The Maiden Voyage of the Hebridean Sky

This spring the M/S Hebridean Sky (ex Sea Explorer I), latest addition to the SSM fleet, has undergone an extensive refurbishment. The interior upgrade was carried out mainly at sea during a near 7000 nm long journey from Montevideo to Europe and then a technical upgrade was done at a shipyard in southern Sweden. On May 5 the works were completed and some hundred honorary guests were invited to join the Maiden Voyage from Sweden to Scotland. The newly refurbished ship arrived from the Landskrona shipyard just hours before the guests boarded the ship with some contractors still on board finishing off the last remaining jobs. At 17:04 the ship began its maiden voyage as M/S Hebridean Sky…

During the voyage, guests enjoyed lectures by Noble Caledonia specialists and had scrumptious meals in the newly refurbished and now very smart Restaurant. The weather was amazing and many meals were taken in the outdoor restaurant on Lido Deck looking out over a pond smooth North Sea. Highlights of the trip were a close encounter with dive bombing gannets working together with a pod of 8-10 Orcas, a landing in Orkney visiting its magnificent Neolithic sites and a Zodiac cruise in the Shiants in the company of sea eagles, puffins and guillemots galore. The voyage ended in Oban, which was bathing in sun and boasted +27 C! The same day Noble Caledonia passengers joined the ship and sailed off on a week long voyage with successful landings at remote St. Kilda and many other pearls of the Outer Hebrides.