The Whisky Cruise

Event Type: Public Event, “Open to All”

Experience Required: None

Event Class: Cruise (Day Sailing with overnight stops)

An art steeped in tradition, the production of Whisky in Scotland holds a fascination for many, and we are no exception. We offer two Whisky routes. Our Clyde to the West Coast route aims to take in the distilleries of Arran and Campbeltown as well as the west coast distilleries of Jura, Islay and Oban. Our west coast route looks to explore the island distilleries of Mull, Jura and Islay along with Oban.

Is there a better way to explore Scotland’s whisky country than by yacht? We don’t think so. With extensive local knowledge and expert crew, join us as we explore some incredible stories, history and malts :-). Of course, lets not forget the sailing, which on our circumnavigating 18 metre yacht is like enjoying a fine malt with some fresh Scottish water straight from a natural spring, or so our principal skipper thinks!

Setting off on either route, your trip will begin with some familiarisation and safety briefs. With distilleries on almost all points of the compass, your skipper will closely follow the weather to get the best sailing in between our stops.

Of course, no trip on our yacht, in these waters, would be complete without some sailing related ticks! With the famous Corryverckan and Sound of Luing and the Mull of Kintyre in our Whisky cruise areas, there will be a whole bunch of iconic marine sights being crossed off the list! Visiting the island gems of Jura and Islay on both routes, we will see how many distilleries you can visit! Whichever route you choose, “coast to coast” or “west coast”.

Of course, our itinerary and schedule are all influenced by the weather so we may need to make changes as we go, but with at least a dozen distilleries to choose from we are sure to tick off a number of whisky and sailing boxes! Below is a sample itinerary as a reference to what you can expect.

Sample Itinerary

Route Options:

1) “Coast to Coast” Inverkip - Arran - Campbeltown - Islay - Jura - Oban

2) “West Coast” Oban - Jura - Islay - Mull - Oban

Joining Day: Join between 16:00 and 18:00. An evening buffet will be served from 19:00.

Day Two: Familiarisation and departure heading for your first distillery.

Day Three to Eight: Exploring distilleries around some incredible scenery

Day Nine: Arrival into our destination port.

Day Ten: Depart the yacht by 12 noon.

Our Guarantee:

Unlike many pre-book firms we don’t spend your hard earned money before your trip which means if there is disruption out-with our (and your) control that qualifies for a refund your money is safe and can be returned to you quickly.

Cost - Book early for the best rates, secure with a £200 deposit:

£ 1750 per person inclusive of all onboard costs.

Travel Notes:

Oban:

Oban is well served by bus and train routes and does have a small airport with limited route choices. Car parking is available throughout the town and bookable online (Use the Argyll and Bute council website for best prices), where vehicles can be left, at the owners risk. However, the train route to Oban is one of Scotland’s most scenic and well worth experiencing. Travelling from Glasgow alongside lochs, through glens and over some amazing bridges we highly recommend travelling to Oban by train. However, we also recommend booking a window seat well in advance as they fill up fast in the summer!

Inverkip:

Inverkip train station is a main line station served from Glasgow. Regular bus services also stop in the village. The marina is a 10-15 minute walk from the train station, 5-10 from the bus stop. It is worth noting that the train station is at the top of the village. While that’s not a problem arriving with your gear and going downhill it can be a tough walk up at the end of a trip! Car Parking is available at Kip Marina.

NOTE:

• The cost of this event includes all onboard food, fuel and berthing charges.

• Sailing activity is weather dependent. If conditions are too severe activity may be postponed, cancelled or the passage plan adjusted.

• Travel to/from the start and end points is not included