10 July 2017
What a wonderful wonderful time we had on the Proud Seahorse. The whole crew were simply fantastic, helpful, cheerful, worked as a team and made our time very special. We were also fortunate to like minded travel companions and we all had lots of fun and laughs. Your chef Ross was a gem and every meal was an event that we loved sitting down to - food was plentiful and varied and delicious. Skipper Chris was extremely conscientious and dedicated. Lynsey the guide / naturalist was a very eagle eyed lookout and without her I would have seen very little - her dedication to spotting and cataloguing the many animals was always evident. Maddie was always a smiling presence no matter what she was doing and was indispensable to all of us. We will be highly recommending your tours on the Proud Seahorse to any and all who ask. Thanks again for a very special experience.
James & Catherine Whitmore
Visiting St Kilda is a privilege that has been my ambition for many years. Rain, rolling seas and thick mist could not dent my excitement. Three miles off the archipelago the cloud lifted to 300 feet and Hirta emerged from the murk. Kilda must be dramatic on a clear day, but the eerie shape of Dùn, rising like a half submerged dragon head, protecting Village Bay from Atlantic storms, heralded an emotive and unforgettable visit to the most westerly part of the British Isles. We spent a few hours ashore, taking in the unique and emotional remnants of twenty centuries of inhabitation, then the following morning we circumnavigated Hirta and Boreray. Countless seabirds swarmed in the skies, into and out of the mist; avian crowded stacs rose out of sapphire seas, teaming with seals, while puffins flapped, guillemots and razorbills chattered, gannets and fulmars soared while skuas watched them, and Soay and Boreray sheep danced across the cliff faces like mountain goats. Then we headed east and, as quickly as she had emerged, Kilda was reclaimed by the mist. The rest of the trip was great, and the weather even improved! Skipper Jake got us everywhere we wanted to go with easy going professionalism, wildlife guide Lauren’s love and knowledge of the seabirds and cetaceans was infectious, chef Charlie’s cooking was superlative, international and sooo tasty, and steward Tani was just lovely, proactive and personable. Also, as a solo traveller, it can be daunting spending 10 days with a dozen strangers…but the other passengers were as wonderful as the crew. 5***** Thank you Hebrides Cruises.
Ellen Orrock: 4 July 2025St Kilda and the isles of the Outer Hebrides