15. Sailing & Walking in the Hebrides 2023

SAILING & WALKING IN THE HEBRIDES
OBAN – OBAN

 06 SEPTEMBER 14:00 – 15 SEPTEMBER 10:00  2023 | 10 DAYS | €1850, – PER PERSON|FULL BOARD

Join Steady with us as we take guests on a 10 day sailing and guided walking holiday exploring the beautiful Hebrides.

Join Steady in the sweet bustling harbour town of Oban, Scotland. Spend some time settling in to the boat, meeting your crew and fellow guests before setting the sails to a nice quiet anchorage in the bay.  After a delicious home-cooked dinner, the skipper will give you a rough idea of what to expect.

LIFE AT SEA

Spend the morning getting familiar with the boat before setting the sails from Oban to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. Tobermory is a colourful waterside town with plenty to explore in the afternoon.

DAY 3 – ‘THE FOSSIL TREE AND BURG WALK’ ON THE ISLAND OF MULL 18 KM | 5-7 HOURS

A taxi will arrive ashore after breakfast to take you to the start point of your first walk while you leave the boat in Tobermory for the day.

DAY 4 – SAILING TO THE ISLAND OF CANNA

Set sail to Canna –  the most remote island of the Small Isles, hidden from the mainland by the great mountains of Rum. It is an island of great beauty and variety, with green meadows and forests, wild moors and dramatic cliffs. There are two fascinating churches, an ancient cross, an inaccessible ‘castle’ atop a large rock and Canna House – the former home of folklorist and Gaelic scholar, John Lorne Campbell.

DAY 5 – CANNA, HIKE TO THE ISLAND OF SANDAY AND THE PUFFLS 12 KM| 3.5 HOURS

After the walk along the coastline to see the puffins on Canna, head back to the boat and sail to the island of Rum in the afternoon.
Isle of Rum is the largest of the Small Isles with wild and rugged landscapes dominated by the towering mountains of the Rum Cuillin – a miniature version of Skye’s Cuillin. The area around Kinloch Village is owned by the locals, while the remaining land is owned by Scottish Natural Heritage.

DAY 6 – RUM, NORTH SIDE TRAIL (5.5 KM | 1.5 HOUR) & GUIDED TOUR IN KINLOCH CASTLE

Option 2 is a long hike to Kilmory Bay. This is a 18.5 km walk | 5 hours. The crew will liaise with guests to see capability and preference.

DAY 7 – SAIL DAY TO EIGG AND CLIMB AN SGURR 8 KM| | 3-4 HOURS

Eigg is the second largest and most populated island of the Small Isles. Eigg is dominated by An Sgurr’s remarkable vertical block stone. After decades of trouble with various landowners, Eigg was finally bought by the Eigg Trust in 1997 – a partnership between Eigg residents, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Highland Council. We will spend most of the day ashore explore An Sgurr.

DAY 8 – SAIL DAY TO THE ISLAND OF MUCK AND HIKE ON MUCK 7 KM | 2.5 HOURS

After breakfast we will set sail to Muck. The smallest island measuring less than 4 km by 2 km. Muck is a beautiful island, from fertile fields to sandy beaches and a beautiful west coast, it has much to offer the walker. Once we have explore ashore, we sail to the beautifully secluded Loch Drumbuie for a beautiful overnight anchorage.

DAY 9 – SAIL DAY TO KERRERA AND HIKE 12 KM | 3.5 – 4.5 HOURS

In the morning, sail to the green paradise of Kerrera, followed by a beautiful hike on the island. By contrast, compared to all the hustle and bustle of Oban, Kerrera is very quiet and offers beautiful views of the surrounding coastal areas. Cars are prohibited on the island except for a few locals, making it a walker’s paradise.

DAY 10 – OBAN

After breakfast it’s time to sail back to Oban. After an active 10 days in which you enjoyed the beautiful green and water-rich environment, you can disembark by 10am

WILDLIFE

Sightings of seabirds such as Black Guillemots can be seen in their hundreds and white-tailed eagles soar along the rugged coastline. Sailing on Steady is often rewarded with widespread sightings of birds of prey like Buzzards, Kestrels, Sparrow hawks and Peregrines and, if you’re lucky, you’ll spot the diminutive Merlin. The sound is magnificently overwhelming, with the call of seabird colonies, Puffins, Guillemots & Razorbills, echoing off the cliffs.

There are frequent encounters with Common, Bottlenose & Whitebeak dolphins on board these trips, and Risso & White-sided dolphins are also occasionally sighted. There are plenty of whales in this part of the world too. Our most common encounters are with Minke – Humpbacks are a less frequent visitor, while the real star of the show is the resident pod of Orca if you’re lucky enough to see them gliding through the water. So keep your eyes peeled and have your binoculars at the ready!

Wherever you sail with Steady, be sure that the views will be breathtaking and the wildlife in abundance, so have your eyes peeled and your binoculars at the ready for a wonderful trip. All meals are freshly prepared and cooked on board, and with private cabins and comfy social spaces, this is an adventure not to be missed!

General Info

This journey description is meant to give you an impression of how the journey could look. Weather conditions are however a big influence in this area. Therefor the travel-plan can get changed.

Maximum number of guests:

There is availability for a maximum of 6 guests.

For whom is this journey suitable?

• You are over 16 years old
• Your health and mobility is sufficient for a sailing trip at sea
• You love being outside in nature
• you are looking for a holiday with wildlife
• Active holidays in small groups is really something for you

Do I need sailing experience?

All our voyages are fully crewed so there’s no sailing experience needed to join a sailing holiday adventure! 

What language is spoken on board?

We are sailing with an international group of people. The crew is Dutch and speaks English and German. The main language on deck will be English when there are multiple nationalities on board.

Terms of payment

The payment amount will be paid in 2 terms*:

25%: Two weeks after the reservation

75%: One month before the start of the voyage

*If the reservation is made within 6 weeks prior to departure the boarding price will be charged in 1 term.

Included:

• Crew: captain and mate/cook
• Bedsheets and towels
• All meals, snacks and hot drinks
• Use of eco-friendly shower gel and shampoo
• Use of a MUSTO BR1 sailing suit (jacket and trousers) size S-XXL
• Lifejackets
• All ship- cleaning- and reservation costs, STO guarantee, VAT.

Not included:

• Travel to and from the ship.
• Personal expenses
• Softdrinks and alcoholic drinks on board
• possible extra tickets and entry fees
• Travel- and/or cancellation-insurance

What do I take?

This offer is covered by the warranty of STO Garant. You can see the terms and conditions of this warranty-agreement STO Garant’s website (www.sto-garant.nl/downloads)