Logs
Embark on a voyage into the unknown where only the Captain knows our course.
As autumn dawns, discover the hidden treasures, magic and mystery of Scotland’s west coast and the remote and wildly beautiful Hebridean islands. The Captain will take you to some favourite destinations, revealing the itinerary on a day-to-day basis.
Although the itinerary is unknown, the high level of comfort and service on board Hebridean Princess is always assured.
Tuesday 13 October: Oban and the first secret
Our voyage began in Oban, the busy “Gateway to the Isles”. Guests came aboard in the late afternoon to the familiar comforts of Hebridean Princess: warm lounges, polished brass and the promise of a very good dinner.
Then came the first reveal: an overnight anchorage in Loch a’Choire, a sheltered fold of water on the Morvern coast. That evening, every table in the lounge asked the same question: where next?
Wednesday 14 October: Kingairloch and Bloody Bay
We woke to stillness at the foot of the Kingairloch Estate, a remote corner of Morvern that few visitors ever reach. Guests set off along estate tracks and lochside paths, through woodland burnished with autumn colour.
Those who preferred to linger found the Boathouse open for refreshments, and few places beat a warm drink at the water’s edge in a Highland glen.
In the afternoon we cruised to Bloody Bay, off the north coast of Mull. Despite a name that recalls a fifteenth-century clan sea battle, it proved a peaceful berth for the night.
Thursday 15 October: Through the narrows to Plockton
We spent the morning cruising past the Small Isles as Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna rose one after another from the sea.
Next came Kyle Rhea, the narrow, fast-flowing strait where drovers once swam their cattle across to Skye. Hebridean Princess rode the tide through, then glided beneath the Skye Bridge.
In the afternoon we reached Plockton, with its whitewashed cottages curving around a sheltered bay and palm trees thriving in the mild Gulf Stream air. Guests strolled the lanes and shoreline, and the Plockton Hotel welcomed walkers in for refreshments.
That evening we anchored off Shieldaig in Loch Torridon, beneath some of the oldest mountains in Britain.
Friday 16 October: Shieldaig to Ullapool
The morning belonged to Shieldaig. Guests walked the shore of Loch Torridon, with views across to Shieldaig Island’s old Scots pines and the great sandstone ramparts of the Torridon hills.
Around dinnertime we berthed alongside in Ullapool for the night, a lively change after our quiet anchorages, with the town’s lights reflected in Loch Broom.
After dinner, local entertainment filled the Tiree Lounge with Highland music.
Saturday 17 October: A gorge, a garden and Staffin Bay
After breakfast a coach took guests to Corrieshalloch Gorge, where a Victorian suspension bridge looks straight down on the Falls of Measach thundering into the chasm below. Others explored Ullapool at their own pace.
In the afternoon we cruised to Loch Ewe to visit Inverewe Garden. Created by Osgood Mackenzie on a once-barren peninsula and warmed by the Gulf Stream, it is a place of improbable abundance, glowing in its autumn finery.
As the light faded, we anchored in Staffin Bay, beneath the dramatic ridgeline of Skye’s Trotternish peninsula.
Sunday 18 October: Skye’s wild coast and the Isle of Rum
We spent the morning cruising Skye’s north and west coasts, a parade of sea cliffs and basalt headlands best enjoyed from the water, coffee in hand.
In the afternoon we came to the Isle of Rum, a national nature reserve whose mountains rise steeply from the shore. Guests went ashore for local walks, keeping an eye out for the island’s red deer.
That evening we anchored at Inverie on the Knoydart peninsula, a mainland village with no road to the rest of Britain.
Monday 19 October: Knoydart and Duart Bay
Knoydart, often called Britain’s last wilderness, has a pace all of its own. Guests made the most of it on morning walks along Loch Nevis and around the remote village of Inverie, inaccessible by road, where the local wildlife put on a stunning display.
In the afternoon we cruised south to our final anchorage in Duart Bay, off Mull, watched over by Duart Castle, ancestral seat of Clan Maclean. It was a grand backdrop for our last night at anchor.
Tuesday 20 October: Home to Oban
Our mystery ended where it began. Back in Oban, guests disembarked with fond memories, new friends and a slightly windswept glow.
The surprise was never really about not knowing where we were going. It was about trusting the Captain and the tides, and enjoying each day as it unfolded, from the hush of Loch a’Choire to the roar of Corrieshalloch.
The course may have been a secret, but the comfort and care on board Hebridean Princess never were.
