Leg 6/2027

May 22, 2026

12 – 23 June Kirkwall/Orkney – Fair Isle – Shetlands – Bergen/Norway, 300 nm

This leg must be the highlight for many sailors: Imagine to start in the remote island of Orkney north of Scotland and then sail even further north! We will sail to Fair Isle and then continue even further to Shetland and finally to Bergen in Norway.

While this route is not taken very often by ordinary sailors, we would not be the first to do this route: for the Vikings, this was their back garden!

But for modern sailors, this is a cruising ground hardly explored by ordinary sailors. Maybe that’s also the reason, Regina Laska has Lerwick as her home port, the main town on Mainisland in Shetland? It’s a cool place to call one’s home port and this for a reason: When I could pick any officially acknowledged home port for commercial ships, I chose the one closest to Scandinavia. Ler-wik, in Swedish it would be Ler-Vik or in English: Muddy Bay! For centuries, Shetland was Norwegian (let’s call it Scandinavian, so I may be part of it – as the Swede I am!). So this Scandinavian island with all its Viking history and Norse Names in every street corner is Regina Laska’s home!

So, in 2027 it’s time to visit your home town, dear Regina Laska! Who wants to join?

But first things first: Before you even start boarding Regina Laska, you will have traveled to Orkney, per se an archipelago worth exploring, with its heritage and two famous distilleries (Scapa and Highland Park). So maybe you wish to arrive a couple of days early to explore Orkney with its famous distilleries and history?

Orkney is true viking country, with a huge history from the wars (just google “Scapa Flow”!).

The radio museum, Kirkwall, Orkney

From more recent date (1798) is the Highland Park distillery, for many a must when calling into Kirkwall.

A bottle of Highland Park on the pricy side. But then again, the year it was born must have been extraordinary… :-)

Highland Park is one of the very few (I believe there is only one more) still malting by hand by themselves.

Peat fire burning at Highland Park. How many distilleries still do this? I know of only one more in the entire world.

The four distills at Highland Park. “Probably the best spirit in the world” as they claim. There might be one or two others, who could claim the same. One of my favourites for pre-dinner enjoyment is Scapa, just a few kilometres from Highland Park away.

When you board Regina Laska, we will try to sail north as soon as a weather window opens up, since north of Orkney we find Fair Isle as a fascinating island consisting of Sheep and 50-odd inhabitants taking care of the island and producing the most beautiful true original Fair Isle sweaters. See my article about Fair Isle in Yachting World here.

Entering North Haven on Fair Isle

Sweaters in spe.

Hollie, who has made three Fair Isle Sweaters for me! After 27 years on Fair Isle, she is actually moving to mainland Shetland in 2027! I suppose we will have to meet her in Shetlands then…

Trying on my new tailor made Fair Isle.

Next stop is the Shetlands, which open up another fantastic cruising ground where we could stay for weeks if we had the time! See my article about Shetland Islands in Swedish På Kryss here (in Swedish) and in Yachting World here.

Shetland is all about Fiddle Music and every Wednesday night all the Shetlanders gather in “The Lounge” for the great weekly gig. So we better be there on a Wednesday night!