What we are doing over winter: direct service, upgrades, improvements, consolidations, preparation for new connections and collaborations.
Getting people to and from the Winter Retreat on Holy Isle
Despite it being a particularly stormy winter, with the three named storms in January bringing the total to 10 for the season so far, and the highest winds recorded for over 20 years, we battle on, not yet missing a week. Issy our lead Lamlash skipper is making sure everyone gets on and off Holy Isle safely when the conditions are suitable. Many thanks to Mike for his calm and skilled liaison with us.
The Holy Isle Winter Retreat runs for 10 weeks from 11th January to 21st March.
Our charter service boat receives an upgrade
Sierra our winter and family charter service boat was fully refurbished at the end of last season. She’s looking great and handling the rough seas very well since we returned her to her winter mooring this January. She has already withstood force 11 winds on her mooring. She has been upgraded and strengthened inside and out, including a brand new set of nicely spliced fenders. Our thanks to Hutchie and Graham for making our moorings rock solid and secure.
Sally is getting a makeover
A major refit of Sally is progressing very well led by Tim, our technical director. Her cab is being completely overhauled, new control instruments installed and all windows renewed. She will also be fully rewired with oversight from Gary. She’ll look really great once all this work is complete and has been freshly painted with new cushions and new dodgers (these will be made personally by Petra at Jessail).
Sally should be complete by 30th of March and ready for launch and sea trials early April. Sally remains our principal boat for our exclusive guided excursions to Holy Isle.
Lady May, Pride of the Bay
Meanwhile Lady May, our classic cruise and residential course boat, is being fully serviced and repainted in Clyde Marina. Robert of MMS Scotland is overseeing this with Grant and Lisa doing the sanding, prep and painting. Always looks rough at this stage but the transformation will be complete soon.
Lady May, the Pride of the Bay, will return to service in early April.
A new transponder for Sea Eagle
Sea Eagle our 8.5 metre Halmatic RIB is ready for service with a few finishing touches now being done by David with able assistance from Ian. She will be in full time operation from 1st May. She passed her coding with flying colours – a big thanks to Joe our MCA surveyor for his part. Also many thanks to Gary for installing Sea Eagle’s new transponder so we can accurately track and record her speed at all times.
Keep an eye on our Information Pavilion
Our Information Pavilion at Lamlash Pier will soon fill up with various signage about local water and land based activities. It has contended well with this winter’s storms and a big thank you to Toni for his fine workmanship last year.
Website update
Our Website developer Naomi of From This Day is working with Lisa to upgrade and reconfigure some design features of our current website. It will be bigger and better.
We receive many compliments about how attractive, functional and convenient our website is to use. We are committed to as low a carbon website as possible without compromise to performance. So we’re delighted it will be updated soon and ready to facilitate all of next season’s bookings and promotions.
Apologies for any disturbance while the new content is being constructed.
Look out for our flyers coming soon, spreading the word of all we will offer and the launch of our newsletter Lamlash Cruises Connect in April.
New amazing attractions
We will commence some of our new services from Brodick slip and Whiting Bay slip from May. Exciting new experiences will include:
- Beautiful Brodick Bay RIB Trips
- Brodick to Corrie Excursions
- Whiting Bay to Pladda trips
- Fast RIB trips to bird watchers paradise Ailsa Craig (private charter only)
- Unique opportunities to link Arran and Bute again with exclusive excursions to Mount Stuart House and Gardens
We will consolidate our schedule of guided excursions over to Holy Isle to enable people to explore the island and discover the beauty of all its features, very much including, the rare wild animals and raptors living on the island. We will also introduce more private group and family charters to give our customers more choice to suit their personal interests and availability.
Cruises around Holy Isle
Our very popular classic cruises around Holy Isle will operate as before, this is the super chilled
and ever extraordinary experience and adventure. What a treat and without comparison – seeing Holy Isle’s coastline and formations from all angles, the two exceptional lighthouses close up and all the sea life that may pop up to check us out as we go
Classic Cruise Around Holy Isle
This cruise around Holy Isle is an excellent opportunity to view its rocky east side and get a unique view of its features from the sea. This cruise lasts approximately 1.5 hours.
Mystical adventures
We will be introducing some mystical adventures – our new Spiritual Spree and Sea Discoveries. Taking people to very special spiritual sites on Arran followed by a visit to Saint Molaise’s cave on Holy Isle. It’s an extraordinary experience sensing the wonder of mystical and symbolic structures and sites that stand unaffected by centuries of change elsewhere, exuding great strength and connection.
Crossing for residential guests
Also this year we will maintain a commitment to provide a bespoke and dedicated service for all people coming for a residential stay on Holy Isle, as part of the Centre’s summer programme of courses. As changes continue with the Centre we will offer continuity and our best support to the guests going on these self discovery holidays and retreats. We will further extend our support this year to help with guests’ journey planning and offer closer liaison with course leaders and organisers.
Residential Guest Crossing to Holy Isle
Crossings for people booked on residential courses.
Kintyre, Kyles and Cumbrae Connection
Finally the search is on for an additional suitable boat that we plan to base in Lochranza at the very head of Arran from 2025. From here we will operate trips to Kintyre, the unsurpassed Kyles of Bute and to Great Cumbrae. This will be our Kintyre, Kyles and Cumbrae Connection. I’ll keep you updated with progress on this front as this year progresses.
The team
Safety first
Lamlash Cruises operates on a not for profit basis. We reinvest all profits to improve and extend the range of our boats and span of all the adventures we offer. We want to provide amazing experiences for people living on and visiting Arran. Safety is our top operational imperative followed closely by great wonder, unequalled discovery and truly unique shared experiences.
A helping hand beyond our shores
We visited the Spanish humanitarian organisation Open Arms this winter and having been fully appraised of their work and ethos we are now committed to supporting them on an ongoing basis. We will donate a proportion of profit to them every year from next season to help this brave and vital organisation continue their essential life saving work. Everyone who experiences an adventure with us can feel positive that we are making a contribution to help save vulnerable and traumatised people at sea who are facing great peril on illegal migrant boats.
A word from Grant
In short, throughout winter we are really busy, putting everything together to maximise best prospects for the new and much more diverse
season ahead. Collaboration and Connection is now centre stage. Massive thank you to all who are helping and
joining our efforts.
Grant
Lamlash Cruises
Beautiful Island Business
Beautiful Island Business
No Business is an Island
We work with many other key and valued partners and continuously learn from our customers, partners and supporters. The more diverse we are the more creative and innovative we become.
- Arran Active
- Arran Accountants
- Arran Lodge
- Arran Whisky
- Arran Yacht Club
- Auchrannie Resort
- Brodick Improvement Committee
- Bute Boat Tours
- Centre for World Peace and Health
- Clyde Charters
- Clyde Marina
- Clyde Studios
- COAST
- Corrie Hotel
- Dive Arran
- Douglas Hotel
- EcoSavvy
- Friends of King’s Cross
- From This Day
- Glenisle Hotel
- Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust
- iCentre Brodick
- Jessail Ardrossan
- Johnston’s Marine Stores
- Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery
- Kayak Arran
- Lamlash Bay Hotel
- Lamlash Improvements Association
- Lamlash Moorings Association
- MMS Scotland
- Mogabout
- Mount Stuart Hotel
- North Ayrshire Council
- Northern Lighthouse Board
- Open Arms International Rescue
- Old Pier Cafe
- Otter’s Tail
- Rokpa Trust
- Spirit Within
- Stonewater House
- Visit Arran
- Visit Scotland
- Voice for Arran
- Whiting Bay Improvements Association
- Wilderness Scotland
- WiSE
