Visit magical St. Kilda and much more on this seven or eight day sailing adventure

 Hebrides and St Kilda

This trip is truly not for the faint-hearted. Some sailors attempt for years to reach St. Kilda before finally getting an appropriate weather window to make the crossing. Our Chief Instructor has sailed to St. Kilda many times, with various levels of crew, in a variety of ‘Scottish’ weather!

The Route

The trip will start from either Largs or Oban and is likely to return to the other harbour. All of the yachts that we use for our adventures are 42ft or larger and all boast 4 cabins – the yacht will become your home for the adventure. They are all great boats, perfect for offshore sailing, which makes even a choppy passage bearable. Our adventure sails are perfect for practising sailing skills and getting the necessary miles or night sailing hours for your logbook, which can be especially welcome for those who are aspiring for the Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster licence or even consolidating Competent Crew or Day Skipper licences.

The archipelago of islands that make up St. Kilda are simply breath-taking. Lying 60NM from the Outer Hebrides, it is simply a magical place. St. Kilda is the biggest island in the cluster with Boreray and Soy to the north and Levenish to the south. It sits proudly out of the Atlantic Ocean and its striking cliffs and sea stacks are alive with the cries of a million seabirds. However, it is not only famous for its sea birds, but also for the fact that people survived there for over 4000 years. Although now uninhabited, the main settlement was in Village Bay, and even nowadays you can still visit the houses and cemetery and get a feel for how hard life on the island was.

Although St. Kilda is the highlight of the trip from Largs to Oban, you will pass through the beautiful Crinan Canal, stunning by itself, but also good fun - after opening and closing all 14 locks, a well-deserved drink is needed once reaching the Crinan basin! Then, depending on the tide and wind, you will pass through the Sound of Mull, and maybe visit one of the Small Isles. The last stop usually is South Uist or Barra before the final leg to St. Kilda. On the way back we will visit North Uist or Skye and Rum or Canna. Last stop before arriving at Oban is usually Tobermory.  Sailing from Oban to Largs, via St Kilda, is the reverse schedule.

Sailing in Scotland can be the most challenging and rewarding in the world, with so many magical places to visit and locals to meet - and this is before we mention the Scottish fair and whisky distilleries.

Dates for 2026

SOLD OUT

Dates for 2027

7 days: Oban - St Kilda - Oban

Sun 16th May to Sun 23th May

Sun 27th June to Sun 4th July

Sun 11th July to Sun 18th July

8 days: Largs - St Kilda - Oban

Sat 8th May to Sun 16th May

Sat 19th June to Sun 27th June

Sat 31st July to Sun 8th August

Sat 4th September to Sun 12th September

(Embarkation will be at 6.30 pm on the stated dates. Disembarkation will be at/before noon on the stated dates)

Price is £1145 for an all-inclusive sailing adventure

Included in the price

  • 7 or 8 nights accommodation on a 4 or 5 cabin yacht;
  • All onboard meals and snacks;
  • Fuel and gas;
  • Skipper services;
  • Bedding;
  • All marina and harbour fees (but see the Crinan Canal transit fee);
  • Final cleaning service.

Optional - not included in the price

  • Oilskins hire - £3.50 per item per day;
  • Sleeping bag can be hired at £25 per period;
  • Eating in restaurants ashore;
  • Visitors fees to whisky distillery or museum;
  • Transit fee for Crinan Canal. This is optional and needs to be agreed by all crew, typical cost is £30 per person.

Preparing your journey

Our sailings are suitable for complete beginners as well as those with previous experience. Our skippers are RYA instructors with extensive sea time, and they will support you whatever your level, offering guidance and practical tips throughout. This is an involved passage and the crew will be part of the boat preparation, general running of life onboard and the watch system that make it happen.

If you have little-to-no experience, please email us at admin@gowestsailing.com so we can chat through sea life with you. We can advise you on what you should pack and bring on board and hire waterproof garments typically worn by sailors. We will let you know everything you need to get to and from the boat based on our previous experience. We strongly recommend travel insurance.

Book your spot below or phone us if you have any questions +44(0)1475 789837, you can also chat to us on WhatsApp.

 

All the photographs on this page were shot by leisure sailors just like you on our sailing adventures and holidays. No professional cameramen, no helicopters—just mobile phones and cameras operated by enthusiastic yachtsmen. These are the sights that will meet you on your sailing trip of a lifetime aboard our yacht. You know you want to... you really should... book now and join us on this amazing journey.

 

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