St Kilda & the Hebrides - Islands on the Edge of the Atlantic

In a world in which long-haul travel is so easy, and the opportunities to enjoy far flung wildlife ever increasing, it is all too easy to forget the wildlife treasures to be found within our own back yard. Scotland, for example, is blessed with some of the most spectacular scenery and seabird colonies in the North Atlantic. Hundreds of thousands of Common Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes and Fulmars crowd towering sea cliffs alongside some of the world’s largest gatherings of Gannets and Puffins. Whilst a small number of these colonies are accessible from the mainland, the very best are crowded onto small rocky islets and outposts far from land, and only visited by the fortunate few.

Our exclusive wildlife cruise provides the chance to visit the most famous of Scotland’s remote islands, St Kilda, aboard the 10-berth ‘Hjalmar Bjorge'. This small and comfortable vessel was built to the highest standards for the Norwegian fjords and for life in the high northern latitudes, and is the ideal floating hotel for our journey to the islands on the ‘edge of the Atlantic’. She has ample power to comfortably cruise the many spectacular islands and lochs of the Inner and Outer Hebrides, yet is small enough to anchor in the remote and beautiful places that the larger passenger ships are unable to visit.

This 9-day voyage will take you from Oban on the west coast of Scotland out amongst the islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides and then, weather permitting, on to St Kilda itself. Here we hope to enjoy the cacophony of seabirds, plus huge White-tailed Eagles soaring overhead, and a variety of exciting mammals including Otter, Grey Seal, Minke Whale and perhaps Orca — all this from the comfort of our centrally heated ship and backed by some of the most breathtaking scenery in the British Isles.

Our holiday begins in the small town of Oban, beautifully positioned overlooking the Firth of Lorn. Here we will meet our fellow wildlife enthusiasts and will board the ‘Hjalmar Bjorge’, our base for the next eight nights. Our exact itinerary will be kept flexible to take account of the weather conditions and the advice of our captain and crew. Heading west from Oban we first enter the Sound Of Mull and then explore the coastline of Mull itself, looking for Otters and White-tailed Eagles, before finding a quiet anchorage for the night. The following morning we will most likely visit the Treshnish Islands off Mull’s west coast, home to our first seabird colony of the cruise with over 2,000 pairs of Puffins, plus Common Guillemots, Razorbills and Shags, whilst beneath it Grey Seals lounge in the clear waters. The seas around Mull are very rich and, as throughout this cruise, we will need to keep a careful eye open for such cetaceans as Minke Whale, Harbour Porpoise, Risso’s Dolphin and White-beaked Dolphin.

Moving on, we head north, past the island of Coll, looking out for Basking Sharks which are known to frequent these waters in the summer months. We will sail towards towards Canna where we will anchor for the evening. En route we will be looking out for the cetaceans mentioned above and seabirds including Manx Shearwater, Black Guillemot, Fulmar and both Arctic and Great Skuas.

Next, we continue on our north-westerly track, sailing up The Minch (the sea between the Inner and Outer Hebrides), heading for Leverburgh (Harris). Enroute, we must keep our eyes open for cetaceans and pelagic birds, including both Longtailed and Pomarine Skuas which will be heading north in May and early June. 

Weather permitting, the following day we will continue towards the highlight of our cruise, St Kilda. This remote archipelago lies 64 kilometres north-west of North Uist and is made up of four main islands: Hirta (the largest, which boasts the highest sea cliffs in Britain), Dùn, Soay and Boreray. Today St Kilda is uninhabited, with the exception of a few military personnel and scientists, the last permanent inhabitants having left in 1930. These isolated outposts are, however, home to over half a million breeding seabirds! These include 60,000 pairs of Gannets (the second largest colony in the world), 150,000 pairs of Puffins (25% of the British population) and 90% of the UK’s breeding population of Leach’s Petrel — some 45,000 pairs! On a smaller scale St Kilda is also home to a unique subspecies of Wren.

After a 2-night stay at St Kilda we will begin our journey back to Oban, stopping en route — if conditions allow — at Mingulay and Loch Spelve. Our return crossing will give us another opportunity to look for cetaceans and pelagic birds, including migrating flocks of Long-tailed and Pomarine Skuas. Finally back in Oban, we must disembark the ‘Hjalmar Bjorge’ and, with the memories of dramatic sea cliffs and raucous seabird colonies still fresh in our minds, begin our own journeys home.

 NB - travel out to St Kilda is dependent on the weather conditions in the Atlantic being suitable, and a final decision on this will be made by the captain.