21 June 2025
I have to give the weather a dishonourable mention - it tried its best to disrupt our cruise, but as always, the crew onboard the Emma Jane just got on with their tasks and gave us all a memorable cruise ! I think they secretly like the challenges presented !! Some of the unexpected diversions and anchorages were a real treat, bringing the crew and guests together into a big happy group of people, strangers to start with perhaps, but everyone of them were good friends by the end. A great cruise !! I must give the crew their own name checks : Jake - a new member of the Hebrides Cruises family, but already a star, introducing little ‘extras’ when we were in the rib, he obviously put a lot of thought into providing us with the best ! Lynsey - a fabulous wildlife guide, and a fabulous friend if I may claim that honour. Charlie - superb chef, what wonderful meals we were served with, beans on toast at home just doesn’t cut it anymore ???? Jasmin - nothing was ever too much trouble, everything was always in the right place, spotless, and those table designs, amazing ! Perhaps even of more importance than all the obvious skill sets possessed, was the sense of fun, positivity and friendship shown. Marks out of ten for the crew and the cruise ?? Why, 11 of course !! A great big thankyou from me for a great time.
Steve Lloyd
21 June 2025
Fabulous cruise with first class crew. Jake our Captain got us safely to each destination, amending the itinerary as weather conditions changed. We nevertheless got everywhere we’d been promised and got to enjoy the wildlife to the max. Charlie, our cook supreme, fed us incredibly well and Jasmin, our steward, ensured we were so well looked after we didn’t want the cruise to finish. They also managed a birthday surprise for me, which was wonderful. Special mention to Lynsey, our guide, who managed to spot two humpback whales from a good few miles away, one of which hadn’t previously been seen in Scottish waters. We were able to spend a good while with them without ever feeling we were disturbing them. We also saw Harbour porpoise, common dolphins, seals, White-tailed eagles, an otter, a minke whale, a cuckoo, sea-birds galore (gannets, puffins, guillemots, razor-bills, fulmars to name a few) and heard the allusive Corn crake. The scenery was also fantastic. Incredibly dramatic as you’d expect and again Lynsey with her geology background was able to give further information. I had a great time with the other cruise guests who all helped make the cruise such an enjoyable holiday experience. My favourite moment was watching a pod of common dolphins speed towards the Emma Jane; swimming, jumping, tail slapping alongside and interacting with us before heading off. It was chucking with rain, but nobody cared, it was absolutely magical.
Jackie Phelpstead
10 May 2025
This was the perfect cruise - the crew and fellow passengers were a joy to be with . From Iain’s expert navigation of the Elizabeth G and getting us to the Shiants plus the other wonderful anchorages, Craig’s professional attention to our every need, Beccas wild life knowledge and Sallys talent in providing a never ending supply of delicious food . Add to this 8 days of glorious Scottish weather what more could we want . A big Thankyou to you all. We will be back again next year .
fiona Woods
10 May 2025
It was 8 lovely days in May, and my husband and I enjoyed it very much. Of course the sunny dry weather was very lucky for us. The food was excellent, well-prepared and right-sized portions and service was lovely. Our science officer was very skilled and helpful leading hikes/walks, spotting animals/birds, and identifying flowers.
Roberta Medford
13 July 2024
Far exceeded any of our expectations. Lynsey was spectacular. Charlie kept us well fed and Jazmin tended to all our needs. Rob helped us plan a great treck. Will definitely be returning and telling all the US of how great our trip was!
Kristina Rua
13 July 2024
A dream of a Hebridean Cruise! A huge Thank you! to Rob who took us to the most beautiful safe, sheltered & secluded anchorages each night, allowing us to relive tearful family memories on our favourite island haunts, and to discover new amazing places we could only get to on the Emma Jane! An exhilarating trip to the Shiants with thousands of puffins, and all wildlife spotting and island walks were led expertly by our naturalist guide Lynsey. And to top all of the that, we would always return to delicious feasts prepared by Charlie, and beautifully clean cabins, prepared with kindness by Jasmine. Thank you to you all, we will most definitely return with our family!
Claire & David Steel
13 May 2024
This was our second cruise on the Lucy Mary, so we had high expectations from last time, which were all fulfilled. Abbie was once again our steward, while skipper Lewis, Chef Jeya and Wildlife Guide Linsey were new to us. Our weather was exceptional, with Lewis keeping us well away from any bad stuff. We also achieved our top bucket list item of dolphin bow wave riding, with around 20 dolphins swimming with us on one day and then around 6 on a later day - stupendous. Our fellow travellers were all lovely people, which is such an important factor in these small cruise ships, and it was a nice touch for Lewis and Linsey to join us for our evening meals. Jeya’s food was consistently superb, and Abbie made sure we were always well looked after. Always impressive was the ability of the crew to turn their hand to pretty much any task, which meant that occasional glitches were dealt with smoothly and without fuss. Lynsey in particular was visibly always on the go, cleaning the decks while we breakfasted, guiding us on board and onshore, and helping brief and debrief us at the end of each day. Having such an experienced wildlife guide at your elbow at all times is what really differentiates this cruise from the competition. The whole experience felt like we were very much involved in agreeing or amending the itinerary for the following day, rather than simply being a passenger. We are already booked for a 10 day cruise next year.
John and Aileen MacLean
13 May 2024
Absolutely fabulous. We had some glorious weather. Food was amazing. I will never forget being surrounded by minke whales, playful dolphins and thousands of seabirds including puffins at The Shiants. Our guide Lynsey was so knowledgeable. The skipper Lewis found some wonderful places to anchor and I was able to get quite a few swims in. Our steward Abbie was very attentive and creative especially with the table settings every evening. Cabin was comfy. Here’s to next time
Cath Booton
13 May 2024
This trip exceeded our expectations because of the islands we visited and the landings we made. We have been trying to visit The Shiants for a year or so and we were delighted that we made it this time. Overall a fantastic trip with great weather. The crew were exceptional both individually and as a team. Lewis as skipper always had our comfort and best interests at heart and clearly explained what he was doing and why when plans had to be tweaked. Jaya’s menus were creative and full of surprises, we ate very well. Abbie looked after us very well from that first cup of tea in the morning through to last orders. Lynsey, who we’ve met on a previous trip, was as good as we remembered. Her knowledge and experience was so helpful in helping us to appreciate and understand what we were seeing. Finally, a great group of fellow passengers who we will happily travel with again. Thank you all for a great trip. Charmaine & John L
John Lomas
13 May 2024
I was longing to be aboard “Lucy Mary” again ever since stepping off her at the end of my cruise last September; I had felt surely it couldn’t be as good again - but it was. During the entire trip the 4 crew members worked extremely hard to make sure we had a thoroughly enjoyable time, with enthusiasm, professionalism and friendliness. It was great having Abbie as our charming and efficient steward again: I must mention her inventive table decorations, a beautiful highlight of every dinner time. The other three crew were new to me but outstanding. Jaya created mouth-watering meals and treats, with a zesty approach to the food, and indeed to life in general, which was very appealing. Lynsey as wildlife guide was supremely good, sharing her remarkable knowledge of the area and its wildlife so that we saw, heard and learned about many places, animals, birds and plants which would have gone unnoticed or unidentified had she not been there. All of the wonders we saw would, of course, have been unreachable without Lewis the skipper, who did his utmost to take us to all the places we were hoping to visit - with great success. The glorious weather, coupled with Lewis’s skilful handling of the boat and his careful route planning in conjunction with Lynsey and ourselves, gave us opportunities for reaching stunning destinations. There was plenty of time to savour all the experiences, whether on land by tender trips ashore or at sea by Lewis’s willingness to slow or stop for us to observe dolphins, whales, seals, seabirds. A crew working together for the best possible outcome and an amiable group of fellow passengers, travelling on a delightful boat in an area so rich in natural beauty, gave me another unforgettable cruise. Thanks wholeheartedly and see you next year!
Stephanie
The Small Isles, the Isle of Skye and the Shiants provide an enthralling and contrasting island experience. The “Small Isles” of Muck, Eigg, Rum and Canna, each have their own distinct beauty and character. Cruise times between islands are short, with always another lovely island vista on the horizon, with the invitation to go ashore to explore. The next stop is the Isle of Skye, with the dramatic approach from the sea to Loch Scavaig, which sits under the towering Cuillin mountains; some of the most dramatic scenery on the West Coast of Scotland. There will be a chance to go ashore and walk to Loch Coruisk, one of the remotest lochs on Skye. Heading up the sheltered Inner Sound of Skye past the Isle of Raasay, the magnificent Scottish mainland sea lochs of Torridon and Carron are potential stopovers. Then onwards out into the sea of the Hebrides to take in the remote Shiant Isles, often described as a mini St Kilda, a nesting site for thousands of sea birds. The Shiants were given to Adam Nicolson on his 21st birthday and his book “Sea Room” tells the story of these islands. Our guests were delighted to be given a guided tour of the islands by Adam in 2017 and meet his friend Jonathan Dimbleby, both in the photo with Skipper James.
Ben and I have recently returned from what was simply the most remarkable and unforgettable experience of the Inner Hebrides aboard the Emma Jane with family and old friends. We have travelled around northern Scotland many times over the years, mostly up in Assynt and across to the Outer Hebrides. We love the soul and spirit, the flora and the fauna of the ancient lands, it’s our ‘happy place’. We were so excited about the trip. Our experience with you surpassed so much of what we have done in the past. Yes, we were so very lucky with the weather and being on the sea in a beautiful boat is just wonderful. But none of it would have been so memorable without the delightful crew, each and every one of you who just made it such a magical trip. Charlie thank you for an abundance of delicious, tasty food that landed on the table day after day. Feeding us relentlessly and the scones were the best ever. Jas – Auntie Jas! – your attention to detail, always there when we needed you to be, popping up at just the right time. Subtly professional with amazing cabin tidying skills. Will – your astonishing wildlife knowledge will not be forgotten. It made such a difference to the trip to have you there feeding us with gems of information throughout. We learned so much and we both feel that our attitudes and perspectives towards the landscapes and the wildlife have been shaped as a result. Jake – thank you - you were always there, tirelessly working in the background to help and assist with a noticeable commitment to a safe operational environment. We were impressed with how professional you were. James – a massive thank you for being the ultimate skipper. Your lifetime of experience and local knowledge, your sense of humour and professionalism really put the icing on the cake for us. It was such a joy to have you guide us through each day and manage it all so seamlessly. And thank you for your mother’s book which I have read.
Suzanne Goodfellow: 5 May 2025Private Charter 6 Nights