Environmentally friendly family holiday|St Hilda Sea Adventures

St Hilda Sea Adventures is an environmentally friendly family holiday, operating a responsible travel policy. Our trips start and finish at or close to railway stations (Gourock) and bus stations (Dunoon); this makes it easy for our guests to travel to the Holy Loch Marina by rail, bus and ferry and we provide them with information which will encourage them to use public transport.

Our environmentally friendly holidays operate on a strict “leave only a wake” policy. Whenever possible we sail (depending on weather conditions) and if we have to use the engine we run it at very low revolutions to reduce fuel consumption and pollution. Our “leave only a wake” policy is explained by the skipper at the start of the trip and practiced by guests and crew throughout the trip. Sailing is, of course, a very sustainable mode of travel as well as providing environmentally friendly holidays

The company depends largely on the internet and word of mouth for marketing to reduce paper waste. Our onboard policy is that all rubbish is brought ashore and we have a strict recycling policy of all non organic waste.

We also have a very strict “look and leave alone” environmental policy for our holidays, with regards to the wildlife and marine ecosystem. Throughout the trip our “leave only a wake “ policy is reinforced by the skipper and crew.

We employ local wildlife guides for specialist trips such as bird watching and local wildlife voyages.

We use all local products and mostly local services with the intention of helping to support local businesses, create employment and contribute to the overall sustainable development of the Sandbank/Dunoon region. Tourism is increasingly a vital part of the income for the local residents of this somewhat remote, isolated but beautiful region of the Cowal peninsular.

We are very keen to use organic products whenever possible and now judge 50% of the products in our meals to be organic.

We wanted a holiday that was a bit different and one that would suit the whole family from our oldest son at 22 to youngest daughter at 8 years. A small advert to sail St Hilda was spotted by chance in the RSPB magazine. What a lucky break. A week sailing a tall ship, navigating, steering, working the sails, catching supper, spotting wildlife and all
this amongst the beautiful islands and lochs of the Scottish West Coast - magnificent.

Jon & Theresa, Guilford