Hebridean Odyssey cruise

Board Splendour at 1400 hrs at Holy Loch Marina, Sandbank and after some bubbly and the skippers safety briefing slip the mooring lines and cruise down the Firth of Clyde to the mountainous island of Arran. We drop anchor in Brodick bay for dinner and overnight anchorage.

Visit Brodick castle after breakfast or the wonderful Arran heritage museum. Back aboard for lunch then up anchor for a cruise to Campbelltown on Kintyre, or if the weather is favourable to the island of Sanda for dinner and overnight.

Catch the morning tide for a wonderful trip round the Mull of Kintyre, with views of Antrim and Rathlin Island, for a visit to Craighouse on Jura or the Achamore Gardens on Gigha ‘Gods Island’.

Cruise, tide assisted, through the sound of Islay to stunning Loch Tarbert for a shore walk. Lunch aboard whilst Splendour crosses over to the island of Colonsay for overnight anchorage if the weather is kind.

Set sail for Iona with wonderful open seascapes all around and views of the cliffs of Mull and the Garvellachs. After lunch go ashore to visit the abbey on Iona or walk to the shell sand beach on the west coast. Overnight at Bunnessan on Mull enjoying the company of bottlenose dolphins along the way.

Visit to Staffa with its many caves, most notably Fingal’s Cave with its basalt and tuff layers of lava. Enjoy a tender trip right into the cave for an unforgettable experience. Now it’s north past the other worldly Treshnish Isles to the peaceful island of Muck. On this trip we hope to see sea eagles and perhaps large pods of common dolphin and some winke Whales. Walk to the north bay on Muck to look for otters and porpoises.

We now set our sights west to the outer Hebrides with Castlebay on Barra being our targeted landfall. Visit Kisimul Castle and explore the village, perhaps enjoying a drink in the pub before returning to Splendour for dinner and overnight.

Cruise south to hauntingly beautiful Mingulay, with its deserted village bay and towering sand dunes. Enjoy a trip ashore to the village and during lunch set sail for the Uists and overnight stay in Loch Boisdale.

Cruise the beautiful east coast of the Uists and Benbecula, with their attendant archipelago of jewel-like islands. Tarbert is well worth a stop over with an easy walk to the west loch and a look at the tweed shop and the amazing general store.

The Shiant Islands lie 2 hours east of Tarbert and seethe with birdlife in the summer months. Go ashore from the anchorage at Molmor to explore Eilean An Tigh (Island of the House) and if no one’s at home, sneak a peek into the Nicolson’s cottage with its rough stone chess set and throne-like chair but be sure to close the door! Next we’re off to Dunvegan on Skye for overnight anchorage.

Visit Dunvegan Castle and after lunch cruise down Skye’s awe-inspiring west coast with amazing cliffs, caves and sea stacks. If it’s calm enough we can go by tender into one of the caves, which is pitch dark inside and full of nesting shags. Overnight off the Talisker Distillery in Loch Harport with the towering mass of the Black Cuillin ridge as a backdrop.

A visit to the distillery is possible this morning or better still to Loch Coruisk in the heart of the Cuillins and onto the jewel in the Hebridean crown, the Island of Canna. Here we will overnight with the grey seals and hope a visiting trawler overnights at the pier so that we can trade for prawns fresh from the sea.

Walk on Canna with its three churches to the neighboring island of Sanday, which is carpeted with wild flowers at this time of year. Truly sublime. We now travel south past the other Small Isles watching out all the way for whales, sharks and dolphins, to the enchanting, colourful village of Tobermory for a shopping trip before dinner and a well earned rest.

Down the sound of Mull during breakfast for a final cruise to Oban, gateway to the Islands, for fond farewells and then the journey back to Sandbank.

This is the Hebridean trip of a lifetime and will linger in the memory forever.