Foula Island Scotland Shetland
United Kingdom

3 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Ponant (3 Cruises)


Frequently Asked Questions

By inflatable boat, and only if the swell allows. No quay can take a cruise ship. That uncertainty is part of the trip: here the sea decides, and a scheduled call is never guaranteed.
About thirty kilometres west of the Shetland archipelago, in the North Atlantic. The island is essentially five summits pressed together and set on the sea, and it ranks among the most isolated inhabited islands in the United Kingdom.
Around thirty, spread across a few farms clinging to the low ground in the east. The island has its own school, a small church and a grass airstrip served from Shetland by tiny aircraft. Supplies depend on a handful of boat crossings.
Walk, mainly. Some follow the single road across the low ground, others climb to the ridges for the 360-degree view over the sea, with Shetland showing clearly to the east. The rock formations of the west coast are approached freely, with no barriers and no waymarked path.
Da Kame rises 376 metres above the waves, placing it among the highest sea cliffs in Britain. Further south, the fissure of Sneck o da Smallie cuts 70 metres into the rock. To the north, the Gaada Stack, a sandstone arch pierced by two openings, stands offshore.
Yes, of the great skuas. The island holds one of the world's highest concentrations of these predators, known to Shetlanders as bonxies, and they will fly very close to walkers who approach their nests. Following a local guide is the best way to cross the moor without disturbing its occupants.
Puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes and fulmars nest on the cliffs and slopes. In spring and summer the sky is never silent. A local guide teaches you to spot the puffin burrows and to read that landscape of sound.
Because the community still follows the old Julian calendar for its festivals: Christmas falls on 6 January. Vikings settled here around the year 800, and their legacy survives in the farm names of the Hametoon, the southern hamlet.
For families with teenagers used to walking, yes. The inflatable landing, the complete absence of shops and services, the rough ground and the territorial skuas make it unsuitable for young children or anyone with reduced mobility.
Late May to early August, when the bird colonies are full and the sea most often allows a landing. The weather changes within minutes and every break in the cloud becomes an event: waterproofs and a windproof layer are essential even on a fine forecast.