The Small Isles and sea lochs: Wildlife havens 6-nights

25 September 2024

We were so spoilt on the Lucy Mary. We were supremely looked after by a very knowledgeable and experienced skipper with an immaculate boat and such a good crew. We saw so much wildlife, ranging from lots of white tailed eagles, golden eagles, dolphins, seals, blue fin tuna, Minke whales and so much more. The service on board was of the highest standard with a chef who should have been working in a Michelin star restaurant, but perhaps she was! They say that quality is all in the details - and on board the Lucy Mary every tiny detail was considered and was correct. I would love to go back next year, but they are apparently fully booked. Roll on 2026!

Tom Moore

21 September 2024

Emma, my daughter and l spent the above on the Elizabeth G. from September 21st, and it was the most magical and marvellous time . We enjoyed every minute and this was due to in large part part to the magnificent crew. With thanks to you and the organisation  for arranging all this.  Best Wishes from us both Daphne Lovelace.

Daphne Lovelace

21 September 2024

This was such a magical adventure. I can't praise the crew highly enough, with the attention to detail, caring approach, thoughtfulness and professionalism all making our trip so easy, relaxing, happy and fun. I travelled with my elderly mother who benefited from a helpful hand navigating some of the wobblier walking moments and was thrilled at the generous approach towards topping up her wine glass. The kindness and thought put into celebrating her birthday was hugely appreciated. Like me, she came away having enjoyed fabulous scenery, majestic views (we were so fortunate with the weather), amazing animal encounters, excellent food, cleanliness throughout and generous hospitality, but it was the sheer friendliness and kindness of the crew that made the holiday so perfect. I brought with me various food intolerances and not once did I feel that I was getting second-best, indeed quite the opposite with my own freshly-baked cake each day and a very understanding approach from the fabulous Izzy and Craig. Hannah provided expert wildlife guidance and was so welcoming, knowledgeable, kind and engaging. We could make informed decisions about the walks and she was always available and wonderfully enthusiastic, providing a helpful recap each evening that also helped bring our fellow guests together. Chris was a very welcoming skipper and we benefited from his expertise (changing routes to avoid choppy water / bad weather) and particularly appreciated his summary each evening of where we'd been and cruising plans for the next day. Craig was the most perfect steward/bosun in making us feel so very welcome and at home, with laughter plenty and every guest detail noted and remembered. Izzy cooked the most incredible meals and we were sated and amazed each day, with delicious and inventive food and great thoughtfulness regarding dietary needs. Huge congratulations and thanks to all the team for making our holiday so very special. In summary, our cruise was incredibly special and very magical. We can't praise the team enough and found all elements to work so well together, from the amazing food to the friendliness and professionalism, with such a stunning backdrop and a very well understood and researched itinerary. Pausing the boat to enjoy dolphins, view white-tailed eagles and hunt for the elusive Minke whale really did put guests first, most importantly in balance with nature too. A holiday we will never forget and certainly one that we would repeat.

Rebecca Lovelace

21 September 2024

The whole experience was exceptional from beginning to end. We were very comfortable in our cabin. The scenery was stunning and our wildlife guide did her best to make sure we didn't miss any potential sightings. Her local knowledge meant we learned loads about both wildlife and each place we visited. The food provided was plentiful and of amazing variety and quality and we felt nothing was too much trouble for the whole crew who seemed determined to make our time on Elizabeth G the best it could be. The personal touches were particularly appreciated! Thank you Chris, Craig, Hannah and Izzy for making our time on board unforgettable.

Jennet McLeod

21 September 2024

Everything was excellent including the weather.  Our particular request to climb An Sgurr was given priority!  Really could not have asked for more from all of the crew whose exemplary efforts and contributions went beyond first class.

Peter Astle

31 August 2024

We had a wonderful week, what a terrific way to see more of our beautiful country.  We are so pleased we decided to cruise with Hebrides Cruises.  With Rob’s expert knowledge, we were delighted to be able to visit all of the small isles with the added bonus of the Cairns of Coll, Coll and Tobermory. Great to have Bella to guide our walks which were well pitched at our abilities.  Les’s mobility is a bit restricted but with Rob and Bella’s help, and he felt very safe in transferring to and from the tender, which was very much appreciated.  This allowed him to go ashore with confidence.  Everything we could have hoped for – comfortable cabin, extremely well appointed public areasand plenty of outdoor space to enjoy the scenery.  The hospitality of all the crew was exceptional, making for a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere from the minute we stepped on board.  Nicole’s food was excellent, a great and delicious variety of meals which made every meal time a pleasure. And terrific cakes!  Abbie as steward seemed to be everywhere at once – serving food, looking after the bar, servicing the rooms and working on deck with Bella.  With Rob and Bella, all in all a great team.

Karen Ness

4 May 2024

Fantastic week exploring. Didn't quite know what to expect.. but it exceeded our expectations. The crew were all extremely hospitable and made us very welcome. The food provided by Carlton the chef was like going to a great restaurant every night. None of us had done anything like this before and we all came away blown away by it. We had the cabins with single beds at the front of Elizabeth G and given we are tall people it suited us better that the double bed cabins would have. Thanks to Alasdair, George, Craig and Carlton for giving us such a special week and Emma for making the booking process easy. We will be back Stuart

Stuart Mosley

4 May 2024

Every aspect of the cruise was wonderful. We explored and walked on most of the small islands. We saw many mammals both big and small and George our wildlife guide was extremely knowledgeable. All of the crew were friendly and Carlton's cooking was excellent. The whole cruise was well organised and well paced and we will be recommending the cruise to friends and family. A very memorable trip.

Naz and Jacqui Ghigi

18 September 2023

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 2023

Well! Where does one start to describe such a phenomenal adventure.  As a couple of old folk, well into their eighties, with one of us disabled and only recently diagnosed with dementia. You may wonder what on earth were we doing, taking on a  small vessel  wild life cruise into the seas around the Hebrides.  An act of Faith, maybe. Fear not!   This is no ordinary “cruise company”.   Read on,  this is something else.  From the very onset, when first contacting  Emma, (and before realising we had a dementia situation) ,  we were treated with immense respect, given prompt very sincere answers to all our queries and immediately realised we were dealing with a very genuine company and warm people. We could do this! So it proved to be.  All the guidance and joining information was detailed, accurate and very helpful. On arrival at North Pier, Oban, prior to boarding, we were met by the most friendly of people who promptly took our luggage and conveyed it to our boat, LucyMary. And there she was!  The most handsome of vessels, gleaming and awaiting her guests, whilst laid alongside the pontoons.  We felt like royalty.  At the foot of the companionway stood owner Rob,  waiting to greet his guests.  No, not captain, skipper, or the like, simply Rob.  The head of what was for the duration, a close knit group of guests and crew who blended together seamlessly into one very happy family the whole  trip.  The crew of four were simply brilliant.  Starting with Rob, of course. Then in no particular order -  Indie, our extraordinary and knowledgeable naturalist and wild life expert.  Abbie, delightful, ever accommodating stewardess, who looked after everyone with continuous attention. Serving meals, making drinks, tidying cabins, fetching and carrying.  Then , the chef! Perry. Wow, what he produced in the galley was exquisite.  But,  it didn’t stop there. All of the crew joined in where appropriate with any other duties too.  Launching the tender for trips ashore, putting fenders in position prior to berthing alongside, ensuring the cables were correctly placed on the quayside and boat. All very professional, with few words of command.  A “well run ship”indeed. Very impressive.  So we set sail.  Lucy Mary smoothly glided away from the jetty.  This was our boat now for six glorious nights. Go where you like on the boat, said Rob. On the Flying Bridge, the Wheelhouse, numerous seating and lookout areas, up in the Bow.  Fabulous!  No sooner were we out of the harbour, when the ever vigilant naturalist Indie was pointing out something interesting. He has a very keen eye, at times you would think he had an in built radar system, such was his skill at spotting even distant specks which invariably turned out, at closer quarters, to be precisely what he said. Gannets, Shag, Gulls of various types, Grey heron, Sea Eagles, Golden Eagles, Otters, Red deer. Porpoise, etc. he was constantly on the alert for anything of interest.  Rob and Indie, frequently had their heads together, plotting and planning the most interesting and potentially rewarding locations in which wildlife could be seen, all the time noting the sea and wind conditions for a comfortable trip, culminating in an interesting and calm harbour in which to moor up or drop anchor overnight.  Then, as evening approached, everyone was contemplating Dinner.  What surprise would Perry conjure up tonight?  His magic in the galley was a delight.  And so we eventually turned in. To our very cosy, heated, well equipped cabin, en-suite and well endowed  with storage space. Next morning, everyone was at breakfast by 8am. Eagerly awaiting Rob’s latest info on weather conditions and any changes to the plan for the day.  Throughout our entire trip, the consideration, thoughtfulness and attention given to everyone on board was exemplary.  Nothing was too much trouble.  As for the two older folk, they had  the most fabulous time and were very well looked after all the time.  This was really a stand out trip for us, amongst several special experiences abroad over the years.  Our profound thanks again to an outstanding crew, wonderful fellow guests and by no means forgetting Emma, on shore, for her valued contribution. God Bless and “Carry on sailing, the HebridesCruises way” A remarkable maritime family.  Mike and Margaret

Mike & Margaret Knighton