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3 Small Scottish Ships
Looking for a vacation with some personality?
St Hilda Sea Adventures is a family-run business that has offered wonderful off-beat Scottish island cruises for more than 15 years.
Carrying just 6 to 11 passengers, each of their three vessels has a story to tell, providing a fascinating backdrop to the spectacular ancient landscape of the Scottish Isles.
Hirta is the largest island in the St Kilda archipelago. * Photo: St Hilda Sea Adventures
The 5- to 10-night cruises along Scotland’s western waters include visits to beautiful places such as the St Kilda archipelago, the Small Isles, the Isle of Mull, Skye, Jura, Islay, Staffa, Iona and the wonderful Shiants.
Alfresco dining in port. * Photo: St Hilda Sea Adventures
Marvel at the spectacular landscape of the Scottish Isles and the wildlife along the way, from seals to humpback whales, dolphins, guillemots, sea eagles, puffins and more.
Puffins are among the wildlife you’re likely to see on a small-ship Scottish cruise. * Photo: St Hilda Sea Adventures
Special Offer: Enjoy 10% off of all St Hilda Sea Adventures cruises in 2023, when you mention code QuirkyStHilda23.
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Meet St Hilda Sea Adventures’ 3 Small Scottish Ships
St Hilda is a traditional, wooden ex-tall ship carrying 6 passengers that had been a sail training vessel that raced across the North Sea on a number of occasions with merchant navy cadet officers being trained under highly experienced Master Mariners.
The 8-pax St. Hilda. * Photo: St Hilda Sea Adventures
The Gemini Explorer, carrying up to 8 passengers, is an ex-cruising lifeboat that formerly spent days at sea in the Western Approaches (the area of the Atlantic Ocean to the west of Great Britain and Ireland).
The 8-pax Gemini Explorer. * Photo: St Hilda Sea Adventures
Carrying a max of 11 passengers, the Seahorse II is an ex-Norwegian ferry that once plied the rough North Sea and the fjords of Norway.
The 11-pax Seahorse in Tobermory. * Photo: St Hilda Sea Adventures
All three ships have been converted to cruise the western islands of Scotland in comfort and style.
And where possible, the traditional “look” and interiors have been retained to reflect the roles they once played.
The dining table of the Seahorse. * Photo: St Hilda Sea Adventures
Many of the cabins are finished in their original hardwood and the berths have been kept as they originally were to keep passengers safe and comfortable when sleeping at night. The bathrooms and heating systems have also of course been updated.
A new double twin en-suite cabin on the Seahorse II. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures
Rates for St Hilda Sea Adventures’ 3 Small Scottish Ships
Fares range from £190 to £350 per person a night, including meals prepared by a skilled chef, wine and lager at dinner, and daily port calls. (Note, each vessel has the choice of both en-suite accommodation and cabins with shared bathrooms.)
Full charters of St Hilda’s 3 small Scottish ships are also available — for 5-night cruises, charters start at £7,500 for the 6-pax St. Hilda; £12,600 for the 8-pax Gemini Explorer; and £18,250 for the 11-pax Seahorse II.
A family enjoying their private charter of the 6-pax St. Hilda. * Photo: St Hilda Sea Adventures
Special Offer: Enjoy 10% off of all St Hilda Sea Adventures cruises in 2023, when you mention code QuirkyStHilda23. Cruises operate from April through October, and depart from a marina near Oban.
St Hilda Sea Adventures Rates Include:
- All meals (plus fruit, coffee break, afternoon tea, pre-dinner aperitif and wine with dinner).
- House wine and continental lager with dinner. (Guests can also bring their favourite tipple on board and each ship has a fine, if limited, selection of single malts for purchase in the honesty bar.)
- Services of the crew (Seahorse II and Gemini Explorer have a crew of three, the Captain, Chef and Deckhand; the smaller St Hilda has a crew of two, the Captain and Chef)
- Guidance on shore excursions. (Every day the Captain will discuss the plan for the next day with guests and he’s very happy to assist guests with organizing their time ashore, perhaps with the booking of a distillery’s tour for example. Each vessel also has a folder of things to do and places of interest to visit at every stop, plus there are useful books with walks and maps to help guests plan. The crew know the area well and will be able to recommend walks of various difficulty and length at every stop.)
- Theme cruises (on scheduled theme cruises there may be a wildlife guide, photography tutor, art instruction or complimentary whiskey tours)
A Highland Coo! * Photo: St Hilda Sea Adventures
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HEIDI SARNA
