Argyll Cruising: A Warm Welcome to First Time Adventurers

If you are new to small boat cruising in Scotland, it can be a little tricky to imagine what it is like on a trip with Argyll Cruising. Are you picturing the sun setting over the sea, sipping a glass of white wine and watching for dolphins on the horizon?

The sun setting over Oban Harbour

The sun setting over Holy Loch Marina

Or, are you day dreaming of arriving at a secluded beach to explore an uninhabited island carpeted in bluebells and surrounded puffins?

Puffin

Maybe you are imagining a Scottish castle glimpsed through a porthole or arriving at the chocolate box, multicoloured village of Tobermory on Mull?

Carrick Castle

Tobermory Harbour

Luckily for first time travellers, we have written a few guides to life on board our beautiful converted fishing boat, Splendour, so you can know what to expect. Spoiler alert: every day with Argyll Cruising is filled with three delicious meals (and sweet treats at teatime) prepared on board by our talented private Chef, Mike, a trip or two to shore for adventures, and plenty of time relaxing and watching the Scottish coastline glide by.

We have also been featured on TV, winning the Luxury Category of Scotland’s Greatest Escapes, so you can see what it is like to cruise the Kyles of Bute from the comfort of your own home. Our fabulous judges, Karen and Karen, were delighted by a trip to a tucked away
tea farm in Argyll and they even caught their own mackerel, which Chef cooked for dinner.

We think that a holiday on board Splendour exploring the West Coast of Scotland is truly magical, whether you are celebrating an anniversary, milestone birthday or major life event like retirement – or your first solo trip. However, don’t just take our word for it. You can read what seasoned travel writers and journalists have said about some of our recent trips:

• Robin McKelvie’s review of the Southern Hebrides and Mull of Kintyre Cruise for Quirky Cruise covers one of our most unique cruises ,which leaves Oban, rounds the Mull of Kintyre and ends at our peaceful home port of Holy Loch Marina, Dunoon. Enjoy leafing through their daily travel journal, featuring photos of each stop along the way and spot our Skipper Ted in Splendour’s wheelhouse.
• Matilda Davies’ article Eagles, cheese and G&Ts; life aboard a tiny Hebridean cruise in the Times describes a 3 night Magic of Mull cruise.
• Lesley Bellew’s handpicked boutique sailings for the Daily Mail includes the Islands and Wildlife of the Southern Hebrides trip, which highlights the fantastic local seafood you can expect and the wildlife you might be lucky enough to encounter.
• Scotland Magazine’s article about the idyllic waters of the Firth of Clyde promises that our trips will “leave you with memories to last a lifetime”.
• Hello Magazine’s writeup of The Kyles and Isles trip commends the friendly atmosphere and awe inspiring nature, reflecting at the end of a three day cruise that “I look back on our experience as part of a love affair with the timeless beauty of this part of Scotland and a reminder of something we have perhaps lost in our fast moving urban lifestyles. I feel rested and re-set”.

Argyll Cruising is rated 5/5 on Responsible Travel, 4.9/5 on Facebook and we are proud to offer a personal service as a family-run business, with Skipper Ted and sister Claire always happy to answer any questions travellers might have. We look forward to welcoming you
aboard in 2025 and beyond.