It was really lovely to receive a postcard through the post with a poem written by our recent guests Joan and Bryan Howard
We are so pleased that Joan and Bryan enjoyed their cruise despite the severe weather disruption caused by storm Ali. We had to deploy an alternative itinerary in sheltered waters, but guests agreed that anchorages around the Sound of Mull are as beautiful as any to be found elsewhere in the Hebrides. Tobermory is a wonderful sheltered haven with lots to do and see and a land wildlife tour with Nature Scotland got rave reviews. The final evening at Loch a Choire helped to make up for the weather with a lovely sunset and scallops hand-dived in the loch by Skipper Rob.
The weather made it challenging to spot wildlife too. However, Wildlife Guide Nigel Spencer captured this excellent shot of a very young White Tailed Eagle, probably only about 4 or 5 months old, off the coast of Morvern. It had been moved on by its parents to find its own way in the world and still had to develop its distinctive white tail feathers which can take a year or more.
We’re just back from a superb 10-night cruise aboard Elizabeth G. It’s our latest trip with Rob and his crew. With en-suite cabins now it’s even more of a luxury trip. Not that we spent much time in the cabin - instead we were generally found on the top observation deck, watching shearwaters dance across the waves, fulmars shoot past effortlessly, gannets flying in squadron-formation and panicky puffins duck beneath our wake. We’re enticed down for two reasons: bow-riding dolphins, when we hang over the bow sharing the excitement and energy of this spectacle with our fellow guests, and food: Mags was our cook preparing fabulous meals with local ingredients, including scallops hand-dived by our skipper, Rob. It was at dinner each evening that Rob would discuss the next day’s itinerary, balancing our wishes with the weather and his incredible knowledge of the most picturesque anchorages. Each day saw us exploring a new island with the help of Nigel our wildlife guide, taken ashore by Rob and Bosun Craig in the tender. And we even got to St Kilda. St Kilda is a unique place with a magical atmosphere; an atmosphere that lingers in part because of its remoteness. Rob found the weather window to allow a 2-night stay and it was here, on our trip round the stacs, that guests and crew came together on the front deck to gaze in awe at the thousands of seabirds around us. As we disembarked, a little sadly, in Oban on our last day I couldn’t help wonder how soon we’ll get the urge to return...
Catrin Lester: 24 June 2019St Kilda and the isles of the Outer Hebrides