24 August 2024
We chartered the Lucy Mary for a Big Boat Adventure with our special and complicated family. It was even better than last year: there is a magical space where the sky meets the sea and everyone becomes their best self. Together our children, diverse in every way, were awed at following otter tracks up a pristine white beach, thrilled at fast and bumpy tender rides and delighted to hang over the bow with the dolphins. The crew scanned the sea for creatures great and small and navigated us into Fingal’s cave and up to the top of Ardnamurchan lighthouse; yet every adventure ended in a beautiful calm anchorage for swimming and sleeping. Each day we woke up to sparkling windows and stunning scenery; after each adventure we feasted on delicious fresh food at a whimsically decorated table. Somehow the water and wind and wild made the world stop awhile and we had huge fun and enjoyed every moment. Even the rain didn’t matter: our clothes dried superfast and we warmed up with hot chocolate and tea in thermos mugs (and chocolate cake). Next year’s adventure is already the highlight of our calendar.
Fiona Mylchreest
From start to finish, our trip was an experience that will remain a lifetime memory. From the welcome aboard by the fantastic crew, through the wildlife encounters around the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, to the absolutely fabulous cuisine and beautiful dinner table decorations which changed each day - we had a spectacular time. Skipper Chris ensured our individual needs were catered for aboard the Lucy Mary and during our short trips ashore. Nature guide Indy displayed an amazingly wide knowledge of the wildlife which we encountered and worked with Chris to ensure our experience was wholly memorable. While aboard, Olly, Abby and Calum ensured our trip was totally comfortable and relaxing - quite how Chef Calum managed to create such a tasty and varied menu in the small galley, we just have no idea. Our favourite dish was the rolled stuffed sole on a bed of risotto! The daily routine worked like clockwork, with beds made up and turned down as if by magic - there was even a bedtime chocolate treat left on our pillow each night! Of course our whole experience was made all the more special by the array of wildlife which we saw - there was even a White-tailed Sea Eagle which bade us farewell on our last morning as we left the calm of our overnight mooring on Loch Spelve! To our crew and Hebrides Cruises, thank you. We can't recommend you more highly.
Iain & Sue McNeil: 18 August 2025The Small Isles and sea lochs: Wildlife havens