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A day alive with world-class hiking, breeching whales and boat-fresh seafood lingers on with a smouldering Hebridean sunset, enjoyed with a dram in hand in the on-deck hot tub. Welcome to life aboard Hebrides Cruises’ Emma Jane, a small luxury ship that eases just 10 guests on life-affirming adventures around Scotland’s incomparable islands.
It’s no wonder that the Prince and Princess of Wales are rumoured to have sailed to Mull when they celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary. “There is nowhere quite like the Hebrides,” beams the Emma Jane’s skipper Jake (it’s very much first-name terms with Hebrides Cruises) from the helm of a plush cruiser that feels more Monaco than Mallaig. “To explore this magical archipelago is a real privilege; I cannot think of anywhere else I’d rather be sailing.”
I’m back onboard the Emma Jane for the 10-night “Far-flung islands: Shiants & the Summer Isles” cruise eight years since I joined her inaugural sailing. Since then, she has aged more gracefully than me, each winter enjoying upgrades – including a hybrid power system, part of a determination to be more sustainable that has won Hebrides Cruises several coveted Green Tourism Gold awards. Its fleet – which also includes the trim former rescue vessel Elizabeth G and the even more luxurious Lucy Mary – cannot stop winning awards, with half a dozen in 2024 and two Sailawaze gongs this year.
As we emerge from the fleet’s home port of Oban, I share Jake’s enthusiasm as an escort of porpoises greets us. Wildlife is a constant companion with Hebrides Cruises: minke whales in the Minch, sea eagles off Rona, and a massive pod of common dolphins on approach to Loch Torridon are just some of the highlights on a cruise that would have David Attenborough purring. Then there are the seabirds: gannets, guillemots, great skuas (called “bonxies” in these isles) and impossibly cute puffins (2 per cent of the global population of puffins can be found in the Shiant Islands).
If the royals did cruise their way to the Isle of Mull, it wouldn’t be a surprise. Queen Victoria’s burning passion for Scotland forged a castle at Balmoral, and the royal yacht Britannia was practically wedded to the Hebrides until her retirement in 1997. The late Queen Elizabeth II missed her Hebridean trips so much, she chartered another small luxury cruise ship, the Hebridean Princess. Twice. William and Kate simply took up the Hebridean mantle with their anniversary Mull trip.
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Life aboard the Emma Jane is indeed a regal affair. The large main deck interior is open-plan, with comfy leather seating and a hardwood dining table. Talented young chef Minty works her magic in an open kitchen with local langoustines, scallops and beef, while Jake chips in with freshly caught mackerel. Stewardess Trinity serves up winning smiles and a genuine friendliness that spreads through the passengers as strangers become friends, our group quickly bonding over shared wildlife experiences and tales from previous Hebrides Cruises voyages. Onboard wildlife guide Will tells me: “We get a lot of repeat guests – they really love their time aboard and many come back every year.”
That hot tub bubbles away, easing muscles pounded by yomping across Lewisian gneiss and Torridonian sandstone. These are some of the oldest rocks in the world, stars of the elemental, savagely beautiful – and still relatively unspoilt – Hebrides. Think towering mountains, emerald slopes, soaring sea cliffs and starched white beaches. The Thai tourist authorities famously borrowed a beach from the Hebrides for an advertising campaign – and on this cruise, I repeatedly see why. Another highlight is a beach landing on Caribbean-esque Coral Beach on Skye for a life-affirming spring swim.
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As we round Ardnamurchan Lighthouse, and the most westerly point in Britain, it’s also easy to see why Mendelssohn was so inspired by the Hebrides that he crafted an eponymous overture in their honour. Mull’s mountains rear up behind, while ahead the quartet of Small Isles vie deliciously for attention, with Rum’s sky-scraping Cuillin mountains a match for their namesakes on the brooding hulk of Skye.
Being aboard Hebrides Cruises can feel like dreamily sailing around inside a postcard, or reclining in an elegant coastal cafe, with its decadent afternoon teas and epic scenery, but you can get stuck into this wild and wildly beautiful land, too. Will leads a wildlife walk on every island, sharing his deep passion for the Hebrides and its rich flora and fauna: everything from flesh-eating plants and striking orchids through to the hulking red deer, leaping dolphins and magical orcas.
I strike out alone, too, as I’m sure some of the royals have done on their Hebridean forays away from the glare of cameras. I tackle the imposing 393m summit of An Sgurr, an impenetrable fortress from the water that leaves its back door open to allow a short scramble to a summit that peers over swathes of the Hebrides. The Shiant Islands also offer a hike, with thousands of birds swirling all around; Rona a yomp to a mysterious cave where they used to hold church services, and the tragic ruins of a cleared village.
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The Highland Clearances refers to the baleful period from the 18th century into the early 20th when thousands of Hebridean islanders were forced off their ancestral land onto ships bound for the likes of Canada and New Zealand. Alongside this sobering history, these Hebridean cruises bring signs of renewed hope in the isles. Our last stop is Eigg, an isle that has thrived having been run by the community since 1997. It became the world’s first island to be powered by its own green electricity, and the islanders are keen to share their story in the slick new community centre and cafe, An Laimhrig, which beams like a beacon and a Hebridean exemplar as we arrive by tender.
As we reluctantly sail back into Oban, I disembark with a spirit-soaring reel of sights, smells and sounds seared across my heart and my soul. My own love of the Hebrides burns brighter than ever. Whether William and Kate cruised with Hebrides Cruises or not, this unique family-run company offers experiences that are truly fit for royalty.
Robin was travelling as a guest of Hebrides Cruises
How to do it
Hebrides Cruises’ “Far-flung islands: Shiants & the Summer Isles” 10-night cruise has berths on the Emma Jane for £4,460 per person, including all meals, wine with dinner, teas and coffees, tenders and the services of a wildlife guide. The company offers myriad Hebridean options aboard its trio of vessels. Find out more at hebridescruises.co.uk.
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