18 September 2023
The best way of telling you what a marvellous time I had on this cruise is that I have arrived home and promptly booked another for next year, 8 nights instead of 6, on the “Lucy Mary” again! From ease of booking with Emma to arriving back in Oban on the final day, everything was given careful attention in order to ensure the trip was a special one. The boat, “Lucy Mary”, is extremely comfortable, well-equipped and of a design enabling me to spend hours with binoculars looking out over the sea or mountains in the hope of spotting wildlife, whether outside in the sun or snugly inside in the rain or wind! An important feature is the presence of a wildlife spotter, Indy, whose knowledge and enthusiasm enabled me to notice and identify many animals, birds and plants that I would not have seen by myself. This was also greatly contributed to by skipper Rob’s ability to take us to the ideal places to see the wildlife, as well as beautiful and spectacular scenery and buildings. In addition he chose routes suited to the weather conditions, and ensured that all of our wishes were considered. The food prepared by chef Perry was really excellent, with exceptionally good and varied vegetarian dishes for me. We had beautifully presented fresh fruit included at every breakfast, and fresh cakes or cookies to greet us on our afternoon returns to the boat after onshore visits. These excursions were varied and interesting, with a high degree of flexibility to satisfy all of us. Last but not least, Abbie kept all the accommodation on board clean and neat, adding many nice touches such as prettily-folded napkins, plus all the hard work involved in serving the food, cleaning the cabins and many other tasks. All the crew were friendly, cheerful and skilful. There are many more complimentary things I could say but really I’d just like to thank all of you for a uniquely memorable holiday.
Stephanie
This was our first trip with Hebrides Cruises and right from the word go it was clear we had chosen a very professional & client centered operator. From the time of being welcomed by the crew of Elizabeth G and Owner Rob & Emma, at the jetty head to the time of our departure we were extremely well looked after, plus the Scottish clouds parted and we had a wonderful week of sun which simply added to the delights of our adventure. Alasdair as Captain was brilliant, Charlie always cheerfully produced fabulous meals from her galley, Craig as bosun and 'cabin fairy' kept the ship spic and span, and was always charming, and last but not least, Hannah our wild life expert (& fellow Northumbrian) was full of enthusiasm and knowledge, so every day was a school day for us in expanding our knowledge of wildlife in this area. Highlights included puffins on Lunga, Common dolphins in the bow wave, Eagles, Otters and Joanne's birthday (same day as Rob's it turned out!) with a fabulous ship made carrot cake and fizz to welcome us back aboard after a great day ashore on Iona and an interesting ride back in the rib!! As reasonably regular sailors on both larger ships and smaller yachts (crewed by just us!), this was a wonderful way to experience the West coast of Scotland and its many hidden gems. The problem now, is which one to choose next.......
Keith & Joanne Jackson: 20 April 2024Idyllic Islands: Mull, Iona, Staffa & the Treshnish Isles