of Christ Church Cathedral, the foamy pint at an atmospheric pub—are still on hand to gratify. Most of all, there are the locals themselves: the nod and grin when you catch their eye on the street, the eagerness to hear half your life story before they tell you all of theirs, and their paradoxically dark but warm sense of humor. It’s expected that 2016 will be an extra-special year in the capital, as centenary celebrations of the fateful 1916 Easter Rising will dominate much of the cultural calendar.

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Atmospheric cobbled streets with buskers scraping fiddles and characterful pubs inviting passersby inside is Dublin in a snapshot. Horse-drawn carriages plod along cobbled centuries-old streets blending with an easy-going cosmopolitan outlook. Known for its fun-filled gathering of pubs any excuse works to enjoy a celebratory toast and chat among good company. Home to perhaps the world’s most famous beer – slurp perfect pourings of thick dark Guinness – cranked out for the city’s thirsty punters. Learn more of the humble pint’s journey at the Guinness Storehouse. Dublin has come along way since the Vikings established a trading port here back in the 9th Century. In the time since the city became the British Empire’s defacto second city and the Georgian imprint still adds oodles of historic character. Learn of 1916’s Easter Uprising when the Irish rebelled and established their independence here as you visit the infamous haunting Kilmainham Gaol. The uprising’s leaders were tried and executed in these dark confines. Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral has immense history below its steep spire which dates back to 1191. There’s rich literary heritage to leaf through too and the city’s streets were rendered vividly in James Joyce’s classic Ullyses. The Museum of Literature celebrates the full scope of Dublin’s lyrical talents. Trinity College also has a prestigious roll-call of alumni – visit to see the Book of Kells a beautifully illustrated bible of the medieval era.