16 June 2022
Dear Emma, Just to say what a wonderful cruise we had! We found it excellent in every way. The weather was trying but only some of the time. Rob devised such a very good route with wonderful anchorages, and we made it to the Flannan Isles, the highlight I suppose. It was so good to be with such diverse fellow guests, and we had enormous admiration for all the crew members; they seemed so wonderfully cohesive and versatile in all they did for us. Bumble never ceased to produce wonderful meals; Craig turned from his anchor to cabin duties with amazing good will and skill, while Zoe had excellent recall on birds and was an attentive companion on shore, a really fine wildlife spotter. We had the added excitement of rescuing the yacht in trouble off Tobermory in which Rob applied all his skill and experience. Please pass on our gratitude to Rob in due course.
Julian & Sarah Lush
16 June 2022
First class all the way, food (including vegetarian) well catered, knowledgeable staff never short of information and practical help, never been so “looked after”. Yes book it. For us it was a lot of money compared to our usual trips but it was well worth it. We know the Western Isles pretty well but were taken to many new places and Kathryn had never really been on a ship before.
Neil & Kathryn Turnball
16 June 2022
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 2022
Considering this booking had been postponed from 2020 due to Covid, everything was as efficient as usual – thanks Emma! Couldn’t have done better and huge thanks to Rob, Craig, Zoe and Bumble for all they did to care for us throughout. Meals were amazing considering the size of the kitchen and the weather and Rob always made sure that we knew what was on the agenda each day.
A Bercellos
24 June 2021
Fabulous !I will be honest and admit that I hadn’t even heard of the Flannan Isles until I booked this cruise, so some speedy reading was called for! I’m please I did, for that little knowledge created an aura about the place, and when we were lucky enough (thanks to James !) to actually step ashore, then the highlight of my cruise was instantly created. Then, cruising across to visit the plethora of gannet further added to the Flannan experience, a fabulous place ! That is not to say it was the only highlight – the standing stones at Callanish were another highlight, and being able to anchor within sight of the stones just added to the experience. Those were my own personal highlights, but Eigg and The Shiants were also amazing places. St Kilda was always my dream island to visit, and I managed that on a previous cruise with you, but I must say, I think this cruise actually surpassed that one – what more can I say ! The crew were simply fabulous. Helen kept the accommodation spotless throughout, catered for our every need, Emma provided wonderful meals, Will was a true action man, pointing out wildlife, lifting anchors, fastening ropes precariously on Flannan, and of course, James was ever the perfect skipper. Each and every one of the crew were brilliant to share the cruise with, so friendly, so keen to provide absolutely anything that anyone wanted.
Mr Steve Lloyd
24 June 2021
All extremely good! We liked the way James varied the itinerary to make the best of the weather conditions - which were excellent! Amazing food and care by all crew was exceptional - I think we had the 'A Team!!' It WAS extra special! Best holiday ever!!
Brian & Barbara Corlett
24 June 2021
I can only say that the cruise was excellent in every way!
Tom Bairner
24 June 2021
Fabulous experience with glorious weather, good company and a phenomenal crew. Itinerary was superb and was adapted as the trip progressed to provide the best experience for all. Great deal of laughter throughout. Catering was superb. In summary a trip not to be missed
Michael Went
24 June 2021
A fabulous trip, we visited remote islands, saw lots of wildlife, ate wonderful food and had a lot of fun. James, Will, Emma & Helen did everything possible to make our trip memorable. We have already booked to come back in 2022.
John & Jenny Bartram
24 June 2021
Understatement to say that we had a wonderful time. The fabulous weather helped but it would have been superb regardless. We saw almost everything on the list (James and Will have an uncanny ability to spot cetaceans a long way off - radio control was suggested!) and appreciated the way the itinerary was kept flexible to allow for the changing swell conditions. Emma and Helen looked after us extremely well - fabulous food and service. A really professional and friendly crew! The other passengers were interesting and good fun. Brilliant ... we'll be back for sure.
Brian and Barbara Corlett
The best way of telling you what a marvellous time I had on this cruise is that I have arrived home and promptly booked another for next year, 8 nights instead of 6, on the “Lucy Mary” again! From ease of booking with Emma to arriving back in Oban on the final day, everything was given careful attention in order to ensure the trip was a special one. The boat, “Lucy Mary”, is extremely comfortable, well-equipped and of a design enabling me to spend hours with binoculars looking out over the sea or mountains in the hope of spotting wildlife, whether outside in the sun or snugly inside in the rain or wind! An important feature is the presence of a wildlife spotter, Indy, whose knowledge and enthusiasm enabled me to notice and identify many animals, birds and plants that I would not have seen by myself. This was also greatly contributed to by skipper Rob’s ability to take us to the ideal places to see the wildlife, as well as beautiful and spectacular scenery and buildings. In addition he chose routes suited to the weather conditions, and ensured that all of our wishes were considered. The food prepared by chef Perry was really excellent, with exceptionally good and varied vegetarian dishes for me. We had beautifully presented fresh fruit included at every breakfast, and fresh cakes or cookies to greet us on our afternoon returns to the boat after onshore visits. These excursions were varied and interesting, with a high degree of flexibility to satisfy all of us. Last but not least, Abbie kept all the accommodation on board clean and neat, adding many nice touches such as prettily-folded napkins, plus all the hard work involved in serving the food, cleaning the cabins and many other tasks. All the crew were friendly, cheerful and skilful. There are many more complimentary things I could say but really I’d just like to thank all of you for a uniquely memorable holiday
Stephanie: 18 September 2023The Small Isles and sea lochs: Wildlife havens