A Sailing & Hiking Adventure with Abacus Mountain Guides

Setting Sail from Mallaig

Mallaig, at the terminus of the West Highland railway, is known as the ‘Road to the Isles’ for its fantastic positioning. The views here are stunning, across Loch Nevis to Knoydart.

We’d recommend making the most of the chance to explore this beautiful fishing town, maybe jumping aboard the Jacobite steam train which operates in the summer months between Mallaig and Fort William.

When you step aboard 100-year-old gaff-rigged Brixham Sailing Trawler, Provident, you’ll be warmly welcomed by the crew and given a safety briefing.

Along the Way

The sea and the hill have a lot in common. Both environments offer challenges and rewards, isolation and companionship. To get the best from these wild places needs planning and adaptability and, above all, respect for the power of nature.

This voyage offers a unique way to encounter these places. The self contained autonomy of a sailing vessel means that the crew can check out the elements and choose the best destinations and routes. The enormous variety of islands and sea lochs means that you’re sure to come up with a plan to get the most out of what’s on offer.

Timing can be adjusted for the targets ashore to get the best windows for some great walking. Abacus are one of Scotland’s foremost Mountain Guides. Their expertise and enthusiasm opens up some really challenging opportunities and their skill at setting the right pace means that everyone feels challenged but never overstretched.

The labyrinthine nature of the west coast means that getting to some places can be pretty challenging, and travelling from peak to peak can be long and far. On a boat you can cut all sorts of corners and get to some really out of the way trails.

This trip will have two parts. One will be island-hopping, with Rum being a very likely target. Rum is the largest of the Small Islands but the least inhabited. It’s skyline dominated by Hallival and Askival. The second part will be traveling far into the upper reaches of Lochs Hourne and Nevis with a possible ascent of Sgurr na Ciche from sea level to summit and back.

Hikes can be quite long, up to eight or even ten hours but you don’t have to go out every day. There’s always something to do on board. Or it’s always an option to just spend a day relaxing. Provident will also squeeze in as much sailing as possible, so there will be opportunities to get involved with sail handling, taking the helm and maybe learning a little about navigation.

No nautical experience is needed but the trip is very much aimed at walkers with an understanding of what’s involved with longish hikes in the wilderness. That said, it’s definitely not about hair-shirt wild camping. Each night you’ll be welcomed back on board. Provident has a great galley from producing fantastic home cooking, a hot shower and comfy beds. What more could you possibly need?!

WINDS, WAVES & WEATHER

Expect varied conditions throughout the week—it’s the nature of Atlantic-facing coasts. Winds generally flow from the southwest, typically Force 3 to 4, though they can strengthen to Force 5 or 6. The sea is rarely flat, but amongst the lochs and islands there is always shelter to be found.

Daylight dominates; sunset doesn’t occur until around 10pm, and dawn comes early. This gives you long working hours for sailing and hiking. The air temperature hovers around 16°C by day and drops to 11°C by evening, with wind chill a constant presence. Rain is frequent and often arrives without warning, but usually doesn’t last too long.

A NOTE ON VOYAGE DESCRIPTIONS

On a sailing voyage we never use the word itinerary, as skippers will always be aiming for the best and safest sailing routes for the forecast. They are as keen as you to include some of the highlights described above, but when it comes to sailing, you have to go with Mother Nature, not fight her. The description provided is based on what we think might be possible, based on past trips, or prior experience, but nothing is guaranteed on a sailing voyage. As such, the scheduled joining ports, routes, activities and/or destinations may be altered. Due to the complexities of weather systems, this may be at very short notice. 

HANDS ON HOLIDAYS

Whether you are an experienced sailor or a complete beginner, the professional crew will train you to be guest crew from the moment you arrive, with the intention that everybody works together to sail the ship. The common thread to all Classic Sailing holidays is ‘Hands on’ participation on ships that use ropes, blocks and tackles and ‘people power’ to set sail. For more on this, see our article What is a Hands-On Sailing Holiday?

SAILING STYLE & LIFE ON BOARD

We cater for a wide range of ages and physical abilities and how much you are expected to do varies a bit between vessels. See the vessel tab above which explains all about the ‘sailing style’ and what to expect in terms of hands on participation. There is a lot of information about day to day life, the ships facilities and accommodation on Provident’s vessel page.

What to pack for a sailing holiday on Provident

What is Included:

• Bedding
• All meals and soft drinks aboard.
• All safety equipment, including lifejackets
• Fantastic sailing

What is Not Included:

• Travel to and from your voyage
• Personal travel insurance.
• Alcohol (although reasonably priced wine, beer and whisky will be available to purchase on board). Consumption of alcohol is always at the discretion of the skipper
• Waterproofs - If this is your first voyage good walking waterproofs will be fine. We only recommend buying sailing waterproofs if you are frequent sailors.
  • You will find exploring ashore in walking gear much better than struggling around in sailing kit!

What to Bring

• Enthusiasm!
• Waterproofs - see above.
• Your own towel.
• Hats for sun and cold weather.
• At least two sets of warm clothes - layers e.g. tracksuit bottoms, shirts, fleece jacket, wool jumpers, thick socks, and neck scarf. It can get cold at sea even in mid summer.
• Swim suit, towel, and suntan lotion.
• Flat shoes with a good grip e.g. trainers or sailing deck shoes. Sailing boots or wellies are also helpful.
• (An alterative to boots in summer is to bring another pair of flat shoes with a good grip in case the first pair get wet).
• All terrain type Sandals are great for dinghy trips ashore – but you do need shoes which protect your toes for sailing.
• Camera, binoculars, sketchbook, a relaxing read.
• Any medication, spare spectacles. Seasickness tablets or pressure-point wrist bands (talk to your pharmacist)
• Your own logbook if you'd like to keep track of your sea miles
• Tech chargers (USB sockets are available in all the cabins) and waterproof cases for anything valuable

N.B. BOATS HAVE LIMITED STORAGE SPACE SO PLEASE LIMIT YOURSELF TO ONE SOFT BAG OR RUCKSACK  (NOT SUITCASES)

The Way To A Crew's Heart... I had to take the opportunity to shout out to Morag Slesser of Provident, easily the best cook on the west of Scotland fleet. As occasional crew I can say eating one meal has us excitedly looking forward to the next, and there's the baking too !! If Morag isn't available for a trip she makes sure a more than capable cook steps in for her, Provident crews and guests are always well provided for !

Best, Gavin (Morag on the helm of Provident, a multi talented person.)

I have been back 2 days and haven’t stopped thinking about the holiday. Provi is lovely and the crew were amazing. Steve and Morag obviously love their boat, Jamie the mate was very helpful and Guilio’s cooking was fantastic. Outstanding moments include the pod of dolphins playing alongside, and the sail from Arklow to Dublin. Force 5-6 and a smooth sea made for an exciting experience. I can’t wait to go again but I need to save up….

Can’t think what I’d improve to be honest, except maybe to point out to potential customers that Provi is run in an eco friendly manner and the food was more veggie based than a committed carnivore would like. Didn’t worry us at all as it was so tasty, but it might worry some people. 

Sharon May 24

Fantastic trip. Crew were so keen to help and teach. They clearly loved sailing. Food was outstanding. Restaurant standard. Learnt so much. Had so much fun. Fellow passengers were so friendly. The Highlands and islands were stunning. Would highly recommend.

Tracy Summer 2023

Although we didn't manage to get to the hoped for destination (St. Kilda) we fully understood before we got on board that the weather would dictate the direction of travel. The crew were amazing and Morag's cooking is outstanding. A lovely old sailing boat and would highly recommend it to others.

Virginia Summer 2023