7 September 2023
We were so glad that we decided to join a wildlife cruise with your company. Not only did we sail in extreme comfort and luxury aboard the 'Lucy Mary' but we did it with a lovely group of fellow travellers who proved great company throughout, sharing stories and experiences in a very convivial manner. All the crew members were friendly, knowledgable and approachable in every aspect of their respective duties. The anchorages, scenery and on-shore trips were excellent with the weather playing its part too. A wide range of wildlife was spotted in the water and in the air but a highlight had to have been the feeding frenzy witnessed one very calm, surreal day when the sea literally erupted around the ship with dozens of dolphins, minke whales and gannets to name but a few...truly outstanding. Numerous photographs and videos were taken and will provide a fantastic record of our adventure at sea. Each evening it was a pleasure to be seated at the beautifully dressed table and anticipate the next gourmet meal accompanied by the obligatory, excellent house wine! This was our first cruising holiday but it will certainly not be our last. Thank you to everyone who helped make it such a special trip which exceeded our expectations in every way. The 'icing on the cake' had to be the appearance of the Northern Lights on our last night aboard – a magical finale to a wonderful holiday. We absolutely loved every minute aboard this beautiful ship .
Steven and Norma Holiday
We set off on 28 June from Oban for our ten days exploration of the Hebrides with the hope that we’d visit St Kilda. We did, and so much more. The crew (Chris (skipper), Alexa (wildlife guide), Pete (cook), Emma (bosun), were fantastic from the off. They effortlessly transported our mountain of luggage to our comfortable cabins which Emma kept spotless through the cruise, as well as looking after us on the rough crossing to St Kilda through to Caribbean strength G&Ts. Chris was a really good skipper. He sailed the boat well and did his best to find a route that best managed his passengers’ seafaring abilities, and he also had a ceremony to give homage to the Blue Men of the Minch! Pete’s amazing menus incorporated our requests – I’ll always remember his mussels on the first night, his haggis Scotch eggs, my mother’s clootie dumpling and much more – and we appreciated how he involved the kids (9 to 11) in the kitchen. Alexa (with Chris) magic’d up an amazing array of wildlife with huge enthusiasm and great knowledge. We became blasé about the number of dolphins we saw – I can best quote Chris “the weather and the wildlife sightings are some of the best I’ve known in almost 20 years”. The weather was fantastic which enabled us to land and explore Tobermory, Canna, Sanday, Taransay, Hirta (St. Kilda), Mingulay, Vatersay, Rum, Lunga (Treshnish Isles) and Loch Buie, as well as sailing past Neist Point (Skye), Boreray (St. Kilda), Monachs, Hellisay in the Sound of Barra, Eigg, Staffa, Ulva and Iona. The weather was so good we were able to swim off Sanday, Taransay, Mingulay and Vatersay, as well as enjoy the hot tub. This was a trip of a lifetime for us all. We were able to see so many places which have been specks on the horizon for so long. The cruise was magical and extra special. It’s given us memories to last a lifetime!
George Mitchell: 28 June 2018Private Charter 10 Nights