News

We are delighted that the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust has announced the new corporate partnership with Hebrides Cruises. We are very pleased to support the work of HWDT by becoming a Corporate Partner.

One of the joys of travelling by boat in the Hebrides is knowing that you are going to view some great scenery, along with a very good chance you will also get to see some great wildlife.

It was really lovely to receive a postcard through the post with a poem written by our recent guests Joan and Bryan Howard

The RSPB “Nature of Scotland” Awards celebrate and recognise the best of conservation in Scotland.

Celebrating excellence, innovation and outstanding achievement in nature conservation, there are nine categories for the seventh annual Nature of Scotland Awards in association with Scottish Natural Heritage in 2018. Hebrides Cruises entered for the Nature Tourism category and we are delighted to have been announced as a finalist at a reception on Saturday September 12th at the Scottish Parliament.

Our Wildlife Guide, Lynsey Bland provided a review of our luxury vessel, Emma Jane’s first Caledonian Canal cruise on September 2017, departing from Oban. There are 3 cabins still available for our Loch Linnhe, the Caledonian Canal & Loch Ness cruise aboard Emma Jane in 2019. 

“What is it about the Hebrides? The islands have been pulling me back every year since my first visit in the early 90’s. It may be my Scottish ancestry, but I think it’s the unique combination of landscape, wildlife and community that proves irresistible to the traveller in search of wilderness and solitude.

Knobble the minke whale has returned to the same feeding ground in the Hebrides for the 13th year in a row – it was spotted north of Coll at the weekend, by Sea Life Surveys. Natural markings and features on Knobble’s body helps to aid recognition of the whale and photographs of dorsal fins are used by the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) to identify and follow the movements of individual animals in the Hebrides. To date over 250 individual whales have been identified using this method.

Our 10-night epic St Kilda and Outer Hebrides cruise with Chris Gomersall, which departed on July 16th, was an outstanding success in terms of wildlife seen, anchorages and stopovers.

The first full day of our annual Hebridean Photography Cruise with photography mentor and Wildlife Guide Chris Gomersall has got off to a great start! Read the first day's tally of wildlife spotted.

The importance of the  Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust Whale Track project cannot be over emphaisized and to be shortlisted as a finalist in the national lottery awards is an accolade the HWDT team very much deserve. We were very proud to have been associated with the development of the Whale Track App.

It’s a given that when the Skipper and Wildlife Guides ask guests “do you have any special requests for your cruise?”, puffins are on the list! Puffins have great appeal because of their small size and comical walk as well as their distinctive rainbow coloured bill, white cheeks and clown-like black stripe down over each eye. One of the delights of puffins on the west coast of Scotland is that they are so unafraid of humans – and in some cases downright friendly!

So many guests have commented on the driftwood art that is displayed in the dining deck saloon of Emma Jane, that we thought we would highlight the artist - Denise Whyatt.  Denise runs her business, Dash, from her studio at Benderloch, a small village just outside Oban. Her passion is actually for textile-based artwork - and we have several of her prints also displayed in Emma Jane, as well as her cushions.

The sun shone for the first day of Emma Jane’s new season as the crew, James, Phil, Pip and Lynsey welcomed our guests aboard with prosecco and delicious canapes. With a couple of returning guests remarking on the changes to our vessel we steamed south out of Oban and towards our first anchorage of 2018, the Isle of Seil.

The people who crew our vessels are amazing! We are delighted to have such skilled and professional crews for our 2018 season

For wildlife cruising with a dash of indulgence, Emma Jane is the perfect combination of adventure and luxury. Hebrides Cruises is a specialist wildlife cruising company, but this does not exclude all the other exceptional delights of a voyage to Scotland’s west coast and offshore islands. Here are ten great reasons to join us aboard our luxury vessel Emma Jane: