Our Wildlife Guides are often asked, “What do you do in the winter?” Two of our Guides, Zoë Stevenson and Lynsey Bland have been very busy working on an exciting and delightful project when they weren’t guiding with us during the summer months. They are about to launch a children’s book which is turning into a major success story.
Two years ago Zoë approached Lynsey with an idea of a story, sparked by a comment “that it looked like black guillemots (also known as tysties) were wearing wellies when they fly.” Zoë imagined a colourful children’s book which would take a journey through the Hebrides, finding out what colour the “wellies” of the other bird species were. Lynsey jumped at the chance to be involved. During lockdown, when unable to go to sea, she had developed a passion for drawing seabirds. The opportunity to illustrate a children’s book celebrating the seabirds of the Hebrides in such a fun way was irresistible.
Zoë and Lynsey worked together on the text and illustrations to bring the idea of the book to life. The story follows Usha, a little girl on holiday in the Hebrides as she visits iconic landmarks, meeting different types of seabirds, with various colours of feet, while wearing her own coloured wellies of course. Zoë put a lot of thought into which locations to include in the story. Tobermory, on the Isle of Mull had to have a mention because it’s where Zoë and Lynsey live, while other destinations include the Isle of Coll, Scalpay Lighthouse and the isle of Staffa, famous for Fingal’s Cave. These are places which you may recognise from our cruises and you may also spot that a certain vessel looks very familiar! Once the text was complete, Lynsey characterised the story with her delightful illustrations
Zoë and Lynsey then launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the publication of the book, amazingly reaching their funding goal in just 24 hours. The enthusiasm for the book was so strong the fund doubled before the end of the campaign, and the book was featured as a 'Project We Love' by KickStarter. This caught the attention of Edinburgh-based publisher, Birlinn, who decided to take on the publishing and releasing of the book which was a major boost.
The publication of What Colour Are Your Wellies? would not have been possible without the support of the local community on Mull where Zoë and Lynsey live. They were delighted that so many of their friends and guests on board Hebrides Cruises loved the idea of the book and pledged to buy one or more copies.
Lynsey and Zoë hope that their book will inspire young children to look at what is around them and spark a passion for wildlife that will last their whole lives. “ What Colour Are Your Wellies?” will be officially published on 4 April 2024, available from local bookshops and online.
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