Reasons why you need to go sailing in Scotland

Scotland isn’t renowned for warm temperatures and guaranteed sunshine, but that shouldn’t be something which puts you off sailing there, because it does have a beautiful wild coastline and it’s actually one of our favourite cruising grounds. Here’s our experts’ reasons why you need to go sailing in Scotland:

 BEAUTIFUL, WILD, RUGGED COASTLINE 

Scottish sailing is all about natural beauty. The vast majority of the coastline is largely undeveloped and completely unspoilt, so the scenery is rugged, wild, and has been crafted by nature over millennia. There’s monumental cliffs and crags, beaches and bays, idyllic Scottish islands, fantastic wildlife, and you’ll find nature blooming in every colour under the sun.

 PHENOMENAL SAILING CONDITIONS 

The Scottish weather is perfect for sailors. There’s good strong winds which mean you can get the sails out and dance over the sea at some pace. Sadly, we don’t (yet) charter out foiling yachts, but they would be epic up here, and you’d really be able to fly! The added bonus of chartering from our base in Largs is that the Clyde area is non-tidal, so you don’t need to worry about your tide tables unless you’re heading further afield.

 NO CROWDS 

One thing you’ll notice when you’re sailing up here is the space you have for yourself: there aren’t hundreds of other charter yachts all heading in the same direction. When you nose your way into a quiet bay or anchorage, more often than not you’ll find it as God intended - with plenty of space to manoeuvre, and without four other boats hogging the best spaces. And there’s no stress or racing to get a berth in the marina in the early afternoon – there is enough space here for everyone.

 PEACE & TRANQUILLITY 

Without so many people and boats, it’s a lot easier to find places which are off the beaten track and which will seem a world away from the office or day job. Places where you’ll find absolute silence apart from the gentle rush of the sea and the waves, or the whistle of the wind. Places where you can sit, relax, breathe, and properly catch up with yourself and your crew. There’s even some places that will almost make you want to throw your mobile phone into the water so that you can focus on being happy here and now.

 FINE SEAFOOD (& WHISKY) 

The waters off the coast of Scotland are home to some of the world’s tastiest fish! Restaurants across the country will serve you some of the finest (and freshest) seafood – from local mussels to incredible Haddock. Of course, the Scots are also famous for their whisky, and you’ll find the islands peppered with micro-distilleries where you can sample a dram.

 WARMTH 

They may not have blistering sunshine, but you’ll still feel the warmth in Scotland: the Scots are a friendly and generous bunch of people, always happy to help tourists in need. Some places don’t get many visitors, so they really appreciate the people who make the effort to get out there. They’re also trusting - you’ll find a fair few ‘honesty pots’ to pay money into for mooring buoys or marina fees, because they have faith in humanity that people will do the right thing.

 Want more like this? 

This is part of our 'Destination Highlights' week of blogs focussing on sailing in Scotland - so check back here this week for more, like reasons why you need to go sailing in Scotland, 5 amazing places to sail to in Scotland, You can charter for a weekend in the UK, and more. You might also be interested in checking out our similar Destination Highlights: Croatia blog series from last month!