24 June 2019
We’re just back from a superb 10-night cruise aboard Elizabeth G. It’s our latest trip with Rob and his crew. With en-suite cabins now it’s even more of a luxury trip. Not that we spent much time in the cabin - instead we were generally found on the top observation deck, watching shearwaters dance across the waves, fulmars shoot past effortlessly, gannets flying in squadron-formation and panicky puffins duck beneath our wake. We’re enticed down for two reasons: bow-riding dolphins, when we hang over the bow sharing the excitement and energy of this spectacle with our fellow guests, and food: Mags was our cook preparing fabulous meals with local ingredients, including scallops hand-dived by our skipper, Rob. It was at dinner each evening that Rob would discuss the next day’s itinerary, balancing our wishes with the weather and his incredible knowledge of the most picturesque anchorages. Each day saw us exploring a new island with the help of Nigel our wildlife guide, taken ashore by Rob and Bosun Craig in the tender. And we even got to St Kilda. St Kilda is a unique place with a magical atmosphere; an atmosphere that lingers in part because of its remoteness. Rob found the weather window to allow a 2-night stay and it was here, on our trip round the stacs, that guests and crew came together on the front deck to gaze in awe at the thousands of seabirds around us. As we disembarked, a little sadly, in Oban on our last day I couldn’t help wonder how soon we’ll get the urge to return...
Catrin Lester
Dear Emma - Firstly, let me say a huge thank you to Rob, Craig, Bumble and Zoë for the wonderful way they made us feel so welcome and at home on Elizabeth G. Thanks too to Elizabeth G for being such a safe and reliable vessel. We wish the weather had been kinder but we always were able to take advantage of the trips ashore and saw some superb woldlife. We really enjoyed Bumble's great cooking and Zoë's excellent wildlife knowledge. Craig was amazing in the way he switched roles seamlessly and helped with the trips ashore. Rob's seamanship and experience was greatly admired and no more so than the day he responded to the Mayday call. He was also great to chat to and kept us amused in the wheelhouse on long wet passages with tales of colourful characters from his decades of association with the sea. It was an amazing experience - thank you.
Sue Hurst: 16 June 2022Far-flung islands: Harris, Taransay & the Flannan Isles