Our guests John and Jenny Bartram and Steve Lloyd are the first of our guests to send us images of the Flannan Isles. This new 10-night cruise is in our “far-flung islands” collection, calling in at Harris, Taransay, and the Flannan Isles with stopovers on Skye and the Small Isles en route. Highlights of the cruise included a shore visit to a beautiful Taransay beach, a visit to the Callanish Stones, and calling in at the amazing Shiant Isles. Perhaps the high spot of the cruise was being able to actually land on Eilean Mor on the Flannan Islands, with its famous lighthouse. Being able to land on Eilean Mor is a very rare occurrence so we were delighted to be able to provide this opportunity of a lifetime to our guests to go onshore to soak up the atmosphere and history of this evocative island.
There were also great wildlife sightings during the cruise, with a basking shark, common dolphins and Minke whales spotted. On the Flannan Isles, the bird list included fulmar, Manx shearwater, European and Leach’s storm petrel, great skua, greater and lesser black-backed gull, and herring gull. And of course the gannet colony.
John and Jenny and Steve have cruised with us several times before and we love having them on board. We look forward to their next trip with us next year aboard Emma Jane. View John and Jenny’s and Steve photos in the gallery below and a few of Skipper James's images from the same trip.
I have long wanted to visit the Scottish Isles. A friend of mine recommended Hebrides Cruises and, since my husband gets seasick just looking at the ocean, I decided to travel alone. How fortunate, then, to have both delightful fellow guests and the most delightful of crews imaginable. The boat herself, the Elizabeth G, proved to be staunchly seaworthy and decidedly comfortable. AND she came equipped with a simply marvelous chef, Sarah, who fed us like royalty. Thank goodness for the daily walks that enabled us to eat most of what she presented. I think we saw every seabird in the book, my favorite -- no surprise here -- the adorable puffins who are much smaller in real life than I had imagined. We also saw numerous minke whales and porpoises, as well as eagles and red deer at a distance. Loved the ruined nunnery on Iona. Very atmospheric. Was awed by Fingles Cave and enchanted by the beauty of the isles themselves. With deep thanks to ALL the crew and to Hebrides Cruises which is both warm and highly professional.
Jennifer Tomkins: 22 April 2023Idyllic Islands: Mull, Iona, Staffa & the Treshnish Isles