21 September 2024
This was such a magical adventure. I can't praise the crew highly enough, with the attention to detail, caring approach, thoughtfulness and professionalism all making our trip so easy, relaxing, happy and fun. I travelled with my elderly mother who benefited from a helpful hand navigating some of the wobblier walking moments and was thrilled at the generous approach towards topping up her wine glass. The kindness and thought put into celebrating her birthday was hugely appreciated. Like me, she came away having enjoyed fabulous scenery, majestic views (we were so fortunate with the weather), amazing animal encounters, excellent food, cleanliness throughout and generous hospitality, but it was the sheer friendliness and kindness of the crew that made the holiday so perfect. I brought with me various food intolerances and not once did I feel that I was getting second-best, indeed quite the opposite with my own freshly-baked cake each day and a very understanding approach from the fabulous Izzy and Craig. Hannah provided expert wildlife guidance and was so welcoming, knowledgeable, kind and engaging. We could make informed decisions about the walks and she was always available and wonderfully enthusiastic, providing a helpful recap each evening that also helped bring our fellow guests together. Chris was a very welcoming skipper and we benefited from his expertise (changing routes to avoid choppy water / bad weather) and particularly appreciated his summary each evening of where we'd been and cruising plans for the next day. Craig was the most perfect steward/bosun in making us feel so very welcome and at home, with laughter plenty and every guest detail noted and remembered. Izzy cooked the most incredible meals and we were sated and amazed each day, with delicious and inventive food and great thoughtfulness regarding dietary needs. Huge congratulations and thanks to all the team for making our holiday so very special. In summary, our cruise was incredibly special and very magical. We can't praise the team enough and found all elements to work so well together, from the amazing food to the friendliness and professionalism, with such a stunning backdrop and a very well understood and researched itinerary. Pausing the boat to enjoy dolphins, view white-tailed eagles and hunt for the elusive Minke whale really did put guests first, most importantly in balance with nature too. A holiday we will never forget and certainly one that we would repeat.
Rebecca Lovelace
There is not a way to say enough about our enjoyment of the cruise. Emma was very good about responding quickly to our inquiries and providing all the details that we needed for booking. The crew was professional, knowledgeable, interesting and fun. We have never done a boat cruise and didn’t know what to expect but the expectations bar has been set high after our experience over these 10 days.Response is not what would have made cruise extra special – but what did make cruise extra special. We were celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary with this cruise. Chef Ross made a cake and decorated it with “50” made of candies and presented it to us at tea time one afternoon! Another special experience was the opportunity to meet Skipper James’ parents; I read his mother’s book while on the vessel and asked James many questions about his family. When we were in Tobermory, James’ mother and father visited us. This was a lovely “extra” that we will remember throughout our lives. We have recommended the trip to several friends already.
David & Angela Hiley: 4 September 2017St Kilda and the isles of the Outer Hebrides