An unrivalled seabird photography expedition into the wild Atlantic, in collaboration with Hebridean Adventures.
Far beyond the western shores of Scotland lie islands that seem to belong to another age. Here, immense cliffs rise from the Atlantic, abandoned settlements stand as reminders of lives once lived in extraordinary isolation, and countless seabirds fill the skies above some of Britain's most remote and magnificent landscapes. These are places shaped by the ocean, steeped in maritime history and seldom experienced beyond the reach of a small expedition vessel.
Expedition Highlights
Eleven-day expedition aboard the MV Hjalmar Bjørge, departing Oban to explore the remote islands and wildlife-rich waters of the Outer Hebrides.
Two nights planned at St Kilda, offering extended time to discover Hirta's abandoned village, dramatic landscapes and extraordinary natural heritage.
Explore the magnificent sea stacks of Boreray, Stac Lee and Stac an Armin, home to one of the world's greatest Northern Gannet colonies.
Discover the mysterious Flannan Islands, including the famous lighthouse and the spectacular Gannet colony on Roaiream, viewed from the vessel.
Explore the wild Western Isles, with potential visits to Scarp, Taransay and other remote Hebridean islands, according to conditions.
Search for marine wildlife, including Minke Whales, dolphins, seals and occasional Humpback and Fin Whales, Orca and Basking Sharks.
Expert small-group tuition, including personalised one-to-one guidance, practical field mentoring and constructive image reviews.
Explore high-key and low-key imagery, in-camera multiple exposures, intentional camera movement and shutter drag.
Experience beautiful anchorages, long summer evenings and the flexibility to respond to wildlife, weather and photographic opportunities.
£100.00 per person donated to the Scottish Seabird Centre.
Travelling aboard the MV Hjalmar Bjørge, join Rachel Bigsby for an extraordinary eleven-day voyage through the Outer Hebrides, with a particular focus on two of Scotland's most remarkable island groups: St Kilda and the mysterious Flannan Isles. A UNESCO World Heritage Site recognised for both its natural and cultural significance, St Kilda is a place of haunting beauty. Weather permitting, you will spend two nights anchored beneath the towering cliffs of Hirta, allowing time to wander through its abandoned village, discover the extraordinary history of its former inhabitants and photograph the seabirds that have long defined life on these remote Atlantic shores.
Beyond Hirta, the monumental sea stacks of Boreray, Stac Lee and Stac an Armin support one of the world's greatest Northern Gannet colonies. Thousands of these magnificent seabirds circle above sheer rock faces, their brilliant white wings illuminated against dark cliffs and restless seas. For Rachel, whose life and conservation work are so closely intertwined with Northern Gannets, these encounters offer a particularly meaningful opportunity to share her knowledge and appreciation of a species she has spent more than a decade studying and photographing.
Further north lie the Flannan Islands, also known as the Seven Hunters, a remote and uninhabited archipelago shrouded in maritime legend. It was here, in December 1900, that three lighthouse keepers vanished without explanation, leaving behind one of Scotland's most enduring mysteries. Today, the islands remain a place of remarkable isolation, where Fulmars, Puffins and other seabirds occupy rugged Atlantic cliffs, and Northern Gannets gather upon the dramatic sea stack of Roaiream. Exploring these extraordinary islands from the water offers rare photographic perspectives of a landscape where natural history and folklore seem inseparable.
Between these distant outposts, our voyage carries us through the beautiful and wildlife-rich waters of the Outer Hebrides, with opportunities to explore islands such as Scarp and Taransay, and perhaps venture further south towards Mingulay, Vatersay and Barra. Minke Whales, dolphins, seals and occasional larger cetaceans may accompany our passage, while long summer evenings and sheltered anchorages invite us to embrace the quieter pleasures of life at sea.
Throughout the expedition, Rachel will provide personalised photographic tuition, sharing her extensive understanding of seabird behaviour alongside practical guidance in the field. With a small group, dedicated one-to-one mentoring, image reviews and opportunities for continued learning, each day is shaped around your experience, interests and creative ambitions. Drawing upon her distinctive fine-art approach, Rachel encourages participants to explore high-key and low-key photography, in-camera multiple exposures, intentional camera movement and shutter drag. Her teaching places particular emphasis on observation, understanding light and creating expressive photographs in camera, allowing the experience and emotional connection with each subject to guide the creative process.
Conservation remains at the heart of Rachel's work, and £100 from every guest's place will be donated to the Scottish Seabird Centre, supporting the protection and appreciation of the seabirds that make these islands so extraordinary.
More than a photography workshop, this is an invitation to journey beyond the familiar, to discover islands suspended between history and wilderness, and to experience the remarkable lives of Britain's seabirds in the landscapes that have shaped them for generations.
Eleven days beyond the edge of the familiar, where seabirds, solitude and the stories of the sea come together.