“A cruise? What, in Scotland?” is the standard shocked response I elicit from friends when I reveal my latest Scottish maritime adventure. Their utter bewilderment always strikes me as odd, as I’ve been lucky enough to embark on dozens of cruises around the world but the most dramatic and beguiling coastline I have ever sailed is right here.
I’m in esteemed company as the Queen regularly charters a vessel to cruise the Hebrides and Mendelssohn was so enchanted by this epic land of mountains, isles and big skies it inspired him to write a symphony. It has never been easier or more tempting for mere mortals to enjoy their own Hebridean odyssey, too.
Let us start by addressing my friends’ shock. Turning it on its head, why wouldn’t you want to cruise a coastline with more than 800 islands, that even without those islands is three times more extensive than that of England’s littoral? Of course the Hebrides will never be as warm as the Med, but that doesn’t deter people cruising the Norwegian fjords or Greenland. I have cruised both and the scenery is more impressive in Scotland.
Then there is the wildlife. Scotland’s mineral-rich, Gulf Stream-warmed waters host everything from porpoises and dolphins, through to hulking basking sharks and minke, sperm and killer whales.
The skies are awash with a multitude of seabirds, with one rock stack in St Kilda alone housing a quarter of the world’s gannet population. The Hebrides are one of the few places where you can witness sea eagles soaring, an inspiring sight from the decks of a ship.
The trick to cruising the Hebrides is to choose both a vessel that suits you and the right itinerary. Most allow for plenty of time ashore on your own, or with a guide if you prefer.
For sheer luxury it has to be the Hebridean Princess, which has recently been bought out by its management. All of the vessels I’ve been on offer superb local produce and a warm Scottish welcome, but the Hebridean Princess elevates things to another level.
This brilliantly converted former CalMac ferry is more a grand floating country house hotel than a ship, with a level of luxury fit for, well, royalty as the royal family regularly charter this in lieu of the Royal Yacht Britannia.
The Columba Restaurant is one of the finest restaurants I’ve come across anywhere in Scotland, never mind on a ship. Superb wines are accompanied by boat-fresh lobster, lamb from the Borders and the best Scotch beef. After the decadent lunches and dinners (the cruises are all inclusive) the Tiree Lounge awaits with its premium single malt whiskies, best enjoyed with another lingering Hebridean sunset.
The family-run Majestic Line, meanwhile, has operated two graceful converted old trawlers, the Glen Massan and the Glen Tarsan, which sleep a maximum of 12 passengers in comfort, for more than a decade. Both are gloriously cosy, but are put firmly into the shade by the Majestic Line’s first purpose-built vessel, the Glen Etive.
I was on her inaugural cruise last year, which showcased her step up in luxury (she sports two lounges and stabilisers), as well as her greater ambition with more adventurous trips to the Outer Hebrides and beyond. As on all the Scottish ships which carry a small group of passengers, everyone bonds quickly over the communal meals and you get to know the crew quickly. Guests are always welcome to pop up to the bridge to chat to the captain too.
A company already pushing out to remote waters is Hebrides Cruises. I went out on one of its cruises to the archipelago of St Kilda, which was the first place to be recognised twice on Unesco’s World Heritage list.
St Kilda is the sort of unique destination you cannot get to spend proper time on any other way. The sturdy rather than luxurious Elizabeth G is an old Norwegian rescue vessel captained by Rob Barlow that sleeps a dozen guests. She can handle the big seas with stabilisers allowing a smoother passage for guests prone to seasickness.
Barlow is a qualified diver and on our trip he plunged into the waters to free up a tangled anchor. One passenger joked that he should dive down again for scallops and he duly obliged. In 2016 the company also started running cruises along the Caledonian Canal, where there are no such ocean-going dramas. I enjoyed a sun-kissed autumnal week during the inaugural cruise, making our leisurely way from Fort William along Thomas Telford’s marvel to the North Sea at Inverness.
Argyll Cruises joined the fray in 2015. The firm's 20m-long Splendour is a converted fishing vessel that sleeps only seven. Unusually, she offers itineraries on the seriously underrated waters of the Firth of Clyde. Our cruise circled around Arran, Bute and the Cumbraes, before a rare chance to land on Ailsa Craig, that most dramatic of rock stacks. Pushing further afield, Argyll Cruises skipper Iain Duncan (an ex-Majestic Line man) is also offering trips around the Inner and Outer Hebrides, as well as out to St Kilda.
The National Trust for Scotland realised the potential of Scottish cruising a long time ago and its larger ship charters offer another world altogether. Last year I enjoyed the Isles of my Heart cruise, which swept us through the Hebrides along with an impressive onboard cast of NTS guides, lecturers and first-class entertainers, from the likes of one of Shetland’s finest fiddlers, Bryan Gear, through to young folk songstress of the moment Siobhan Miller. This year the NTS is heading to Orkney and Shetland in June and the Hebrides in September.
Even without onboard entertainment it’s hard to get bored of the constantly unfolding drama of Scottish cruising. Indeed this summer I’m sailing on the tall ship St Hilda and on Proud Seahorse, Hebrides Cruises’ new vessel, plus I’m looking to head out to ultra-remote North Rona on the sturdy Hjalmar Bjorge with Northern Light in 2018.
I wonder by then if any of my friends will have been lucky enough to eschew the well-worn charms of cruising the Med or the Norwegian fjords to try Scotland. Any who have won’t be remotely surprised when I share with them my next trip around what for me is the finest cruise destination in the world.
USEFUL WEBSITES
www.hebridean.co.uk
www.themajesticline.co.uk
www.hebridescruises.co.uk
www.argyllcruising.com
www.nts.org.uk/culturalcruising
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