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There are many charter businesses hiring boats on the west coast of Scotland. If you're experienced you can skipper them yourself (what's called a bareboat charter), otherwise there are several vessels with skippers who will take you. For the wealthy, there are even some with a skipper, cook and full crew! To find out more just look in the ads in a magazine like Yachting Monthly or look on http://www.asyc.co.uk/ Other alternatives are: Go in your car plus make full use of CALMAC Ferries (you can do a lot of islands this way). See http://www.calmac.co.uk/ Hire/beg a fishermen to take you. I'm waiting for someone to bag the lot in a week using a helicopter - please take me with you!!!!! Over the years I've been joined by many friends who join in and support my islandbagging obsession on regular voyages to new islands! If you fill all the berths on a bareboat charter yacht, one week will cost you about £300 each including yacht hire, food and the essential bit of drink! If you really get away from it all, you won't find anywhere else to spend any more money - even if you wanted to! | |||||
| Where to get information on islands: For a comprehensive list of Scotland's islands you won't beat 'LIVINGSTONE's TABLES of the ISLANDS of SCOTLAND'. (But then I would say that wouldn't I?) Drop me an e-mail, using the details at the foot of the page, and I'll send you the latest version. As far as I'm aware this is the only thorough, complete, full & comprehensive listing - and they have, after all, been prepared solely for the purpose of islandbagging! You can use them to tick off all the islands you've bagged when you're tucked up in front of the fire on those cold winter nights and dreaming of the next voyage! The VERY BEST book is Hamish Haswell Smith's 'Scottish Islands' it's just superb and worth every penny of whatever it now costs! (I'm not on commission - honest!) Now on it's second edition. (ISBN:0862415799) See: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0862415799/026-7990774-7142853 The only issue I have with Hamish is that I don't agree with his actual list of islands, it's just seems too restrictive. I mean SKYE is still an island even though it does have a bridge accross and any island you have to swim to when the tide is in is definitely an island! The best maps are the Ordnance survey 1:50000 series; indispensable for planning and for not getting lost once you get there! Get sections of these free by using http://www.multimap.co.uk. Charts? I go for the UK Hydrographic Office charts every time - can't be beaten but a tad expensive! See: http://www.hydro.gov.uk/ For Sailing pilots (sailorspeak for guidebooks!) I've used the Clyde Cruising Club (CCC) publications for years and they are superb once you get used to them. Go to: http://www.clyde.org/ The Martin Lawrence pilots are also excellent, particularly for their superb photos. The photo on this page is of PABBAY in the Sound of Harris, taken from the 5 mile long white shell-sand beach on BERNERAY - notice not a soul on it!! | |||||
| Rick Livingstone Overend House, Greysouthen Cockermouth Cumbria, U.K. CA130UA Tel:01900822493 Mob:007761187016 Email:islandbagger@hotmail.com Copyright © Rick Livingstone 2010 | |||||