The best of land and sea on our Around Mull: Wildlife Explorer Cruises

We are delighted to announce our partnership with David Woodhouse, one of Scotland’s top wildlife guides who is providing the wildlife land tour on our new Around Mull: Wildlife Explorer Cruises for 2014. David’s daily wildlife expeditions have blazed the trail in wildlife watching for over thirty years on the Island of Mull. 

 

The Island of Mull is one of the most diverse wildlife destinations in the world and the day land tour is designed to maximise our guests’ chances of seeing golden eagles, otters, white tailed sea eagles, porpoise, hen harriers and a whole host of other fascinating Hebridean wildlife. You will not only see our wonderful creatures in their spectacular natural habitats but you will also learn how to look and where to look for them.

There are no set routes for the expeditions as the weather and current wildlife hotspots dictate the itinerary on the day. David’s top of the range Swarovski telescope will enhance the sightings of wildlife.

Your guide David Woodhouse has lived on Mull for over thirty years. Moving to Mull from Wales with his wife Joy fuelled David’s lifetime interest in the natural environment and he now spearheads many Scottish tourism and environment initiatives. He is a fervent supporter of national parks and eco tourism as a way forward for rural communities that live alongside spectacular wildlife. He is passionate about the Island of Mull and its welfare.

David is as informed a wildlife guide as you could possibly wish to meet and he is enthusiastic in passing on his knowledge and wildlife awareness to others. We are confident our guests will return from their expedition richer and inspired! Find out more about David on his website www.torrbuan.com

Our Around Mull: Wildlife Explorer 6-night cruises have dates in April (with 10% seasonal discount) May, June and September 2014

A wee dram in the Hebrides - guest blogger Bob Gallagher

I have been chartering bareboats for years. I always wanted to sail the Hebrides but found few bareboat options and limited support facilities. The volatile weather, an unforgiving coastline, large tidal swings and deep anchorages led me to consider a captained charter. Once I swallowed the bitter medicine that someone else would be running the boat, it didn’t take long to be convinced that I deserved the luxury of an engineer, chef and boatswain.

The wooden fishing trawler Glen Massan was built in Scotland in 1970 and last fished off of the West Coast of Ireland in 2000. Captain Andy took her down to the bare hull, replaced her engine with a slow-turning Kelvin diesel (900 rpm cruising speed) built in Glasgow. He added a new superstructure containing six comfortable cabins with ensuite shower rooms, a large saloon and roomy outdoor viewing areas. She weighs 150 tons with a length of 80 feet. She has a watermaker, large genset, modern electronics, and 500 feet of anchor chain.

Where They Drink Whiskey in the Morning: Guest Blogger Terence Smith

Where They Drink Whiskey in the Morning

A cruise around the Hebrides, the Scottish islands that inspired Samuel Johnson, James Boswell, and Robert Louis Stevenson

Image: Susy Smith

The Glen Massan, a wooden-hulled trawler, anchored off the coast of Erraid Island, where the shipwrecked hero of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped washed ashore (Susanne Stout Smith)

In 1773, Samuel Johnson—poet, essayist, and London’s literary light—and his biographer, James Boswell, passed through the rugged, starkly beautiful Hebridean Islands just off Scotland’s western coast. Their famous tour produced not one but two waspish journals that remain in print today.

Sharkwatch in Scotland: Guest Blogger Travel Writer Mike Gerrard

A Close Encounter with Dolphins
(All Photos by Donna Dailey)
'What's that in the water?' asks Kathleen, pointing ahead of the boat. We're standing on the deck of the Glen Tarsan, a former fishing vessel now converted to take wildlife and other cruises off the west coast of Scotland. We've left Skye behind and are sailing in wonderful sunshine towards the little island of Canna (population: 12).

Private charter with eagles galore and a fossilised tree!

Our private charter enjoyed a wonderful September week of excellent weather with no wind or rain.  Departing Oban, our destination for our first anchorage was Loch a Choire in Ardnamurchan. Our journey took us up Loch Linnhe, past the Isle of Lismore to this lovely sheltered sea loch.  On the way we spotted two separate flocks of red-breasted mergansers on the water.

Loch a Choire is a very dramatic anchorage with the surrounding high mountains providing the perfect backdrop to our first dinner on board.
Cruising over to Mull on the Sunday, our first stopover was a visit to Duart Castle, then on to Tobermory for walks in Aros Park and an exploration of the town.  We crossed the Sound of Mull to the massive sea loch, Loch Sunart and the village of Strontian for our anchorage for the night.