Wildlife cruise in Scotland

Scotland wildlife cruise The canals and lochs of Scotland offer the perfect location for exploring wildlife and experiencing the inspiring scenery of this part of the UK. It’s perfect for a UK based holiday whether you want to relax or get involved with activities.

This fascinating wildlife cruise in Scotland is aboard a cosy 54 foot ketch that can sleep 6 people in single bunks. You will be well looked after by the skipper and the cook to ensure you can just sit back and relax.

Cruise along west coast of Scotland.

The cruise takes in the spectacular lochs of the Cowal Peninsula and the inspiring Kyles of Bute which is found on the west coast of Scotland. Depending on the time of year you could be spotting porpoises, dolphins, basking sharks and whales from the deck of the boat or from it’s spacious common room. There is also the amazing bird life to be seen including the sea eagles.

On the cruise you can take control of the ketch and do some steering under the watchful eye of the skipper. Alternatively just spend some time taking in the views or doing some fishing. There’s plenty of opportunity to explore ashore also.

The cruise is perfectly suited to older children as there’s lots they can take part in. From laying lobster pots to catch their own dinner to learning about navigation and marine wildlife in a fun way.

Itinerary for Scottish wildlife cruise:

Day 1: Holy Loch to Kyles of Bute.

Afternoon boarding and a quick safety talk to ensure you remain safe on the cruise. The sails are hauled or engine started as we head out from Holy Loch to Kyles of Bute. We’ll sail along the scenic Firth of Clyde. We reach a perfect little spot by a small burn for our dinner and overnight anchor.

Day 2: Kyles of Bute.

Breakfast is taken as you watch the local wildlife which could include seal swimming alongside the boat. you can also take in the magnificant views of the Kyles of Bute as the cook feeds you in readiness for the rest of the day.
A shorty ride in our dinghy will take us ashore to Burnt Island which is home to a colony of comon seals and is also a bird sanctuary. depending on the season we may see black back gulls, oystercatchers cormorants and many other sea birds. After the visit we can spend time aboard the boat on activities such as fishing for bait and setting lobster and prawn pots or fishing for mackeral for really fresh fish for diner.

Day 3: Kyles of Bute.

We head back to the lobster pots that we set the previous day to see if we’ve caught anything for dinner. There’s bound to be lots of different creature caught up including scrabs, dogfish and star fish. It’s not just lobster and prawns we may find. We could also spend part of the day cruising and sialing around the Kyles to discover more about this amazing region. We could also take the dinghy across to west Kyle to visit the small harbour and view the mysterious Maids of Bute painted stones.There’s also time to explore the wildlife of rock pools and maybe doing a quick trawl with the plankton net to see what creatures we can find under the microscope.

Day 4: Isle of Arran and Loch Riddon.

An early start to the day to get under sail and the wildlife cruise now continues along the west coast of Scotland to Isle of Arran and Loch Riddon. We sail through the Sound of Bute and look out for a range of marine mammals and basking sharks. Once we take in the steep sides of Arran we make berth at a sheltered spot in Loch Riddon.

Day 5: Loch Striven.

Today we cruise to the remote sea loch called Loch Striven. On the way we can do a plankto net trawl to discover more about the microscopic crreatures that live in this area. Loch Striven adds cariety to the scencery of this cruise as it is a narrow and steep sided loch. Once we reach the head of the loch there is the chance to go and explore some of the magnificant views that can be seen by climbing the steep sides. If a climb is too energetic then a shoreline walk offers excellent opportunities to explore for shells and go dipping in rock pools. As we take dinner aboard keep you eyes on the valley sides as tyou may spot the magestic stags and deer that lvie in the mountains. It’s here alo that if you keep your eyes skyward you may spot the pride of Scotland – the stunning sea eagles and golden eagles.

Day 6: Loch Goil.

We sail north from Loch Scriven back up to the Firth of Clyde sailing past Holy Loch to our final loch visit at Loch Goil. On the way we will see Carrick Castle an old Viking fort and also the resting place of Mary Queen of Scots. We set anchor in a pretty and secluded bay. It;’s an ideal chance to do some wild swimming in the pristine waters. loch Goil is also a popular place to see dolphins, seals and porpoises.We can also take some time out ashore and explore the many walks around the loch.

Day 7: Holy Loch

After a leisurely breakfast we set sail and return to Holy Loch for you to disembark at around 11.00am.

Cruise cost: From £540 (7 days) per person based on 6 sharing or £2700 for the whole boat.

Tour availablilty: 2012: 11 Jun, 12 Jun, 13 Jun, 14 Jun, 15 Jun, 16 Jun, 17 Jun, 18 Jun, 19 Jun, 20 Jun, 21 Jun, 22 Jun, 23 Jun, 24 Jun, 25 Jun, 26 Jun, 27 Jun, 28 Jun, 29 Jun, 30 Jun, 1 Jul, 2 Jul, 3 Jul, 4 Jul, 5 Jul, 6 Jul, 7 Jul, 8 Jul, 9 Jul, 10 Jul, 11 Jul .

Get more details about this Scotland wildlife cruise.