I really can’t remember why I chose to cruise round the Outer Hebrides in April (the trip had been postponed for a couple of years due to the Covid epidemic) and I realised it was a mad decision on reading previous CC reviews BUT we were very lucky and had excellent weather. This meant that we missed only one landing on Iona.

I think the company have learnt from previous reviews and have upped their game regarding information on the places, flora and fauna we saw. The expedition team were enthusiastic and informative. I especially liked their mini lectures. They were also great at helping people on and off the RIB Zodiacs.

My main criticisms would be regarding a) their poor website and app. With the former you are not able to access your cruise information if you’ve used a travel agent. With the latter, you can only access on board and very often information is missing or wrong. Don’t bother using it to book excursions or dinner tables - in theory you can do that but in practice it bears no relevance to the actual circumstances. B) lack of information prior to the trip - information and pre-boarding forms were sent out 7-10 days before departure. This is far too late when there are postal delays and you are adding a couple of days sightseeing prior to the cruise. C) The last landing at Colonsay was quite badly organized with a lack of information (even misleading) on how to reach the gardens, inadequate transport - one mini bus which people had long waits for. We really lacked an expedition member to control the queuing for the bus! Read more