St. Hilda Sea Adventures

St. Hilda Sea Adventures, a Scottish firm established in 2007 and based in Oban, operates three vessels — a small, former sail training tall ship; a former working vessel for the Royal Navy; and the third and newest acquisition is a former cruising lifeboat.

The trio is comfortable, quirky and affordable in the way many small ships are not. Two of the three vessels offer single cabins. The itineraries offer a multitude of choices — length and destinations.

Imagine visiting Scotland’s legendary isles and villages and stepping ashore with no more than 6 to 11 fellow travelers and being served aboard by a crew of two or three who, being locals, know the ropes and the neighborhood.

St. Hilda Sea Adventures takes you to St Kilda

St Kilda’s Boreray. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures

Ships, Year Delivered & Passengers

Seahorse II, acquired in 2017, is an ex-Norwegian Ferry and now carries 11 passengers.
St. Hilda, built in 1973 as a wooden-hull sail training ship, was converted in 2007 for 6 passengers.
Gemini Explorer was acquired in 2019 and is an ex-cruising lifeboat built in 1974 that can now carry a maximum of 8 passengers.

Passenger Decks

Seahorse II: three decks and no elevator.

St. Hilda & Gemini Explorer: two decks and no elevator

Seahorse II. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures

Gemini. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures

Passenger Profile

Mostly from Great Britain, and others from the US and Australia.

Crew numbers three for Seahorse II — captain, chef and bosun. There are two crew members for St. Hilda and Gemini Explorer — captain and chef.

Price

$ – $$ -moderate rates compared to most of the other operators

The St. Hilda. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures

Included Features

All meals
Fruit on demand
Coffee
Afternoon teas
Pre-dinner aperitif
Beer & wine with dinner
Stocked bar after dinner
Services of the crew
Guides ashore
*BYO also welcomed

Lunch on the dock next to the St. Hilda in Argyll & Bute. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures

St Hilda Itineraries

The cruise season begins in mid-April and extends past the middle of October.

Itineraries span from three to 11 nights and exclusively sail the lochs, coastlines and amongst the islands of Western Scotland.

Itineraries are available through the 2023 season. The line’s website provides very good descriptions of the places to be visited.

An 8-night circuit visits close-in isles such as the well-known Skye and others with such names as Eigg, Muck, Rum and Canna, plus sailing into five lochs.
A 5-nighter packs in Duart Castle, home of the Macleans, the colorful village of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, nature woodland walks along Loch Linnhe and Lock Aline, with a visit to an 13th-century castle and its gardens.
The granddaddy of all is the 11-night voyage to the Outer Hebrides, and to St. Kilda, a tiny island out in the Atlantic Ocean that was inhabited for 2000 years until evacuated in 1930. The island is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to a huge bird population comprising of gannets, fulmars, petrel, puffins and skua. It looks forbidding from a distance especially when approaching in such a small ship. Special permission has to be granted to land visitors. The voyage out into the open Atlantic can be a rough passage, so keep that in mind if you are considering this itinerary.

The Small Isles. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures

Charters

All three vessels, with their low passenger capacities, are ideal for full charters.

When you go on the St Hilda’s website, if the booking chart shows no bookings for a particular date, then the vessel is available for a full-boat charter, and the itinerary is up to you.

Also, self-catered charters are available where the vessel remains tied up, and with no crew aboard, at a landing near Oban. Assistance is available if needed.

Adorable Puffins in the Small Isles. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures

Why Go?

Go to enjoy the spectacular western Scottish landscapes, seascapes, lots of birds and land and sea animals.

Some isles without regular access by ferries can only be visited by private yacht or small cruise vessel. Sail into lochs and sounds and amongst the popular and remote isles of the Outer and Inner Hebrides and along coastal Argyll.

Specialties are malt whiskey distillery tours, wildlife seeking guides, golf outings, and photography lessons. Revel in the camaraderie of a truly small group — passengers and crew.

A Highland coo. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures

When to Go?

Scottish weather is famously unpredictable and changes quickly in all months. With a six-month season in a northern climate, the heaviest influx of visitors will be July and August coinciding with the school holidays and the warmest weather.

Specific popular destinations may be crowded then, especially picturesque villages, castles and gardens but then all cruise itineraries will also include less accessible places.

Perhaps the bottom line is to consider May, June and September, early October. Expect long hours of daylight.

Cabins

Seahorse II Cabins: two doubles with a double bed or twins and en suite (private facilities); two twin cabins, two singles, and one single or double cabin at 105cm (41 inches) in width. These latter cabins have a washbasin and share two shower rooms with dressing gowns provided.

New Double (or Twin) En-Suite on the Sea Horse. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures

St. Hilda Cabins: a spacious double with two portholes that open, en-suite (shower, toilet, washbasin); twin berths with opening porthole, en-suite (with toilet, washbasin); twin berths (with washbasin). The twin cabins are both close to the toilet and shower rooms.

Gemini Explorer Cabins: in the forward part of the vessel there is a double en-suite, a twin en-suite and single en-suite. In the aft part of the vessel there is a double cabin that is opposite the bathroom.

Public Rooms

Seahorse II: Deck saloon for dining and a lounge for socializing, reading, and viewing Hebridean scenery and wildlife. The bridge welcomes passengers: high foredeck for wildlife spotting; boat deck aft for lounging and informally labeled “Play Deck.”

Sea Horse’s Saloon. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures

St. Hilda: Combination dining room and lounge on the deck above the cabins. Long foredeck leading up to the bow and small after deck.

St. Hilda’s saloon. * Photo; St. Hilda Sea Adventures

Gemini Explorer: The deck saloon is where everyone dines and socializes. There is an upper viewing deck with teak benches for wildlife spotting and relaxing.

Dining

All meals are either served in the combination dining saloon and lounge or in fine weather out on deck.

The food is locally sourced and may be mackerel that passengers catch along the way, crabs, lobster and prawns from line’s own creel, and perhaps mussels from a nearby island.

Also dig into Scottish beef, lamb and pork tenderloin and locally-grown vegetables. Beer and wine with dinner. BYO is also accepted.

Afresco dining in port. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures

Activities & Entertainment

Wildlife spotting from the boat and on shore during walks and hikes, may include golden and sea eagles, three types of whales — minkes, humpbacks and orcas — as well as dolphins, porpoises, sharks, otters and the buzzing sound of corncrakes.

A sea eagle. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures

Dolphins spotted on a St. Hilda Sea Adventures

Dolphins. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures

The Gemini Explorer carries a two-person kayak aboard for guests’ use. The hardy can take to a short swim in a sea loch.

The line also offers special theme cruises from time to time featuring art tutors, photographers and wildlife specialists. The details are on St. Hilda’s website.

Small Isles wild horses. * Photo: St. Hilda Sea Adventures

Special Notes

The vessels are small and at anchor in the evening; expect some movement when at sea, a bit of getting used to for some. Sheltered anchorage overnight.