Northern Hebrides Explorer Cruise, including North Rona and Sula Sgeir

Guests arrive in Oban on Friday 19th July for around 1230 with the Hjalmar Bjørge departing at 1330. Our route north will, of course, depend on prevailing weather conditions. Hopefully after a first night at Canna we will cruise up the west side of Skye and on to the Shiant Isles. From there we will head up the east coast of Lewis before making our passage to North Rona where, if at all possible, we will spend one or two nights on anchor. 

The village ruins on Rona are fascinating, and at its heart stand the Chapel and Cell of Saint Ronan, some of the oldest surviving Christian ruins in the UK. From Rona we will sail west to Sula Sgeir and again, if possible, land there. From here we’ll head south, down the west coast of Lewis and towards the Flannan Isles with an overnight stop probably in Loch Roag.

There may be time to visit Little Bernera, or the island of Scarp before commencing our return home via the Sound of Harris, finally arriving back in Oban on Monday 29th July.

Highlights:  If the weather is kind to us then possible highlights include the seabird colonies on the Shiants and the gannetry on Sula Sgeir, puffins and more seabirds on the Flannans, plus golden and sea eagles on Scarp. There should be dolphin and other cetacean sightings throughout; in recent years some of our better sightings have been in the north of the Hebrides, such as those involving orca and humpback whales (fingers crossed). There are sites of archaeological and historic interest on Canna, the Shiants, North Rona, the Flannan Isles, West Loch Roag and Scarp.