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Luxury Boat Trip In The Isle of Skye

Cruising on the MV Seaflower

After spending his youth helping on fishing boats with his father, Euan Grant is no stranger to the choppy seas that dance around the harbour in Portree. After leaving the island and spending years travelling the world with a bonnie lass, Janice Cooney, the pair decided to head back to Euan’s home island of Skye, and set up their own business: a luxury boat offering bespoke tours of the Raasay Sound, accompanied by culinary delights, booze and dolphins. What more could one want?

The boat itself is a forty-foot catamaran with a sizeable deck and plenty of room for the twelve passengers which she is licensed to carry. Euan and Janice are relaxed, friendly skippers and offer plenty of different options – whether you are keen to be educated on local history, fancy being dropped off at an epic hiking spot, or simply want to relax with a glass of bubbles as the sun goes down – the pair will tailor a private charter to suit your needs.

Planning a trip on the Seaflower from Portree? Why not stay at the Cuillin Hills Hotel.

The Perfect Boat Tour from Portree

During the busy summer months, the most glamorous catamaran in the harbour fills up fast – especially the full day tours out to Raasay and Rona, which come complete with a seafood lunch. Striking out through the deep waters of the Raasay Sound, the skippers can be heard chatting over the radio to other boats in the area – this is how the tour boats keep each other in the loop with wildlife activity – and may result in a nippy change of direction to seek out a playful pod of dolphins! 

The first stop on the full day tour is Acarsaid Mhor – the exceptionally quiet harbour on the isolated island of Rona. Expect to meet a curious seal colony on your way over: their visitors are few and far between and so these inquisitive creatures are often found bobbing around and circling the boat. Euan and Janice allow their guests plenty of time to explore the island of Rona, and likewise for the next stop: the beautiful and rugged island of Raasay. 

After hiking around Raasay, or perhaps stopping off at the distillery for some local history and a wee dram or two, Euan and Janice will invite you back on board for a spot of lunch – and after all the fresh air and exercise, you are sure to be hungry.

Delicious Locally Sourced Seafood

There is something quite special about sitting out on the open water, enjoying freshly caught seafood while you skim past eye-popping sights such as The Old Man of Storr, Dun Caan and Trotternish Ridge. The breeze is fresh and salty, and hopefully the sun will warm your face as you devour shellfish, salmon, crisp salads and soft bread. The shellfish is all provided by Euan’s father and brother, who have been fishing the waters for over forty-five years and are true experts. Often, the Seaflower will pass by the fishing boat in action and pause for a while to say hello.

Golden Hour on The Isle of Skye

If you don’t have the full day free, the sunset cruise with Prosecco is a fantastic evening activity. The dolphins tend to be in full show-off mode at this time so pack a camera for colourful sunset silhouettes and dolphin acrobatics. Portree is a great village for exploring before or after your cruise too, so make sure and spare a few hours for wandering and souvenir shopping. SkyeSkyns is a fun little shop to have a look around, and a real Skye sheepskin is a much more interesting memento than a fridge magnet.

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