Hear the word “safari,” and you immediately think of elephants, zebras, and giraffes in Africa. A Scottish castle? Not so much. But one luxury hotel in Scotland wants more travelers to learn about the incredible wildlife the country has to offer and created a safari of their own.
Glenapp Castle just introduced the Hebridean Sea Safari in conjunction with the launch of the new Glenapp Castle Boat. This will provide guests with the opportunity to explore the Scottish isles in a way few will ever experience. Over three days and two nights, a professional crew will take you on an adventure towards remote islands, coastal castles, and distant inns, as well as provide plenty of wildlife viewing. You can expect to see twenty-foot-long basking sharks, dolphins, minke whales, seals, and over 40,000 birds, including puffins, guillemots, gannets, and razorbills.
Roddy Leitch, the boat’s exuberant skipper and former harbormaster, accompanies guests to provide his expertise in the Scottish sea life. As the longest-serving RNLI Cox (lifeboatman) at Glenapp’s home port of Girvan, that's an easy task as he knows the area like the back of his hand.
While viewing the diverse sea creatures is paramount, you’ll also be given a chance to go ashore to visit a hidden castle garden, an ancient monastery, an archaeological site, and an award-winning whiskey distillery. During these adventures, a crew has gone ahead to pitch the luxury glamping tents and cook up a feast, so it’s ready upon your arrival.
The camp is perched in remote locations and features teepee-style tents inspired by the classical African safari. They boast comfortable beds with flocculent duvets, Tartan rugs, and, most importantly, hot water for a relaxing shower. What’s more is a private chef joins the team on board to cook up sumptuous feasts with ingredients such as lobster, oysters, racks of lamb, and mackerel.
In addition to your two-night Mara Cuairt-Danachd (sea adventure in Scottish Gaelic), two nights at the five-star castle are also included letting you get the best of both worlds. The Hebridean Sea Safari starts at around $3,100 per person (£2,500) based on eight people sharing on a full-board basis. And if you want more time out on the water, bespoke options are available as well.
