Best Scottish Tours

St Hilda Sea Adventures provides a unique sailing holiday on the beautiful coast of South Argyll on the West Coast of Scotland, providing an unforgettable sailing adventure for all ages. Each day is as action packed or as relaxing as you please; perfect for recharging the batteries.  You can do lots of sailing and exploring or simply sit back and enjoy the scenery, the sunsets and the stars at night

St Hilda sails out of Holy Loch near Dunoon and the cruising area is unique for a sailing holiday, with beautiful sea lochs and lots of islands to explore.  In this part of the west coast of Scotland there are large areas of sheltered waters and perfect remote anchorages for all sorts of waterborne activities, from swimming and fishing to canoeing and windsurfing. The yacht tender will take you ashore to explore the most interesting coastlines and local communities. This part of the west coast of Scotland is rich in bird and marine life and any sightings of otters, seals, porpoises, basking sharks and minke whales on your sailing holiday will never be forgotten.

Meals on your sailing holiday are freshly prepared by your cook Colette, using local produce from Argyll  whenever possible, including eating your own catch for dinner! Special diets can be accommodated. This tour is also available as a four, five or six day tour.

After boarding at 3pm we depart Holy Loch heading south west along the magnificent Firth of Clyde to our first anchorage in the Kyles of Bute. The Kyles of Bute is world renowned amongst sailors.  The sheltered coastal waters and stunning scenery, have historically established the area as a popular area for people who love being out on the water because of the natural harbours, sheltered beaches and tidal narrows.  Ardlamont  Point has frequent  basking shark reports and occasional pod of dophins and porpoise  and the rocks have seals a-plenty included the more rare and misnamed "common" seal.  At night phosphorescence can often be seen because of the high density of plankton and krill. Under the water  divers describe the seabed as a "Hanging Garden of richness". There are langoustine, lobsters and scallops which are regularly caught by the local fishermen and great fishing for mackerel in the early summer.
Within the Kyles of Bute are small uninhabited islands; the Burnt Islands and the island of Eilean Dubh which create narrows through which vessels must pass which are very picturesque.  After dropping anchor we take the dinghy to the Burnt Islands, where there was once an Iron Age fort and go ashore to explore.  In the breeding season we can get close to the Bird Sanctuary on the Burnt Islands to photograph Greater Black Back gulls nesting with Oystercatchers and many other species . On returning to the St Hilda we set the lobster and prawn pots and hope for a catch

It is a perfect place to anchor for the night and dinner is often enjoyed to the backdrop of a perfect westerly sunset.  This area is known as Argyll's secret coast because it is best accessed from the sea.  As you anchor at night all you will hear are the calls of the birds and the sound of the waves against the hull of the boat.

Wake up at anchor and enjoy your first breakfast on board on the aft deck and quite often we are lucky enough to enjoy watching the seals  swimming around the boat.  After breakfast we take the tender to see the rare Common Seal colony on the Islands and sit quietly where the burn enters the sea to look out for the sea otters at play and where sea trout run in the autumn.

After lunch we take the tender close to the shores of the Isle of Bute to watch the wild goats in close proximity.  We also climb from the dinghy to see the mysterious "Maids of Bute" painted stones with a poignant history and very difficult to get to apart from the sea.

Later we may try our luck fishing  for mackerel and have the option to go ashore for a walk along the East Kyle to see a charming early19th century community church

After dinner you might want to drink real ale in the Colintraive Arms, which serves food caught by the local gamekeeper who really is called Winston Churchill and visit by dinghy a treasure of a Victorian harbour  with its magnificent boathouses and navigational "follies" This area is on the edge of the line of total darkness and is one of the most southern places in Europe to experience the stars as you never have before, with no light pollution at our anchorages at night.

On day three we head out over the sound of Bute to Arran for an invigorating sail where you can learn some sailing and navigation skills

We return to secluded and beautiful Loch Riddon, a sea loch opening from the Kyles of Bute and surrounded by mountains.

We anchor for the night off a beautiful house and jetty and enjoy dinner in perfect peace and tranquillity.  This is a good place to swim from the side of the boat and catch plankton by dragging a net and examining the incredible plants and animals with microscopes.

After dinner we have an option to walk the northern shores of the loch and climb the forest trail 

On day four we head off to Loch Fyne to explore the  longest sea loch in Scotland.  This area is a hotspot for marine life and although it can never be guaranteed we are often  fortunate to spot basking sharks, dolphins and very occasionally Minke whales as we travel up the loch.  From May to July there are often rafts of puffins on the surface of the loch and may other birds to be seen throughout the season

When we reach the west shore at Minard, we anchor off and go ashore by tender to enjoy a walk along the coast and visit the ancient Standing Stones. This is a solar alignment, dating from about 1160 BC, which has two small standing stones pointing to the mid-summer sunrise, and nearby there is a "quern quarry".

On day six we leave our anchorage at Loch Fyne and head for the very remotest Scottish sea loch which is a total escape and away from it all, Loch Striven.  We anchor at the head of the loch  watch for wildlife and soak in the silence .

We go ashore by tender to climb the trail on loch side which takes us high enough for magnificent views of the loch and sea.  The coastline is also a very pretty  walk with lots of shells on the shoreline and perfect for rock pooling at low tide.

From the serenity of our  anchorage we can watch the stags and deer on the hillside and if we are lucky, see sea eagles and golden eagles soaring high above the mountains.

On day six we leave the Kyles of Bute behind and head north east again up the Firth of Clyde.  We pass holy loch and on reaching Loch Goil we pass the ancient Carrick Castle, once a Viking fort and resting place for Mary Queen of Scots.  

Our anchorage is situated off a delightful stream in a pretty bay; another excellent spot for swimming from the boat.  Loch Goil is a popular place for seals, dolphins and poprpoises and we should be lucky enough to spot some.

We go ashore and take a trail high into the mountains for magnificent views of the loch and surrounding mountains and watch out for herds of deer.

We enjoy our last dinner and night on board. 

Waking up at anchor in Loch Goil we have the opportunity for a quick swim in the loch before a final breakfast on board before a leisurely cruise via Loch Long back to Holy Loch, keeping a close eye out for porpoises and dolphins. 

We disembark at Holy Loch Marina at 11am for onward travel with Best Scottish Tours or to travel back to our destination.

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