Our Skippers – over 90 years of combined experience on the west coast of Scotland
The Isles of the Hebrides and the West Coast of Scotland are stunning places to visit, and our three Skippers have the intimate knowledge and expertise of wildlife and seamanship to unveil the best parts to our guests. Between the three of them, they have over 90 years of combined experience of navigating these waters.
Our remaining availability for 2018 is for our autumn cruises so we asked our three skippers what their favourite autumn anchorage was. Autumn can sometimes provide the best weather of the season, with the beautiful autumn light adding even more drama and colour to the outstanding scenery. Autumn is also when wildlife is at its most prolific, with the young of many species very visible and autumn migrations. At least 60 bird species are identified on any cruise.
Skipper Rob Barlow: his favourite autumn anchorage is Canna Harbour
Canna harbour on the Isle of Canna, one of the “Small Isles”, is a very scenic harbour and very sheltered. It is the ideal location for landing guests ashore in the tender to enjoy the walks, wildlife and scenery. Seals, otters, golden eagles, and many seabirds and shore birds are seen. A walk up Compass Hill is easily achievable, offering stunning 360-degree views, looking south to Ardnamurchan, west to Digh Sgeir, north west to the Outer Hebrides, from North Uist to Barra, and east to the Cuillins of Skye. The perfect end to a perfect day on Canna is to call in to Cafe Canna for a blether with the locals and a reviving drink or delicious cake.
Skipper James Fairbairns: his favourite autumn anchorage is Isle of Eigg
The Isle of Eigg, one of the "Small Isles" has a secluded, quiet harbour in a dramatic setting with the massive cliffs of the Sgurr of Eigg towering above the vessel. There are regular sightings of dolphins and whales and occasionally basking sharks while at anchor, whilst enjoying sundowners on the foredeck, with the sun turning brilliant orange as it sets behind the Sgurr. This is one of the best places for guests to catch fresh mackerel for the Chef to prepare for dinner. Many of our guests opt to go ashore to scale the Sgurr of Eigg, providing amazing views of the other islands and the Cuillins of Skye
Skipper Chris Ireland: his favourite autumn anchorage is Loch Ceann Traigh, Ardnamurchan Peninsula
After a thrilling day at sea, watching out for cetaceans and seabirds, Skipper Chris loves this anchorage with fantastic views of the Small Isles and Skye. Loch Ceann is fringed with beautiful golden sandy beaches and machair which is a haven for otters and shorebirds and provides excellent coastal walks with outstanding scenery. This lovely sheltered anchorage is perfect for a coastal sunset. Nearby is beautiful Kentra Bay with more options for glorious beach walks.
Autumn Cruises 2018
We still have availability on some of our autumn cruises at great value, with two solo guest availability at no supplement:
Skye and the Small Isles: hebridean horizons
Mull, Iona, Staffa and the Cairns of Coll
The Small Isles and sea lochs: Wildlife Havens
We set off from Oban in the Elizabeth G under the expert skippering (is that a word ?) of Alistair, Bosun Craig was ever attentive providing drinks and excellenttable service, Zoe our guide pointing out various wildlife species and Charle our Chef providing delicious meals and snacks all throughout the cruise. I would nominate Charlie for Master Chef. Alistair plotted our course northwards, we saw Dolphins on our first day, poor Zoe couldn't get me to say pods, "herds of them" was my cry, it was amazing that these highly intelligent creatures would actively go out of their way to interact with us, it happened every day and our faces ached with the smiles these fantastic animals generated. We saw Minke whales almost every day as well The Elizabth G may be 60 years old but she is in excellent condition, strong, reliable, steady in a strong wind and swell because of her stabilisers, she has character and a beauty all of her own. She is big enough to give you confidence that she can tackle what mother nature throws at her but small enough to anchor in some truly amazing places. Every day you go ashore and explore another new location. (Weather permitting) Every member of the crew is dedicated to making sure you get the most out of your cruise, excellent food, excellent care, super knowledge of the flora and fauna. You go to bed every evening with your knowledge expanded, your spirits lifted. If you want to see Dolphins, Whales, Harbour Porpoises, Eagles, Shags, Gannets, Manx Shearwater, Gulls of every type, the list of encounters is limited only by the time/length of your cruise, sign up for a cruise as soon as you can. Alistair, the skipper has the utmost respect for the wildlife you encounter, every encounter is on the animals terms, their safety takes priority, he lets the wildlife come to the boat rather than pursuing it. His storytelling is wonderful, every evening he and Zoe join you and he shows you where you have been, where you are going and what weather to expect, there is even a knowledge test at the end o
David and Tracy Woods-Thomas: 28 August 2023Whale watching in the Northern Minch