Land of the birds

Greg Manning sails his Fairey Atalanta from Arisaig in the West Highlands to the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides

Our speed over ground aboard Polaris reads 16kts. It’s midnight and the black, star-studded sky jigs around overhead. I’m tethered to the helm, watching our instruments like a hawk as I bear away to t

Back to sea. Off to the end of land, away from the pastoral, the pretty order of serene lawns, blackbirds and cottages, farms and ploughed earth. The tide carried us back down the sheltered rivers of

There are many highs to cruising around the Adriatic in high summer and getting paid for the pleasure but somehow it’s the shuddering lows that stick in the mind. Given that it is a very human trait t

From spending time with Arctic communities to visiting remote Polynesian islands, we pick 21 expedition cruises that offer a different angle on the world…

Celebrating 100 years of the BBC Shipping Forecast, Jane Russell takes us on a series of coastal cruises through the forecast’s sea areas, exploring some of the special places on offer in each zone