Continental Shelf and surrounding Islands Expedition (2026)

Imagine sailing west from the Outer Hebrides, and as you leave the sheltered waters around Barra, the sea floor itself begins to tell a story. Just beyond the island’s rugged shores, the continental shelf stretches out like a vast, hidden plain beneath the Atlantic.

For a time, the seabed remains relatively shallow, supporting a rich mix of marine life that has long sustained local fishing communities. Then, quite suddenly, it drops away into the deep ocean — a dramatic edge where the shelf gives way to the continental slope. Standing on Barra’s beaches, you’d never guess that just a few dozen miles offshore, the seabed plunges into an abyssal world.

For travellers, the continental shelf is a reminder that the horizons seen from the Western isles are only half the picture. Beyond the salt-sprayed headlands lies a hidden landscape every bit as dramatic as the island landscape, a place where the familiar edges of land meet the unfathomable depth of the Atlantic.

Join the Hjalmar Bjorge on our expedition to the Continental shelf and surrounding islands. Rich in marine life the upwellings are likely to attract a range of feeding cetaceans and migrant seabirds in this late summer period. To be honest, nobody has really looked very hard.  Most likely we will see Minke Whales, White-Beaked and Risso’s Dolphins, and we are hoping that Humpback Whales and Fin Whales might also be present. Seabirds are likely to include… Northern Gannet, European and Storm Petrel, Great and Arctic Skua and Sooty Shearwater. Whilst there is also a good chance of rarer visitors such as Pomarine Skua, Great Shearwater, and maybe even, a Wilson’s Storm Petrel or Sabine’s Gull.

Along the way, we intend to visit the islands of Coll and Tiree, as well as Barra Head and Mingulay, possibly Pabbay and Sandray as well as stopping at Barra in the Western Isles. Exact itinerary is determined by local conditions and always at the discretion of the skipper.

Please note On our best days our itinerary will be smooth transits from one anchorage to another as shown on the program we have offered. However, this is the West Coast of Scotland, and we, are governed by mother nature. So, on occasion, for your comfort and safety, we may need to, tweak, the original course that we are looking to follow. But wherever our tweaking takes us, our trip and destination anchorages will always be special.

Day 1: Oban, regarded as the seafood capital of Scotland and known as the Gateway to the Western Isles, will be our starting point. We will begin boarding Hjalmar Bjorge at 14:30 at the pontoons near Oban’s North Pier. A short briefing will follow to acquaint our guests with life aboard the ship, its safety procedures, policies and get you settled into your accommodation. We aim to cast off at 15:30 and proceed to our first anchorage for the night. At the top of the Sound of Mull is the stunningly beautiful Loch Sunart Positioned perfectly for a jump off pointfor the Outer Hebrides. Here, near Loch Sunarts entrance, we find a small secondary loch, Loch Na Droma Buidhe. This, more often than not, will be our first night’s anchorage.

Day 2:  Head towards the Outer Hebrides, depending on weather we may make for Mingulay or straight to Barra.

Day 3-6: With a few days set aside for our attempt to reach the shelf, and with plenty of islands to explore in the area.

Day 7: Leaving the Western isles behind and make for the island of Coll, passing the cairns of Coll, a series of little islands and rocks at the northern tip of Coll.  Anchoring down the east side for shelter, possibly at Crossapol bay, a very sheltered location with fantastic beaches.  Also, a good area in the past for Basking shark and a good time of year to see them.

Day 8: This morning shall see us continue south and east with an anchorage possibly around the south westerly end of Mull, known as the Ross of Mull at the southern end of the island.  The crossing will see us passing the Treshnish islands and Staffa Island and we will keep a lookout for whales and dolphins.

Day 9: If time allows, we may stop at Iona and a visit to the Abbey before rounding the Ross of Mull and following the coast.  Time to keep an eye out for both eagle species and a great coastline for otters.  An option of being dropped off at Loch Buie and walking the 2 hours round to meet the boat at Loch Spelve is a possibility.

Day 10: After a very hearty breakfast to see you on your way, it’s back to Oban for 10:30.  We will keep an eye out for Otters as we exit Loch Spelve channel, always a good place for a sighting.