A Round up of the 2024 Season
What a year we had in 2024! Too good not to look back at the Hebridean Adventures season. ‘Hjalmar Bjorge’ with new and regular customers alike, set out 16 times out and back to her regular cruising grounds, discovering new anchorages and returned to those old familiar spots that have give so much joy to so many guests in the past.
Our success rate for the 2024 season was amazing. Considering the summer weather of 2024 was not the best we have had. Hjalmer Bjorge and her crew managed, on the most part to get people to where they wanted to get to, or to an alternative, equally exciting destinations. Amazing coral sunsets, gloriously dark starry night skies criss crossed by golden satellites, poetic sunrises and, on several occasions, spectacular green ribbons of the Aurora Borealis, rippling in the northern sky.
Early at the start of the season, the weather gifted us a beautiful second half to April; with May carrying on this theme allowing outstanding cruises around the inner isles filled with azure blue seas, blue skies and bright sunshine that rivalled that of the Mediterranean in its warmth. In turn early viewing of wildlife became leisurely and most pleasurable as the cetaceans seemed to be enjoying the weather as much as our guests were.
May’s good weather brought us success on our more adventurous exploits. An early endeavour in our St Kilda exploits allowed us to take advantage of a cheeky weather window. Hjalmar Bjorges Skipper read it perfectly. We crossed an oily, flat calm Minch to the outer isles whilst dinning on Haggis, crushed roasted potatoes, mashed Swede all napped in a velvety Drambuie sauce. A rare opportunity indeed that provided an opportunity to position ourselves ready to jump across to this remote destination.
On arrival we discovered we were the first visitors of the season and even as we left , still in glorious sunshine, we were still the only vessel in Village Bay. Good weather continued to grace us for most of May, there were indeed several days of unsettled weather, but as a whole May was a good month for cruises including several more successful trips to St Kilda, (of which we will go into more detail on our next blog.)
These trips included return visits to the enchanting Monach Isles just to the west of North Uist. Then on further south to the southerly end of the outer Isles we stopping at Mingulay with its abandoned village, colonies of Puffins and its high western cliffs, teaming with seabirds.
Heading out and returning often gave us opportunities to call in at the small inner isles of Rum, Eigg, Muck, Canna, Lunga, Ulva, to name drop just some of our anchorage. Our skippers taking you on voyages to the wildlife grounds that they know will not disappoint our guests.
Days of long cruises were often broken up with sightings of wildlife. Dolphins, zipping just ahead of our bows but done in such a leisurely looking manner in their imperceivable efforts. Minke Whales surface for short periods repeating a few times before diving deep in their continual search for food. Minke are the most common we see, but Humpbacks and Orca are also regulars to these waters.
More regular were the seabirds, Gannets diving, suicidal like, from on high. Puffins zoom past, beating their wings like ‘a man/fowl’ possessed, a wingman tight on their rear quarter. Pairs of Cormorants, less franticly, hug the seas surface, and every now and then from a guest or guide, the cry of ‘Storm Petrol!’ May break a concentrated silence. There are countless sightings both at sea and during the many excursions ashore. Our wildlife note book will pay tribute to the very extensive range of wildlife we saw in 2024. With the help of our guests we keep it updated daily and certainly at the end of every cruise there is a hunched gathering of guests and guides excitedly running through personal and ships lists of sightings.
One of the most exciting encounters we had this season was returning from our second visit to St Kilda, after an afternoon and evening ashore. We had a restful night and a great breakfast before the long trip back to the outer isles. We headed off for customary trip to the gap between Soay and Hirta.. On this occasion the weather was favourable; beguiled we langourilously cruised passed the jagged southern coast of Hirta, awed by its majesty. A pod of ‘White Beaked Dolphins’ was spotted. Which soon was realised to be a very large Super Pod of ‘White Beaked Dolphins!’ It was decided to count these fabulous creatures and the count soon topped 200, and as it turned out later, one of the biggest ‘White Beaked Dolphin’ pods ever recorded.
As the Earth continued its orbit about the sun, June was soon upon us. Summer had arrived! Well not quite, the weather turned the other way; not that it would stop Hjalmer Bjorge! Not at all, she’s one tough little ship! We managed to get two more trips across to St Kida under our belts, which meant we had made five successful trips to St Kilda before some of our nearest competitors had even attempted one. On the one occasion we failed, our skipper deemed just a bit to lumpy outside the outer isles. As a former Coxswain of the RNLI Lifeboat out of Stornaway, we take his judgement in such matters as gospel. Instead we headed to another bird colony, on the Shiant Islands twelve nautical miles off of Lewis.
July was seen in with a trip around the inner isles for a group of art enthusiasts. We took them to some of the most stunning locations, where once ashore, with the help of their tutor, they created some astonishing pieces of artwork. They were helped with the weather giving us bright sunshine for most of the week. Only on the last day did the rain return. But with a full Scottish Breakfast to see them off on their journey home they left with full tummies and smiles on their faces.
July also saw the most adventurous of our 2024 trips. Heading forty five miles North of the ‘Butt of Lewis’ Hjalmar Bjorge her crew, new, and fabulous returning customers plus our special guest Guide and Wildlife Photographer, Chris Gomersall, reached North Rona and Sula Sgeir. Hjalmar Bjorge has made this trip annually over most of the last decade. With Chris aboard the photography was going to be outstanding, Chris’ knowledge of wildlife and his skills at producing awesome wildlife photographs, (some of which adorn the walls of Hjalmar Bjorges saloon walls,) is second to none.
North Rona has been abandoned since 1844 after an infestation of rats caused the already exceedingly cruel conditions, for the Monks and hardy small community that inhabited the island, to become untenable. A place that is truly isolated, exposed and harsh it’s a place to be respected. But if you like wildlife, like we do, then it’s one of the most exciting excursions we do during a season. We are still the only company that attempts these trips annually; and we do mean attempt, as the weather conditions need to be just perfect, this cruise is in another league.
Thankfully 2024 saw those weather conditions met, and we managed to land guests ashore, this can be tricky even in the best conditions. But a landing was made, and the wildlife was not in short supply, Storm Petrels, Leach’s Petrels, Guillemots, Northern Fulmars, Great Skuas and Puffins to name but a few.
Sula Sgeir on the other hand is what its Gaelic name implies, ‘Gannet Colony.’ Here on this forty Hectares of rock that rises out the North Atlantics water, Gannets swarm above you like a swarm of giant white bees. Only five miles from North Rona, you know you are getting close because the smell of the guano is often strong on the wind. Famous for the, now regulated, Guga Hunts from Lewis, forty miles to the south, where the inhabitants of that distant island come to hunt young Gannets.
August saw the weather turn yet again, the gales returned and our cruise around the Minch in looking for Cetaceans and Sunsets became a bit of a dodge the weather trip. But with our guest guides Megan McCubbin and James Stevens along with our keen guests, the wildlife was captured on film and logged in our wildlife book. Seals, Common Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins, Porpoise and Minke Whales were all seen and a day trip ashore took our guests around Lewis during a particularly nasty gale. But not to be kept tied up for long, Hjalmar Bjorge left Stornoway once more making our way around the Minch looking for whatever may present itself for our observing pleasure.
It was hard to contemplate that September had arrived, our last month of this enthralling season. Out once again looking for local wildlife and end of summer walks and scenery of the islands and seas; with no set destination this time allowing us to go where the weather would offer us the best conditions and views. On our following adventure we were joined by long time guest and guide, Marc Calhoun. Mark has written several books about the Hebridean Isles, its people and habitats. His knowledge of the history and life of this area is, outstanding. Living in Seattle does not deter Marc from flying halfway around the world often joining Hjalmar Bjorge and offering his extensive knowledge of these islands to our guests. A copy of his latest book can be found in Hjalmar Bjorge’, compact, but enlightening, library.
Our final cruise was nothing short of a blinder, heading southwards we were joined once more by James Stevens and Billy Heany. When these two young wildlife specialists joining us, spaces aboard Hjalmar Bjorge always fill up fast. Their sharp eyes, photographic skills and expert use of drones is masterful. From Crinan we headed around Jura, lunched at the Garvellachs and continued up to the Treshnish Isles, west of Mull. The weather had turned, again, but this time in our favour for this glorious week. We managed to reach the Small Isles and anchored off Eigg. The sightings came in thick and fast, cameras of guest and specialists alike showing the wonderful creatures of this area. Drones were launched and jaw dropping footage was jaw dropping amazing. Everything from Golden Eagles to Minke Whales were observed, this, the weather and the journey made our final cruise one to round off this phenomenal season.
Our thanks to the crew members of Hjalmar Bjorge. Who put such above and beyond efforts into our trips to get our guests to where they want to visit and their skill at getting them safely to the best places to observe the regions outstanding wildlife. In their abilities to make the cruises as comfortable as is possible and in keeping our guests safe, fed and warm. Also, to our guest guides whose knowledge and skills are exceptional and always make the trips they attend something super special.
Our biggest thanks are to you, our guests, for allowing us to take you to the magical areas of the Hebridean Islands and showing you the majesty of these islands, their beauty and breathtaking scenery. Of course, not forgetting the beautifully alluring wildlife that inhabit, fly, swim and dwell in and around these inspiring locations.
And! The 2025 cruise calendar still has some availability so if you’d like to come and join us on an amazingly uplifting adventure next year, don’t leave making your choices for too long. 2025 is going to be an exceptional year for cruising with us at Hebridean Adventures.
