How much does it cost?

From €4,962 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $5,752 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Authentic Europe lists it as 'partly guided.' The ship carries a local skipper and chef, and the maximum group size matches the ship's capacity of 11.

What does the cruise include?

10 nights onboard in a shared cabin, with breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus fruit on demand, coffee breaks, afternoon tea, a pre-dinner aperitif and wine with dinner.

What wildlife or islands will I see?

The highlights list St. Kilda and the remote Monarch Islands, though the evidence does not say on which specific days these are visited.

What hotels are used?

Ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge in Edinburgh, and Market Street Hotel with no city given, presumably Oban.

Authentic Europe · Partly guided

Wildlife Cruise in Scotland

14-day Scotland wildlife cruise with rail transfers to and from Oban

Authentic Europe runs this 14-day, 13-night trip to the Outer Hebrides, described as partly guided, built around a small-ship wildlife cruise. The trip starts with arrival in Edinburgh, then travels by rail to Oban on day 2 to join the ship for a 10-night cruise around the Hebridean islands, with a local skipper and chef aboard and a maximum of 11 guests. The evidence names St. Kilda, the Monarch Islands and kayaking among the trip's highlights, though it does not say on which specific days these happen, since the itinerary lists the same 'cruise around the Hebridean islands' entry for each of the 10 cruise days. The ship returns to Oban for the final day of the cruise on day 13, and the trip travels back to Edinburgh by rail for departure on day 14. Onboard meals include wine with dinner and fresh seafood and fish, in a shared cabin rather than a private suite. This suits travelers drawn to wildlife and remote Scottish islands more than to rail travel, since rail covers only the two Edinburgh to Oban legs.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has risen €367 since 4 Jul, to €4,962.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 2 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

One reading is held out of the price above and this history: an unconfirmed large change. We only price on the operator's package from-price, read from its own page.

What to know before you look closer

Rail travel is limited to the Edinburgh to Oban legs at the start and end of the trip. The other 12 days are spent on a small cruise ship (10 nights) or in hotels in Edinburgh and Oban, so this is primarily a cruise trip rather than a rail trip.
' The named highlights, St. Kilda, the Monarch Islands and kayaking, are not tied to specific days in the evidence available to us.
Onboard accommodation is a shared cabin, and the ship's maximum capacity is 11 guests; this is a small-ship, not a private-cabin, cruise experience.
Market Street Hotel is listed with no city given. Since Edinburgh already has a named hotel, Ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge, this is presumably the Oban hotel, though the evidence does not say so directly.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Edinburgh
Arrival in Edinburgh
Day 2overnight: Oban
Travel to Oban in the Highlands
Day 3overnight: Onboard ship (Hebridean islands)
Cruise around the Hebridean islands
Day 4overnight: Onboard ship (Hebridean islands)
Cruise around the Hebridean islands
Day 5overnight: Onboard ship (Hebridean islands)
Cruise around the Hebridean islands
Day 6overnight: Onboard ship (Hebridean islands)
Cruise around the Hebridean islands
Day 7overnight: Onboard ship (Hebridean islands)
Cruise around the Hebridean islands
Day 8overnight: Onboard ship (Hebridean islands)
Cruise around the Hebridean islands
Day 9overnight: Onboard ship (Hebridean islands)
Cruise around the Hebridean islands
Day 10overnight: Onboard ship (Hebridean islands)
Cruise around the Hebridean islands
Day 11overnight: Onboard ship (Hebridean islands)
Cruise around the Hebridean islands
Day 12overnight: Onboard ship (Hebridean islands)
Cruise around the Hebridean islands
Day 13overnight: Oban
Final day of the cruise
Day 14
Departure from Edinburgh

The moments this trip is built around

Day 2The trip travels by rail from Edinburgh to Oban in the Highlands to join the ship.
Day 13The ship completes its final day of cruising before returning to Oban.
Day 14The trip returns to Edinburgh by rail for departure.

Included

3 nights hotel accommodation in a standard room with private shower and or bath/WC, including full Scottish breakfast
10 nights onboard the ship in a shared cabin including breakfast, lunch, and dinner
All meals include fruit on demand, coffee breaks, afternoon tea, pre-dinner aperitif, wine with dinner and the services of the crew
Rail ticket Edinburgh - Oban - Edinburgh
Services onboard of local skipper and chef
Electronic travel documentation, including a detailed travel itinerary and travel vouchers
24/7 emergency phone service while travelling

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From €4,962 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $5,752 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is it guided?: Authentic Europe lists it as 'partly guided.' The ship carries a local skipper and chef, and the maximum group size matches the ship's capacity of 11.
What does the cruise include?: 10 nights onboard in a shared cabin, with breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus fruit on demand, coffee breaks, afternoon tea, a pre-dinner aperitif and wine with dinner.
What wildlife or islands will I see?: The highlights list St. Kilda and the remote Monarch Islands, though the evidence does not say on which specific days these are visited.
What hotels are used?: Ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge in Edinburgh, and Market Street Hotel with no city given, presumably Oban.