There is a special time of year, and a particular area of the west coast, that is an amazing hub for wildlife. In September and October the shoals of mackerel attract cetaceans and sea birds in large numbers, making it a great time to be at sea, spotting dolphins, porpoises and minke whales. At the same time Manx shearwaters can be seen in huge rafts on the surface of the sea, while bird populations such as gannets and eagles are at their highest, with the young most visible before they depart to find their own territory. Basking sharks are still around, seals and otters are plentiful and on the coast the red deer are seen and heard as the annual rut is in progress. The cruise area is extremely scenic, including the “Small Isles” of Rum, Eigg, Canna and Muck, and the magnificent sea lochs of Loch Spelve on the Isle of Mull and remote Loch Sunart and Kentra Bay on Ardnamurchan. On shore, there are excellent guided walking opportunities on this cruise, with expert local knowledge on hand from all four crew and to top it all, delicious food from the galley.
28 September 2019
Well, what can I say, everything about this small cruise was first class. The crew, Chris, Craig, Alexa and Mags all looked after us from start to finish. The cabins were lovely with comfy beds, there was room to store everything and the en-suites were excellent. The food was absolutely delicious, thank you Mags. Every day was interesting and we saw plenty of wildlife, lots of white sided dolphins following the boat one day which was great. The weather was also brilliant and we were with a lovely bunch of folk. We’ll be back.
Shamim and Stanley Robertson
Hi It has taken some time to get around to writing this review - partly because I moved house 10 days after returning from my adventure! I thought long and hard about 'to go or not to go' and eventually took the plunge finally having chance to set foot on Hirta - the island I had first heard about some 30 years before - it was amazing to be there - and on Canna and Sanday, Harris, Vatersay, Rhum and the rest. The food was incredible and the fact that so much care and attention was taken of individual difficulties and allergies was such a relief as I was never worrying if something I abhorred or could eat would turn up on the table! Our skipper (Chris) and Bosun (Craig) were a wealth of knowledge and information which they shared freely and being allowed into the wheelhouse to see Hirta on the horizon and to be able to find out about lighthouse flashes, shipping lanes, navigation and weather reports was fascinating. I have never seen people work so hard and yet maintain such a pleasant, courteous and helpful manner. I had a wonderful time - basking sharks, Minke whales, dolphin bow racing, sea eagles, puffins and wild otter as well as the wild deer on Rhum - magical! I have come back with a diary and head full of memories and an i pad full of photos as well as the deep desire to save my pennies and adventure off again at some future date. Thank you, thank you for making my dreams come true
Una McLean: 16 July 2018St Kilda and the isles of the Outer Hebrides