11 June 2022
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
Do it! If your a townie then you will be so amazed by it all and even if you live with wildlife on your doorstep you will still be amazed. As a vegetarian I was particurlary impressed by the standard of meals. Special praise to the crew in particulary, Ruth and Helen, they both went above and beyond to make the trip a really comfortable well-fed and friendly experience. Can't wait to return!
Ann Thurlow: 14 September 2019Skye and the Small Isles: Hebridean horizons