Project Description
Feis Ile Festival
| Starting Port | Finishing Port | Number of Nights | Dates | Price From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oban | Oban | 6 | 26th May – 1st June 2018 | £1,215 Per Person |
Join Irene for a six night voyage exploring the islands of Islay as well as participating in the fabulous Feis Ile Whisky and Music Festival. It’s not all about the whisky, though. The scenery is stunning, the wildlife in this area includes whales, dolphins and eagles amongst the more exotic, and with the abundance of fine local produce, the foodies will have something to celebrate too!
There will be some fabulous whisky tastings on board as well as some excellent distillery tours available for you to enjoy. Live music in the local pubs is played every night and you can expect a party atmosphere, as only the island communities know how to do.
Whisky, Wildlife and Waves
| Starting Port | Starting Time | Finishing Port | Finishing Time | Number of Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oban | 17:00 | Oban | 10:00 | 6 |
Voyage Summary
Join Irene for a six night voyage exploring the islands of Islay and Jura as well as the terrific coast south of Oban. It’s not all about the whisky, though. The scenery is stunning, the wildlife in this area includes whales, dolphins and eagles amongst the more exotic. With the abundance of fine local produce, the foodies will have something to celebrate too!
Itinerary Details
Our precise voyage plan is always weather and tide dependent but the following will give a flavour of a possible route.
We’ll depart from Oban early evening on your day of arrival and make the short journey across the water to Mull. We’ll leave the hustle and bustle of Oban behind as we slip into Loch Spelve for a quiet and relaxed evening.
The following day will see us heading south towards the whisky isles of Islay and Jura. We may stop in one of the bays en route to break up the journey – this is supposed to be a relaxing voyage after all! Carsaig Bay on the east side of the Sound of Jura is always popular. Hop ashore and explore the local area or get out a fishing line and see if you can bag your own dinner!
After a spot of breakfast, the next day sees us sailing down the remainder of the Sound of Jura and passing Gigha island before arriving at Port Ellen on Islay. The wildlife can be elusive but if you keep your eyes peeled, whales dolphins, porpoises and even white-tailed sea eagles may be spotted. The water here is very deep and is used as a training ground for submarines. If the skipper lets you know the depth has dramatically reduced, keep you eyes peeled for a different sort of wildlife as it might be some submariners tracking us for some training practice!
The wonderful little town of Port Ellen is well worth exploring and if whisky is your thing, a visit to one of the local distilleries is a must. With several to choose from, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Alternatively, remain on board and enjoy the hospitality of the crew.
For many guests, Port Ellen is their first acquaintance with the Isle of Islay. The first view of Islay appears on the horizon when the Isle of Gigha is passed on the port side. Then the first of the three southern whisky distilleries become visible on the east coast of Islay, this is Ardbeg. A few moments later Lagavulin appears on Islay’s coast and Laphroaig is visible after the Isle of Texa has been passed. As we enter the harbour, we’ll make a turn to starboard and to the left the Oa peninsula rises from the sea with its impressive cliffs up to 200 metres near the American Monument and the Mull of Oa. This monument commemorates the shipwreck of the troopship ‘Tuscania’ and the 266 WW1 American servicemen who lost their lives when the ship was torpedoed in February, 1918. Also on the left the beautiful Port Ellen lighthouse appears. The lighthouse was commissioned in 1832 by Walter Frederick Campbell in loving memory of Lady Eleanor Campbell.
The following day takes us back north as we head to Craighouse on Jura. Another distillery town providing an opportunity to visit and sample the Scottish amber nectar! If you fancy the tour then please let us know as it is by appointment only.
The Isle of Jura is one of Scotland’s last true wildernesses with the people being outnumbered by the deer seventeen times over! Craighouse itself is a small village with limited facilities. This is part of its charm. A relaxed pace, stunning scenery and an abundance of wildlife means a walk off the ship is a treat in its own right. Sea otters and eagles have been seen in the harbour so make sure you keep your eyes peeled.
After leaving Jura, it will be time to make our way back to Oban. We’ll most likely make a stop on the return leg and somewhere like Seil provides a lovely final night on board.
Feis Ile Festival
Our voyage starting on 26th May will follow a slightly different itinerary. This week includes the fabulous Feis Ile whisky and music festival on Islay. A time when the island gets together to celebrate the history and culture around it’s most famous export – Scotch Whisky. For the connoisseur of the amber nectar, this is one not to be missed. We’ll be spending our time in Port Ellen and off the distillery in Bruichladdich. They’ll be some tastings of some very special malts on board. They’ll be plenty of time for a distillery tour or two and these are well worth doing. All the Islay distilleries lay on very special events. There is also live music at many pubs, each evening. The voyage price includes the tasting events and a distillery tour of Buichladdich.
Please note that this voyage will see us spending less time at sea and visiting fewer places. However, there will be plenty of opportunity to sail Irene between Oban and Islay and to enjoy her legendary hospitality on board.
About our Cabin Choices
We have two different types of cabin on board Irene. These are the Standard Cabins and the State Room.
Standard Cabins
Standard cabins have three berths in each. One double berth and one single. The single is situated above the double. Despite the three berths, we only ever sell two places in each. This allows us to host a couple sharing the double berth or two single guests in the double and single respectively.
Please be aware that solo guests may be asked to share the cabin with another solo guest. We never mix sexes for solo travellers sharing a cabin unless we have cleared it with both parties first.
State Room
Our state room spans the entire width of the ship at the aft end. It is an impressive cabin with substantially more space, it’s own dining table and separate heads and shower room. This cabin only has a double berth and hence is not suitable for two solo guests.
