Review : Skye, the Small Isles and the Shiants

21 June 2025

Fabulous cruise with first class crew. Jake our Captain got us safely to each destination, amending the itinerary as weather conditions changed. We nevertheless got everywhere we’d been promised and got to enjoy the wildlife to the max. Charlie, our cook supreme, fed us incredibly well and Jasmin, our steward, ensured we were so well looked after we didn’t want the cruise to finish. They also managed a birthday surprise for me, which was wonderful. Special mention to Lynsey, our guide, who managed to spot two humpback whales from a good few miles away, one of which hadn’t previously been seen in Scottish waters. We were able to spend a good while with them without ever feeling we were disturbing them. We also saw Harbour porpoise, common dolphins, seals, White-tailed eagles, an otter, a minke whale, a cuckoo, sea-birds galore (gannets, puffins, guillemots, razor-bills, fulmars to name a few) and heard the allusive Corn crake. The scenery was also fantastic. Incredibly dramatic as you’d expect and again Lynsey with her geology background was able to give further information. I had a great time with the other cruise guests who all helped make the cruise such an enjoyable holiday experience. My favourite moment was watching a pod of common dolphins speed towards the Emma Jane; swimming, jumping, tail slapping alongside and interacting with us before heading off. It was chucking with rain, but nobody cared, it was absolutely magical.

Jackie Phelpstead