7-DAY VIKING TRAILS & CELTIC ORIGINS: EDINBURGH EVENING STAY - Y650

Reykjavik, the capital and largest city of Iceland, is the gateway to Iceland's stunning natural wonders, which range from ice fields to boiling thermal pools. The landscape on the island seems to be in a continual process of transformation much like its society, which blends Nordic tradition with sophisticated technology. On the waterfront see the open-air history of shipping disasters. Read more about Reykjavik, Iceland

Heimaey is the largest island (13.4 sq.km.) in the Westman Islands or Vestmannaeyjar cluster, 7.4 km off the south coast of Iceland. The Landnáma Icelandic record states it was first settled in about 900. It is the only island in Vestmannaeyjar that is populated, with around 5000 inhabitants. Read more about Heimaey, Iceland

Djupivogur, a town (pop. 400) with a history of trading since 1589, lies on the east coast of Iceland in a region of incomparable natural beauty. The nearby lagoon, the Vatnajokull icecap and a range of glacial tongues feature some of Iceland's most famous scenery. Read more about Djupivogur, Iceland

Runavik is a village in the Danish archipelago of Faroe Islands, which lie midway between Norway and Iceland in the North Atlantic, and 320km NNW of Scotland. Modern Runavik port, on the island Eysturoy, was founded in 1916 and used by fishing boats. In past eras it was a Viking port. Read more about Runavik, Denmark

Queensferry is part of the City of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located 16 km to the NW of the city centre, on the shore of the Firth of Forth between the Forth Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge. The town still offers an environment that can transport you back to an earlier time more readily than most places in Scotland, especially if you can catch it in a rare traffic-free moment. Read more about South Queensferry, Great Britain

Rotterdam - located at the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta on the North Sea - is the largest port in Europe, and a perfect starting point for excursions to the cities of Holland. Few cities rebounded as quickly as Rotterdam following the Nazi invasion, which levelled the medieval heart of town, burning most of it to the ground. Today some of Europe's most bold contemporary architecture, such as the unique Cube Houses, can be found amid classic 18th and 19th C buildings in this, the greatest comeback city in the world. Read more about Rotterdam, Netherlands