RSPB Hebridean Wildlife Adventure Cruise (N)

Minibus transfer from Inverness via Loch Ness to Mallaig. Board MV Monadhliath and we will head for the Small Isles and the island of Rum, hoping for the sights and sounds of the Manx shearwaters in the evening coming back to their nest sites. Alternative anchorage at Canna.

On the way we will enjoy views of the Isle of Skye to one side and the Small Isles to the other. There are good chances of spotting cetaceans like common dolphins, minke whales and harbour porpoise on our voyage over.

Today we will cruise across the Little Minch to Lochmaddy on North Uist watching out for seabirds, whales and dolphins on the way. In the afternoon after lunch, we will head to RSPB Balranald for a private tour of this very special Hebridean reserve.

If the weather and sea conditions look good then we will head out from Lochmaddy passing through the Sound of Harris and heading out approximately 4-5 hours sailing time across the Atlantic to the dual UNESCO World Heritage Site of St Kilda located 41 NM to the west of Benbecula. We will keep our eyes peeled for open ocean wanderers in terms of cetaceans and seabirds such as Risso’s and white-beaked dolphins and Leach’s Petrel. Arriving in the afternoon there will be time to go ashore for a wander around the historic settlement of Village Bay. Keep your eyes open for the St Kilda wren – often seen around the stone buildings. Overnight anchored at St Kilda.

After breakfast we will take a last chance to take in the view of St Kilda and Village Bay from the boat before sailing back towards the Isle of Harris, passing the neighbouring Boreray and its impressive sea stacks of Stac an Armin (the highest in Britain at 191m) and Stac Lee (165m), with their vast gannet colonies – the largest in the world!

In the afternoon we will cruise around the picturesque Sound of Harris islands spotting seabirds and other wildlife before heading to Tarbert on the Isle of Harris for the night. In the evening a member of RSPB staff will join us for a talk about conservation, island biosecurity and the Shiant Isles project.

Cruise to the enchanting Shiant Isles, watching out for cetaceans on the way and passing the photogenic Scalpay lighthouse at Eilean Glas. We will have the afternoon and evening at the Shiants for a shore excursion and taking our tender for a close look around the seabird colonies and maybe through the natural sea arch if the tide is right. We will anchor at the Shiants for the night with the sights and sounds of thousands of puffins, razorbills, and guillemots all around you – a truly amazing spectacle.

Head for Stornoway through some great cetacean waters (Northeast Lewis MPA) to disembark after lunch on board.

After lunch, we say farewell to the boat and crew and book into our overnight hotel accommodation. In the early afternoon we will stop at Loch Seaforth for a private RSPB guided eagle walk. After an early-evening meal, we will continue the drive up beyond Stornoway to the RSPB managed Loch na Muilne LNR, famous for its’ breeding red-necked phalaropes usually from the end of May, but home to many other gorgeous species like other wading birds and red-throated divers too. From there we will continue to the RSPB’s Loch Stiapabhat reserve at Ness for an informal catch up with an RSPB warden about what the RSPB do for corncrake, which may already be calling if we are lucky.

This morning you can either take a leisurely stroll in Stornoway to explore and enjoy the “Capital of the Hebrides” or join us in the minibus for a quick drive up to Tiumpan Head to go shore-watching for cetaceans in one of Europe’s hotspots! There are good chances of seeing Risso’s, common or white-beaked dolphins, plus minke and fin whales or even humpbacks and orca if we are lucky. You just never know!

At 2pm, we will catch the ferry back to Ullapool and then travel back to Inverness by minibus and say our farewells.