Beautiful scenery, lots of history, great food (and whisky), dramatic landscapes, busy cities, culture, wildlife, castles and more. Because it's on our doorstep, we tend to set it aside as something we can do at any time. Here are some of our favourite small ship cruise lines plying the waters around Scotland...
1. Hebridean Princess
This little gem of a vessel will take you to beautiful and remote destinations including the Scottish mainland and the rarely visited islands, enabling you to explore far and wide without the worries of packing and unpacking, or missing the fantastic sights because you need to keep your eyes on the road. A focus on cycling or walking is the highlight of certain itineraries, but whichever itinerary you choose, you can be super active, or totally lazy. Choose from an extraordinary variety of cruises in 2024 and 2025.
2. Lord of the Highlands
Small enough to transit the intricate waters and impossibly tight locks of the Caledonian Canal, whilst still able to go to sea, albeit in the sheltered waters around Scotland's hauntingly beautiful fretted west coast, this little ship carries a maximum of 38 guests. Lord of the Highlands has the same unmistakeably Scottish Feel as Hebridean Princess, with the same relaxed house party atmosphere, and the 6- and 7-night itineraries all make a transit of the Canal, combined with exploration further afield.
3. Ponant
French cruise line Ponant offers a whole host of Scottish small ship cruises, including a 7-day, in-depth exploration of Scotland's most beautiful archipelagos - the Orkney, Hebrides and Shetland Islands - where there's a chance to spot orcas like David Attenborough did on his BBC Series Wild Isles. As well as whisky distillery visits and the chance to explore the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh before and after your cruise, back on board, Ponant's 184-guest explorer ship Le Lapérouse mixes a modern super yacht feel and nautical tradition with French flair, alongside onboard lecturers by local experts.
4. European Waterways
We have been moving from 'very small' to 'tiny' as we list the best vessels for your Scottish exploration, so it is only right that we finish off with two lovely barges operated by European Waterways, the 12-guest Spirit of Scotland and the 8-guest Scottish Highlander. The perfect vessels to charter for a magical trip with family and friends, these cosy but stylish barges are a great base for walking and cycling, exploring towns and castles, pretty villages and remote countryside, and enjoying fantastic meals based on local produce. After a wee dram or two you might even spot the Loch Ness monster...
