Remote corners of the British Isles you can visit on a cruise

Many British Isles cruises stick to the same major ports – places like Southampton, Liverpool, Dublin and Edinburgh – and concentrate on offering excursions to famous and very busy sights such as Stonehenge and Edinburgh Castle. These itineraries can work well for first-time visitors from abroad. But especially for British and Irish residents, of more appeal may be cruises on smaller vessels that take you to much less visited ports, and to off-the-beaten-track or far-flung corners of Britain and Ireland. Here is a selection: Noble Caledonia's exploratory voyages of less-discovered parts of the British Isles include a journey from Plymouth up to Oban that focuses primarily on seabird-rich islands. Among the stops are the Isles of Scilly, Lundy (famous for puffins), Skomer and Grassholm off Pembrokeshire, Ailsa Craig (large gannet colony), Northern Ireland's Rathlin Island (auks, kittiwakes and grey seals) and remote St Kilda, home to Britain's highest cliffs. Zodiac landing craft are sometimes used to get ashore. An Outer Hebridean exploration: Majestic Cruises' pint-sized but comfy vessels explore the secluded parts of the west coast of Scotland and the Hebrides. A fourth ship, the 12-passenger Glen Shiel, is joining the fleet in 2019 (with cruises also scheduled for 2020) and will offer trips from Oban to the Outer Hebrides, taking in Barra (where planes land on the beach), Taransay (put on the map by the BBC reality TV show Castaway) and the Callanish Standing Stones on Lewis.

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Auberge Resorts Collection Announces Strategic Partnership with Bdt & Msd Partners

PR Newswire | February 02, 2024

The Friedkin Group announced today that the company has entered into a strategic partnership with BDT & MSD Partners ("BDT & MSD"), a merchant bank built to serve the distinct needs of business owners and strategic, long-term investors. BDT & MSD, through its affiliated hospitality investment vehicle, will make a minority investment in Auberge Resorts Collection, the manager of the award-winning portfolio of luxury hotels, resorts, residences and private clubs set in some of the world's most desirable locations. In addition, BDT & MSD's hospitality vehicle intends to invest significant capital towards acquiring and developing luxury hotel and residential assets that will be branded and managed by Auberge Resorts Collection. The partnership reflects BDT & MSD's belief in Auberge Resorts Collection's unique brand positioning and focus on creating one-of-a-kind luxury hospitality experiences. The investment will support Auberge's continued strategic growth in the Americas, Europe and beyond, with a focus on gateway urban markets and high-profile experiential destinations. "This partnership further solidifies Auberge Resorts Collection's position as the leading name in boutique luxury hospitality and marks a new and exciting era for our world-class portfolio," said Dan Friedkin, chairman of Auberge Resorts Collection and chairman and CEO of The Friedkin Group. "BDT & MSD's differentiated, long-term capital and expertise in luxury hospitality investments makes them a perfect strategic partner and will allow us to further grow the strength of the Auberge brand." "Auberge is a world-class manager of distinctive luxury hotel properties, with an exceptional track record of delivering curated guest experiences in the world's leading hospitality markets. We are excited to be a part of its future and look forward to partnering with Auberge's talented team to build on its differentiated strengths and accelerate further growth," said Coburn Packard, partner & head of real estate at BDT & MSD. Since becoming part of The Friedkin Group in 2013, Auberge Resorts Collection has grown into the leading name in boutique luxury hospitality, comprising 27 unparalleled properties across the U.S., Latin America and Europe, with a development pipeline of over a dozen hotels and two additional hotels planned to open in Florence and South Carolina this year. While each property is unique, all share a crafted approach to luxury and bring the essence of the location to life through one-of-a-kind design that reflects the destination, exceptional cuisine and dining experiences that attract both the local community and global traveler, innovative spas and wellness retreats and highly personalized service.

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