St Kilda and the Flannan islands with Seabird Photographer Rachel Bigsby

Due to demand with Rachels first cruise selling out, we have added a 2nd St Kilda cruise with this one including the isolated Flannan islands with it’s Gannet colony and the mystery of the lighthouse keepers.

Our best-selling St Kilda expeditionary cruise offers a true adventure, with a clear focus on reaching and exploring the remarkable archipelago of St Kilda. The itinerary is designed to maximise time on Hirta, the main island, allowing guests the opportunity to explore this remote and iconic place.

In addition, for this 2nd photography cruise, we have paired St Kilda with another special location, the Flannan Islands, known for the mystery of the missing lighthouse keepers. Lying west of Lewis, the Flannans combine dramatic scenery with a superb, easily photographed Gannet colony. In recent years White-tailed Sea eagles have been present on our visits.

This special departure is hosted by award-winning seabird photographer Rachel Bigsby, making it the perfect voyage for anyone with a passion for seabirds, wildlife, and photography. With Rachel’s guidance, guests will have the opportunity to observe and photograph some of the UK’s most spectacular seabird colonies while exploring two of the most dramatic island landscapes in the North Atlantic.

Spaces on this special departure are limited in order to maintain a small group environment and ensure every guest receives meaningful photographic guidance throughout the voyage. £100.00 per person will be donated to the Scottish Seabird Centre.

Rachel Bigsby – Seabird Photographer, Conservationist & Expedition Leader
Rachel Bigsby is an award-winning seabird photographer whose eye for natural artistry, dedication to seabird conservation, and deep understanding of her subjects define a distinctive and evocative body of work. Entirely self-taught, she has forged her own path in the wildlife photography field, refining her craft through hands-on experience and an unwavering passion for the seabirds she documents.

Her work has earned international recognition, including the prestigious ‘Natural Artistry’ award in Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the Portfolio Award in Bird Photographer of the Year. Rachel is also a Nikon Creator, RSPB Ambassador, and she has exhibited her work at leading institutions including the Natural History Museum, the Royal Geographical Society, 10 Downing Street, and the National Museum of Scotland. Her work has been widely published in respected outlets including National Geographic, WWF, and New Scientist.

Rachel has extensive experience leading wildlife photography expeditions across the Arctic, Antarctic, the remote Sub-Antarctic islands, and the wild coastlines of the British Isles, where she specialises in documenting the lives of seabirds in some of the world’s most unforgiving environments.

Throughout the voyage, Rachel will work closely with guests in a small-group setting, offering personalised guidance and one-to-one tuition. Whether you are looking to learn new photographic techniques or refine your existing skills, Rachel will help you develop your creative vision.

Guests can expect practical field tuition, opportunities for image review and editing sessions, and support both before and after the expedition. By the end of the journey, you will return home not only with a collection of beautiful photographs, but with a deeper understanding of seabirds and a visual story that captures the spirit of this remarkable voyage.

You can view some of Rachel’s work in the gallery below, the first 3 images showcase some of Rachel’s incredible work.

Availability

Cruise Dates

Nights

Spaces

Prices from p/p
24 Jul 2027 - 03 Aug 2027
10
4
£3900
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Summary

This expedition-style voyage centres on exploring the landscapes, culture and wildlife of the Hebrides, with the primary objective of reaching St Kilda — one of Europe’s most remote and extraordinary island groups. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for both its natural and cultural significance, St Kilda lies far out in the Atlantic and remains a place of rare power and presence.

When conditions permit, we will anchor in Village Bay on Hirta and attempt to put guests ashore to explore the island. We also aim to cruise around Boreray and its dramatic sea stacks, Stac Lee and Stac an Armin, which together support the second-largest colony of Northern Gannets in the world.

The Flannan Isles also known as the Seven Hunters are a small island group, 20 miles west of Lewis. The islands are a Site of Special Scientific Interest and are unihabited with the last residents (light keepers) departing with the automation of the lighthouse in 1971. They are the location of the enduring mystery which occurred in December 1900, when all three light keepers vanished without trace. Read Flannan Isle by Wilfred Wilson Gibson.

With riots of flowers and fauna, there are colonies of nesting seabirds, including puffins, fulmars, petrels and a gannetry on Roairem (a small stac to the west). The seas surrounding the islands are always rich in marine life. Minke, basking sharks and a variety of dolphins have regularly been seen by us in the near vicinity.

This itinerary also allows us a chance to explore the Western isles with locations such as Scarp, Taransay and possibly as far down as Mingulay, Vatersay and Barra.

Late July is also when numbers of larger cetaceans appear with Humpback and Fin making an appearance along with the regulary sighted Minke. On this voyage we will likely encounter the rarer White-beaked dolphin and there is always the chance of Orca which we have recorded on our way to St Kilda.

Our small live-aboard vessel allows us to explore remote and beautiful locations from unique perspectives, making full use of long summer days. We anchor in sheltered bays each night and aim to go ashore on most days. Every voyage is different, shaped by weather, wildlife and sea conditions, creating a sequence of distinctive and memorable encounters.

Itinerary

Please note on our best days our itinerary will be smooth transits from one anchorage to another as shown on the programme 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 approximately 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, and get you settled into your accommodation. We aim to cast off at 15:30 and proceed to our first anchorage for the night. Maybe one of the Small Isle’s on these Focus trips.

Day 2-4 Steam West to the Sound of Harris or North Uist and anchor for the night. (If weather allows, we may head straight to St Kilda, a long but worthwhile journey.) If weather and sea conditions allow, (and we didn’t get there the previous day.) We will head to the St Kilda archipelago as early as possible. The journey will last most of the morning and into the afternoon. It won’t be long before either Boreray and Hirta, hove into view upon the horizon. On arriving in Village Bay, we’ll anchor and visit ashore for an important talk with the Ranger. Then some brief exploration before returning for dinner aboard whilst at anchor in Village Bay; where we will spend the night. We hope to have a full day ashore with a pack lunch (again weather depending,) thus permitting you to explore the island at your own pace or spend time with Rachel. Learn about the cultural history of this dual UNESCO and World Heritage Site. The island is home to nearly a million seabirds, unique geographical features, 1500 Cleits, and various, notable beauty spots to visit before returning to Hjalmar Bjorge for a second fabulous night at anchor in Village Bay.

Day 5-7: We return to the Sound of Harris, passing Boreray for a slow, scenic journey around its cliffs and Stacks. We will head for the west side of Harris, probably aiming for the island of Scarp, a good location for heading to the Flannans. Heading for our 2nd iconic island, the Flannans. We will not be landing here as the landing spots continue to deteriorate. After the Flannans we will then head south for the night probably at Taransay. This is a remote and rarely visited part of the Western Isles

Day 8-10: Travelling south into the Sea of the Hebrides, always looking for Minke Whales and Dolphins. We will start heading south taking in various islands from the Western Isles and possibly the Small Isles. Our final night will be our regular anchorage at Loch Spelve on the east side of the island of Mull. This is such a great loch and we regularly see both species of eagles and otters, a fitting end to our expedition.

Day 11: Enjoy a hearty breakfast, capturing our last glimpses of the wildlife before we land at Oban by 10:30 in time for fond fair wells and your departure