20th – 26th June, Stornoway – Stornoway, £895
Seabird season in the Outer Hebrides surely represents one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in the British Isles, and the towering cliffs of the Shiant Isles are home to a staggering number of birds. Puffins, guillemots, razorbills, shags, skuas and even eagles, and many others fill the sky in a whirling cacophony of life. If you want to get up close and personal with seabirds, this is the week for you. Together we will learn their secrets, from their significance in folklore to their place in the ecology of the Scottish Islands, and the challenges they face from humanity’s development of the ‘blue economy’. This week will be a celebration of our winged companions of the sea.
Seabirds have always inspired the imagination, forming central characters in the stories and indigenous culture of coastal places. But their lives are shrouded in mystery. Many species visit our coasts, cliffs, bays and islands only for a brief, frantic breeding season and spend the rest of their lives far from land. In the past few decades, however, technological innovations and the efforts of dedicated researchers have shed light on these ocean voyagers and opened up their world to us. We are learning more about seabirds than ever before – and we need to, because many of them are desperately under threat.
From the tiny, rarely seen storm-petrel to the great gannet, the charming puffin, and the greatest journeyer of all, the Arctic tern, these islands of the Atlantic’s edge are one of the world’s most important places for seabirds. Their crowded, raucous colonies are some of the greatest natural spectacles to be found anywhere.
Setting sail from Stornoway, we will sail to some of the richest habitats for birdlife in the whole of the British Isles. Our focus for the week will be the astonishing archipelago of the Shiant Isles, home to staggering numbers of puffins, razorbills and guillemots, as well as many types of gull, fulmars, cormorants and even the magnificent white-tailed sea eagle, Britain’s largest bird.
We will aim to spent lots of time with the birds, learning how to identify different species, what makes them special, and what we can do to protect them and the wild places they call home.
Like all our trips, the week will also be a chance to learn to sail, crewing the yacht and getting involved with all the tasks of running the ship. Skipper Oliver will guide us through the sometimes challenging waters of the Outer Hebrides, with everyone having hands-on time steering the boat and trimming the sails.
The area is also home to a wide variety of whales, dolphins, seals and other marine mammals, which are attracted to the rich ecosystems and abundant food, so we’ll keep our eyes on the look out for these too. Perhaps we’ll partake of this ourselves with a bit of fishing and foraging!
Practical information:
- Start point – Stornoway (The crew will send details with exactly where to find Merlin on the day of arrival)
- Start time – Saturday 20th June, 3pm
- End point – Stornoway
- End time – Friday 26th June, 12 noon
What’s included:
- Fully equipped yacht and professional crew
- 6 nights accommodation onboard
- All meals for the week
- All safety equipment and training
What’s not included
- Your travel to and from the start/end points of the voyage
- Travel insurance
- Any expenses ashore, although these tend to be very limited out in the wilds!
For more info have a look at our FAQs page for an insight into life onboard.