Welcome to our 2027 Summer Programme! We’re looking forward to welcoming you onboard yacht Merlin!
Each week of our season has a different focus but all involve lots of sailing and exploring. No experience is necessary and it’s open to everyone. From raising anchor to hoisting sail, we provide the support and training to make sure everyone can get involved in an inclusive and welcoming environment.
Our voyages under sail work towards creative and cultural exchange, ocean education and environmental research in a context which values diversity and new ideas. They’re also a wonderful way to get out on the water, learn to sail from an onboard instructor, and explore some of Europe’s most beautiful scenery!
Analogue Photography Week
8th – 15th May, Ardrossan – Oban
Teaming up with photographer, filmmaker and Sail Britain crew member Tom Sweetland, this week will explore photography and filmmaking through analogue processes, as we sail through the wild landscapes and remote islands of Scotland. We’ll shoot primarily on film, exploring traditional photographic techniques alongside more experimental ways of creating and developing images…. read more
Spring Coastal Foraging
15th – 21st May, Oban – Oban
Join us for a week of coastal foraging and learning about the plants and seaweeds which grow along our shores with forager and wild food educator Mark Williams. We’ll learn how to identify different species, their place in ecology, and how to responsibly harvest and prepare them. Discover the wild delicacies springtime has to offer among some of Scotland’s most beautiful landscapes!… read more
Creative Ecology Residency
Week 1, 22nd – 28th May, Oban – Oban
Week 2, 29th May – 4th June, Oban – Mallaig
As our most interdisciplinary programme, this residency will explore creativity both as a means of survival in the natural world, and as a bridge between our realm and the more than human world through themes related to ecology, fluidity, and our imaginative relationship with other life forms….read more
Muir is Tir Residency
12th – 19th June, Mallaig – Stornoway
This year marks the 10th anniversary of our ‘Muir is Tìr’ residency, exploring the seaways and islands of the Hebrides, their folklore, language and landscapes. The residency takes a creative approach to ocean adventuring, with a focus on the role and relevance of oral knowledge in the Anthropocene and the ancient sea routes of the Hebrides… read more
Seabirds
19th – 25th June, Stornoway – Stornoway
If you want to get up close and personal with seabirds, this is the week for you! We will sail to some of the richest habitats for birdlife in the whole of the British Isles to spend time with our winged companions, and learn their secrets from ecology to folklore …read more
Wild Islands Residency
Week 1, 26th June-3rd July, Stornoway – Mallaig
Week 2, 3rd – 9th July, Mallaig – Mallaig
The Wild Islands Residency explores uninhabited islands, the remoter, wilder and lesser-known places, with a focus on the unique geology and wildlife that can be found here. We’ll also be asking ‘Is anywhere truly wild still?’… read more
“I can’t recommend Sail Britain enough. A huge thank you to Oliver for all his work in making these trips happen. There’s so much I’m going to take away from this experience” – Alex
Sensing the Wild
17th – 23rd July, Mallaig – Mallaig
Join us for a week of sailing & outdoors movement in the wild landscapes of the Scottish isles cultivating ecological connection through mindful movement. Led by somatic movement artist Kate Sagovsky of Studio Soma, you will be supported in a small, friendly group & given expert guidance, making this creative residency accessible to all levels of experience… read more
Life of Islands Residency
24 – 30th July, Mallaig – Mallaig
The Life of Islands residency explores ‘islandness’ – the special nature of islands – with a particular focus on inhabited places. The week will offer artists a space to explore notions of remoteness, connection and identity, at the intersection between land and sea… read more
Sailing Through Time
31st July – 6th August, Mallaig – Mallaig
An exploration of the Scottish isles and their Geology
Geologist and artist Phoebe Sleath joins us for a special week interpreting the fascinating geological landscapes of the west coast of Scotland though art and science… read more
Foraging and Sailing
7th – 13th August, Mallaig – Mallaig
Our long-running week of foraging and sailing around the islands and sea lochs of Scotland’s spectacular West Coast with wild food educator Mark Williams of Galloway Wild Foods is always a highlight. Join us to partake of Nature’s bounty as mushroom season arrives in the islands… read more
Sea Myths and Legends
21st – 27th Aug, Mallaig – Oban
Our coasts and islands are rich in stories, and these are the building blocks of our island culture. This week we will be seeking out some of these stories with writer, actor and folklorist Karin Murray-Bergquist, and perhaps making a few of our own along the way. … read more
Ocean Connections
28th August – 3rd September, Oban – Oban
This week we will be setting sail on a voyage to explore the secrets of the sea, how our lives are intimately connected with the health of the ocean and the wildlife there, and how storytelling can be a powerful force for good…read more
Our Living Ocean
4th – 11th Sept, Oban – Ardrossan
Learning about marine conservation is one of the cornerstones of Sail Britain’s mission and this week gives you the opportunity to explore the wonders of ocean life first hand, visiting conservation projects, and getting in the water to see for ourselves… read more
“This was an extraordinary experience that not only deepened my knowledge and kinship with the sea and furthered my interest in marine identities, but I also met an incredible group of people” – Christina