West Coast Wildlife Odyssey Cruise

DATES: Mon 19th September to Fri 13th October 2022

Our fully guided wildlife cruise will travel between Mallaig and Ullapool, but we will also offer pickup and dropoff to Inverness via our own Hebridean Adventures 4x4 vehicle, giving you a central location to get to if you prefer. If you'd like to meet or leave us in Ullapool or Mallaig to fit in with other travel plans just let us know.

On this cruise we will search for whales and dolphins from our dedicated viewing decks, travel with migrating seabirds, watch patiently for otters and pine martens and scan for golden and white-tailed eagles whilst learning about the ecology of the Scottish Highlands. This very special trip will be a catalogue of iconic Scottish wildlife species. We will also be utilising our own minibus to maximise our experience with shore excursions, and will visit locations on the west coast mainland as well as the famous Isle of Skye.

With a chance of seeing minke whales, basking sharks, up to 4 dolphin species and maybe even orca if we are very lucky during the week, we will be kept busy wildlife spotting and every day will take us somewhere very different, from the marine environment to the ancient Caledonian forest (land minibus excursion) as well as the stunning mountains of the west coast of the Highlands.

During this week, as with all our cruises, we will be collecting cetacean data for the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) via their Whale Track app. We will take the opportunity to teach everyone aboard how to use the app and take part in this very important citizen science data collection effort. 

The guides aboard MV Monadhliath are highly experienced ecologists and both crew and guides are very familiar with the area we cruise, known as the Minch, and our land-based knowledge of the West Highlands is based upon decades of experience. This thrilling adventure will give us a chance to go ashore and explore islands and beaches and give you opportunities to get close up to some iconic wildlife and locations to be found in the Highlands, making for a truly memorable holiday.

Please note that whilst we try to make these trips accessible to everyone, the boat is not suitable for anyone with mobility issues due to the compact spaces and steep stairs descending to the cabins.

• 4-night guided wildlife cruise.
• Visit the majestic Western Highlands of Scotland.
• Pickup and dropoff from Inverness.
• A mix of wildlife spotting adventures on sea and land.
• Look out for whales, dolphins, seals, otters, pine martens, eagles and seabirds.
• See the Isle of Skye and visit an otter hide.
• Help collect cetacean sightings data for the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust.
• View and visit some of the most scenic west coast locations in the Scottish Highlands.
• A truly memorable cruise you will never forget.