RSPB Hebridean Wildlife Adventure Cruise (S)

Minibus transfer from Inverness to Ullapool, and then take the afternoon CalMac ferry to Stornoway. Check in to hotel for first night in Stornoway (to be arranged).

Once we arrive around 8pm, check-in and then take a late evening drive in the extended mid-summer daylight hours up to the RSPB managed Loch Stiapabhat Local Nature Reserve hoping for a calling corncrake.

In the morning after checkout from the hotel, we will leave the luggage at our boat, the Monadhliath, and head by minibus to the RSPB’s Loch na Muilne reserve, 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. Here we will catch up with the local warden who will explain about work for corncrakes and other species on Lewis.

In the afternoon we will stop at Loch Seaforth for a private RSPB guided eagle walk, then return to Stornoway for around 4pm to board the Monadhliath and head for the Shiant Isles, watching out for cetaceans on the way. 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. We have an alternative sheltered anchorage in Loch Shell (Sealg) on the neighbouring Isle of Lewis if the weather necessitates it.

We will have the morning 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 overnight at Rodel or 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.

In the morning we will cruise around the picturesque Sound of Harris islands spotting cetaceans, seabirds, and other wildlife before heading over to Lochmaddy on North Uist. A RSPB site manager will meet us on the boat and take us to RSPB Balranald for a private tour of this special reserve and a talk about Balranald and conservation work on the Uists.

The evening might give us the chance to watch for otters locally around the harbour.

Cruise to Rum, searching for more cetaceans and anchor for the night hoping for the sights and sounds of the Manx shearwaters in the evening coming back to their nest sites. Alternative anchorage at Canna.

Head for Canna (or Rum depending on where we anchored the previous night) and on to Loch Scavaig on Skye and head ashore for a short walk to the stunning Loch Coruisk before heading round to the Sound of Sleat and anchor overnight off Isleornsay. 

Meet up with our minibus again in the morning, moving on to the Kylerhea hide to meet a RSPB Senior Conservation Officer for Skye on-site for an introduction to white-tailed eagles and conservation efforts on the Isle of Skye.

Afterwards we will take a memorable trip across the Sound of Sleat to Glenelg on the last operating turntable ferry before heading back to Inverness via Loch Ness to arrive in the afternoon and say our goodbyes.