Hebrides Cruises is issuing an open invitation to the general public to view our mini-cruise vessels on April 22nd from 12 noon to 4.00 pm at Dunstaffnage Marina, 3 miles north of Oban
Our new luxury vessel, Proud Seahorse, is ready for her first wildlife adventures and our original vessel, Elizabeth G has been refurbished, offering comfortable accommodation at very good value for exploring the Hebrides and St Kilda. Come aboard and meet the crew to find out more about the vessels and the pleasures of a small-ship holiday.
Also onboard will be representatives of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust and the RSPB with whom we have a close relationship. A further feature of our cruises is the gourmet food served up on board and visitors can sample canapes from the Chefs. Very popular with guests are “Granny Mary’s scones” made by Rob’s mother in law for every cruise and these will also be on offer on the day.
If you've ever wondered if a small-ship cruise is for you, come along and find out more with all the information and advice you could possibly need from our friendly crews. Our vessels are easily spotted in the Marina but you could also listen for the sound of the bagpipes!
We set off on 28 June from Oban for our ten days exploration of the Hebrides with the hope that we’d visit St Kilda. We did, and so much more. The crew (Chris (skipper), Alexa (wildlife guide), Pete (cook), Emma (bosun), were fantastic from the off. They effortlessly transported our mountain of luggage to our comfortable cabins which Emma kept spotless through the cruise, as well as looking after us on the rough crossing to St Kilda through to Caribbean strength G&Ts. Chris was a really good skipper. He sailed the boat well and did his best to find a route that best managed his passengers’ seafaring abilities, and he also had a ceremony to give homage to the Blue Men of the Minch! Pete’s amazing menus incorporated our requests – I’ll always remember his mussels on the first night, his haggis Scotch eggs, my mother’s clootie dumpling and much more – and we appreciated how he involved the kids (9 to 11) in the kitchen. Alexa (with Chris) magic’d up an amazing array of wildlife with huge enthusiasm and great knowledge. We became blasé about the number of dolphins we saw – I can best quote Chris “the weather and the wildlife sightings are some of the best I’ve known in almost 20 years”. The weather was fantastic which enabled us to land and explore Tobermory, Canna, Sanday, Taransay, Hirta (St. Kilda), Mingulay, Vatersay, Rum, Lunga (Treshnish Isles) and Loch Buie, as well as sailing past Neist Point (Skye), Boreray (St. Kilda), Monachs, Hellisay in the Sound of Barra, Eigg, Staffa, Ulva and Iona. The weather was so good we were able to swim off Sanday, Taransay, Mingulay and Vatersay, as well as enjoy the hot tub. This was a trip of a lifetime for us all. We were able to see so many places which have been specks on the horizon for so long. The cruise was magical and extra special. It’s given us memories to last a lifetime!
George Mitchell: 28 June 2018Private Charter 10 Nights