15 August 2024
The whole experience was amazing from start to finish, and that’s even though we never managed to reach the Outer Hebrides, like we'd been hoping (too much wind/swell in the Minch, thanks to hurricane remnants from across the Atlantic, so the Captain advised we turn back to Skye). We chartered the Emma Jane for 8 days, and there were three generations of us from 11 to 65 (including two kids). Most amazing was Chef Louis, who did the impossible, and served food to suit us all, despite our varied and complicated dietary issues. (Very, very tasty food too.) He was ably assisted by Jenny, our Steward, who kept everything running smoothly. And now everyone misses having their breakfast toast served to them in a Harris Tweed toast cosy. The scenery and wildlife were just as amazing, ably interpreted by our naturalist guide Lynsey. We had several pods of dolphins come surf the bow wave, much to everyone’s delight. As well as eagles and many other bird and mammal sightings, as well as rainbows, castles, perfect beachcombing beaches, and so much more. Lynsey led our rambles ashore, with options for the less energetic among us to still enjoy a stroll while those with younger knees tackled the hills. James, our captain, did a fine job of avoiding the worst of the swells, and he consulted with us each step of the way, so even though we were disappointed not to get to Lewis/Harris, we knew it was for the best. James and Lynsey also made for excellent hosts at dinner. This trip was to celebrate our 30th anniversary, and James managed to surprise us by having his daughter pipe in our cake while we were docked in Tobermory, in fine Scottish style. I’ll keep overusing the word “amazing” as it’s the only word which just about manages to capture the experience. Highly recommended. If you are thinking about doing a Hebrides cruise, do it, and do it with these people. You will not be disappointed. Thank you James, Lynsey, Jenny, and Louis; you made our trip extraordinary. Comments from other family members: Awesome, highly recommended. So friendly, and nice people, incredibly accommodating (especially Louis), extra awesome. Emma Jane is the best! When can we go again? I loved everything about the trip.
Barry Twycross
Unfortunately our trip coincided with the most prolonged strong winds for twenty five years, which made the crossing to St. Kilda impossible. Nevertheless our skipper, James, made the best use of both wind and sea conditions and managed to get us over to the Outer Hebrides when other operators had been unable to do so. Taking advantage of the islands themselves we sailed almost the entire length of the archipelago, from Harris to Mingulay, going ashore on Eriskay, Vatersay, Harris and Mingulay. James also attempted to get us over to the Shiants, but we had barely cleared Scalpay when it became obvious to everyone that the conditions made this too dangerous. Despite these setbacks we had an interesting and enjoyable trip and were very grateful to James for what he enabled us to experience. We have nothing but praise for the way in which we were looked after on board by the rest of the crew; Viv served up a series of excellent meals (I still dream about her pork!), Charlotte was constantly busy seeing to our every need, and Will kept us alert, both on board and ashore, to any wildlife that was around and provided a wealth of information on our walks. All four crew members were a delight to sail with and I am only sorry that we had such a short time to say goodbye to them.
David Leonard Davies: 11 June 2022St Kilda and the isles of the Outer Hebrides