Sailing Waters

If you love exploring, adventuring, historic places, wildlife - and the beauty and stillness of remote places, then sailing Fidelio around the Scottish islands may be your perfect holiday.

You will quickly realise there is no shortage of ideas about where to go.

We can help you with ideas of potential itineries: either by sending you ideas beforehand with recommendations of where you might enjoy, or sitting down with you during the handover.

But what we do ask is please respect the conditions, and take your time: try not to get too far – particularly on the first day of your holiday, and plan your return in good time, allowing for unforeseen changes in the weather.

We have found that nearly everyone who has sailed Fidelio has been very impressed by her performance, comfort and equipment.

She is great for exploring the waters off the Scottish coast, perhaps (if you get the weather window - which is by no means sure, even in mid summer) as far as St Kilda, other uninhabited islands, or the myriad of remote, barely visited anchorages.

For the very few anchorages that do get busier, the lifting keel may let you get further in than other boats - so even if you arrive late in the day, you are likely to be able to get a secure anchorage. It also lets you explore whole areas inaccessible to deep-keel yachts.

When sailing these waters, you're rarely all that far from shelter - and in most places, you will enjoy relatively flat sailing conditions, as there is not the fetch for seas to build up. That becomes very different if you venture outwith the Outer Hebrides, exposed to the full force of the Atlantic.

If you like but respect the challenge of what can be tricky pilotage, with few navigation buoys or lights for the many unmarked rocks, often gusty conditions with fierce squalls as wind comes off the hills, rapidly changing weather, and in some places, strong tidal gates – then even better.

For sailing these waters does demand that you bring all your experience, skill and continuous concentration to bear: these are not sailing waters for novices, nor for those who want the easy life at all times.