Hebrides

4 August 2016

We have a new group on board for a first Scottish voyage. A busy program was planned with beautiful spots to visit in the Hebrides. But the weather changed those plans right away. We changed some stops around and we decided to go to St Kilda first. A big depression is expected so we want to visit St Kilda first and be back ‘in’ before the depression hits. 
We left Oban on Tuesday evening and dropped anchor a few miles out to spend the night. The next morning, we sailed through he Sound of Mull with a slight breeze, drizzle and poor visibility: welcome to Scotland! 
At the end of the Sound we saw the ‘Royalist’, an English brig for sea cadets. We said hi and exchanged gifts. It’s always nice to run into other Tall Ships. Probably we will meet again at the Tall Ships’ Races in a few weeks and see who’s faster. 
We sailed to Barra Head during the afternoon and during the evening we reefed and prepared for a windy and wobbly night at the outside of the Outer Hebrides. Our plan was to arrive this afternoon at St Kilda to spend the evening on the island and learn more about the rich history. Unfortunately we just got called that there’s target practicing in the area around the island, so our arrival time is a bit later than planned. 
The nature lovers have lots to see. We spotted a Northern fulmar, gannets and a Great skua. Yesterday we saw dolphins (common and striped), so that’s a good start of the trip.