The Hebrides are home to incredible wildlife and spectacles, and Basking Shark Scotland can guide you through all they have to offer
A vast archipelago of islands that lie off the west coast of Scotland, the Hebrides are located on the edge of the Atlantic. They’re a wild place but also one full of wildlife. Gaelic culture of the people and land merge into spectacular landscapes and habitats – from towering mountains to temperate Atlantic oakwood rainforest, wildflower machair meadows to white shell sand beaches and turquoise waters – it’s a place of four seasons in one day.
For 12 years, Basking Shark Scotland has been running ocean adventures with a difference. Small groups are guided by marine biologists with a passion for the ocean. Tours have a focus on snorkeling, wild swimming and wildlife watching, exploring amazing places, while conducting citizen science. It’s the kind of trip where we might be spotting whales in the morning and doing an impromptu beach clean while exploring ashore in the afternoon.
During spring, the adventurous week-long expedition to the southern islands of the Outer Hebrides visits some of the most spectacular islands on the west coast. Azure waters hold huge seal colonies, while puffins nest and eagles soar unencumbered by human habitation. Island hikes reveal layers of history covered by fields of pastel-coloured orchids. Dolphins, whales and sharks all visit the islands and there’s also a chance to visit the offshore World Heritage site of St Kilda.
Back on the mainland, the regular base for tours is from Oban’s little bay, just a couple of hours from Glasgow. Named Scottish town of year for 2024, the bustling harbour has award-winning seafood eateries, a whisky distillery that was founded in 1794 and sunsets that’ll stick in the memory long after the sun has disappeared. Tours discover the volcanic landscape and wildlife of the Isle of Mull. Whether it’s snorkeling into the cavern of Fingal’s Cave and discovering the basalt columns which tower above you, floating around at the spectacular Hebrides lagoon, or witnessing the Corryvreckan whirlpool – the third largest in the world, there’s something to ignite all levels of adventure.
Moving on to the Isle of Coll – a jewel of the Inner Hebrides – which sits bang in middle of the basking shark’s only marine-protected area worldwide. Multi-day tours enable you to snorkel around the abundant kelp forests, to hopefully catch sight of grey seals and puffins, and to potentially spot cetaceans. You may also be lucky enough to experience the basking shark, the second largest shark in the ocean, in this Hebridean hotspot. So, do you dare to dive in for the adventure of a lifetime?
For more information and inspiration, visit: baskingsharkscotland.co.uk or follow on Instagram at: @baskingsharkscotland