Useful Links & Book List
Places & Interesting Sites
| Scotland Info | information on the islands plus links |
| Undiscovered Scotland | general information |
| Visit Scotland | the Scottish Tourist Board |
| Yacht Havens | includes info on Troon and Marina |
| Oban Tourism | Oban info plus web cam |
| Isle of Mull Tourism | info on Mull plus interesting aerial photos |
| Tobermory Harbour | site of the Tobermory Harbour Association |
| St Kilda Info | St Kilda - World Heritage Site |
| Shiant Islands | The Shiants - site put up by the Nicolson family who own the islands |
| Gigha | the Gigha islanders' own site |
| Road to the Isles | info on the Small Isles as well as Mallaig and Arisaig |
| Isle of Skye | info on Skye |
| Visit Arran | some pictures of Arran |
| HWDT | Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust |
| RSPB | Scotland's wonderful birdlife |
| Shetland Info | info and pictures on the Shetland Islands |
| Orkney Info | info and pictures on Orkney |
| Faroe Islands Info | info and pictures on the Faroe Islands |
Travel
| Calmac Ferries | inter-island ferries plus some local info |
| Scotrail | trains: Glasgow/Oban (for Mull) Inverness/Thurso (for Orkney) London/ Aberdeen |
| West Coast Motors | Bus Timetables to/ from Tobermory |
| Prestwick Airport | Prestwick Airport and destinations |
| Glasgow Airport | Glasgow Airport and destinations |
| Ryanair | flights to Glasgow |
| Easyjet | flights to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness |
| BA | flights to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness |
| Loganair | flights to Barra, Orkney and Shetland |
| Atlantic Airways | flights to the Faroe Islands |
| Smyril-line | ferries to Faroe and Iceland |
| HIAL Kirkwall | Kirkwall Airport site |
| HIAL Stornoway | Stornoway Airport site |
| Inverness Airport | flights for Orkney, London and beyond |
| Aberdeen Airport | flights for Orkney, London and beyond |
| Northlink Ferries | ferry links to Orkney and Shetland |
| Citylink | coach travel from Glasgow (including the airport) to Oban and from Inverness to Scrabster (for Orkney) and Ullapool (for Stornoway) |
| JOG Ferry | Passenger ferry from John O’Groats to Orkney - possible to travel by coach-ferry-coach from Inverness to Kirkwall |
| Avanti West Coast | trains to Glasgow via the West Coast line |
| LNER | trains to Glasgow via the East Coast line |
| Pentland Ferries | small car ferry from John O' Groats to Orkney |
| Visit Bodo | good place to start planning travel to the Lofoten Islands |
| Ireland Tourism | good place to start planning a trip to Ireland |
| Cork Airport | includes onward connections |
| Cork Bus Timetable | bus timetables from Cork Airport to Kinsale, Cahersiveen and Dingle |
Weather, Tides & General
| Easy Tide | tidal predictions |
| Metoffice | for Shipping and Inshore Waters Forecasts |
| Accuweather | includes sailing weather for Prestwick and Oban |
| WeatherOnline | the same but note the differences |
| XCWeather | we have found this forecast to be reliable |
| RYA | the Royal Yachting Association site |
| Oyster Yachts | Oyster Yachts |
| High Latitudes | Arctic sailing info and photos |
The following books will help get you into the spirit of the area – we keep some of them on the boat:
The Scottish Islands – A comprehensive guide to every Scottish Island
A large volume incorporating current day facts as well as history and anecdotes. Illustrated and very readable.
Author: Hamish Haswell-Smith
Publisher: Canongate
An Island Odyssey – Among the Scottish Isles in the Wake of Martin Martin
By the same author and publisher, a beautifully illustrated quick tour through a number of islands including the Shiants, St Kilda, the Small Isles, Staffa, Gigha and Sanda.
The Hebrides – a guide to the islands of Western Scotland
Author: Martin Coventry
Publisher: Goblin’s Head
An eye on the Hebrides – an illustrated journey
Author: Mairi Hedderwick
Publisher: Canongate
Scottish Island Hopping
Author: H Andrews and others
Publisher: Polygon
The Yachtsman’s Pilot
Sailing Directions in four volumes covering from the Mull of Galloway to Cape Wrath and including the Mainland coast and all the islands – lots of photographs, sketches etc.
Author: Martin Lawrence
Publisher: Imray
The Brendan Voyage
In a leather boat from Ireland to North America via Iona, the Outer Hebrides, Faroe and Iceland.
Author: Tim Severin
Publisher: Gill and Macmillan
The Lighthouse Stevensons
Four generations of this family, which included Robert Louis Stevenson of “Kidnapped” fame, built every lighthouse around Scotland.
Author: Bella Bathurst
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Sea Room
Owning and caring for the uninhabited Shiant Island in the Minch
Author: Adam Nicolson
Publisher: Harper Collins
and by the same author, The Seabird's Cry
A remarkable and moving profile of ten seabirds, their individuality, travels and fight for survival.