24 September 2017
What a truly memorable week even though the weather was a little wet at times! The Elizabeth G is just perfect for cruising around the islands. Rob, our skipper, took us to the most magical places to drop anchor for lunch and at night. Some of my best memories are, the ship going quite close inshore as we watched a sea eagle flying through a rainbow back to its nest, hearing red deer calling and then fighting as it was the rutting season on the hills surrounding us when we were overnighting in a sea loch, watching wild otters swimming in the kelp with some inquisitive seals when we stopped for lunch and seeing the night sky with no light pollution or planes flying over. Mealtimes are also very special on board with everyone eating together and sharing their stories of the day and listening to the plans for the next day. The cruise on the Elizabeth G was my first holiday travelling solo so I was little nervous about it but I really didn't need to worry at all. The crew were very welcoming and the group of fellow guests were very friendly. There was always a lot of laughter at mealtimes and out on our walks. We were lucky to have Nigel on board who is a fantastic photographer so he was giving us tips on how to take photos of both the scenery and wildlife. If you are thinking of going, just book it, you won't regret it so long as you like good company, wonderful food and fantastic scenery! I am now booked on the St Kilda trip next year and am looking forward to it already...
Melanie Rogers
Dear Emma, It was lovely to meet you briefly both before and after our recent cruise - Fiona and I had such a wonderful time, the fellow passengers were great company but what really made the trip was the fantastic crew, James (for the first 2 days), Bren, Zoe, Hannah and Charlie. They were so professional but also very personable and we could not have asked for better care (or indeed better food when it came to Charlie!). The cruise gave some spectacular highlights but for me the encounter with the humpback whale on the return leg was amazing but even better was the sunset off the Cairns of Coll - the evening meal had just finished when Bren came to announce that the sunset promise to be spectacular. I spent a good hour on the top deck photographing the beauty of the sunset but was aware of something special as Zoe, Hannah and Bren remained on top and there was total silence as we reflected on the profoundness of the scene.
Ian Woods: 17 July 2023St Kilda and the isles of the Outer Hebrides