The Simple Things

Taking time to live well
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Taking Time to Live Well

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Sponsored post | Basking Shark Scotland

Iona Bower December 3, 2024

The Hebrides are home to incredible wildlife and spectacles, and Basking Shark Scotland can guide you through all they have to offer

A vast archipelago of islands that lie off the west coast of Scotland, the Hebrides are located on the edge of the Atlantic. They’re a wild place but also one full of wildlife. Gaelic culture of the people and land merge into spectacular landscapes and habitats – from towering mountains to temperate Atlantic oakwood rainforest, wildflower machair meadows to white shell sand beaches and turquoise waters – it’s a place of four seasons in one day.

For 12 years, Basking Shark Scotland has been running ocean adventures with a difference. Small groups are guided by marine biologists with a passion for the ocean. Tours have a focus on snorkeling, wild swimming and wildlife watching, exploring amazing places, while conducting citizen science. It’s the kind of trip where we might be spotting whales in the morning and doing an impromptu beach clean while exploring ashore in the afternoon.

During spring, the adventurous week-long expedition to the southern islands of the Outer Hebrides visits some of the most spectacular islands on the west coast. Azure waters hold huge seal colonies, while puffins nest and eagles soar unencumbered by human habitation. Island hikes reveal layers of history covered by fields of pastel-coloured orchids. Dolphins, whales and sharks all visit the islands and there’s also a chance to visit the offshore World Heritage site of St Kilda.

Back on the mainland, the regular base for tours is from Oban’s little bay, just a couple of hours from Glasgow. Named Scottish town of year for 2024, the bustling harbour has award-winning seafood eateries, a whisky distillery that was founded in 1794 and sunsets that’ll stick in the memory long after the sun has disappeared. Tours discover the volcanic landscape and wildlife of the Isle of Mull. Whether it’s snorkeling into the cavern of Fingal’s Cave and discovering the basalt columns which tower above you, floating around at the spectacular Hebrides lagoon, or witnessing the Corryvreckan whirlpool – the third largest in the world, there’s something to ignite all levels of adventure.

Moving on to the Isle of Coll – a jewel of the Inner Hebrides – which sits bang in middle of the basking shark’s only marine-protected area worldwide. Multi-day tours enable you to snorkel around the abundant kelp forests, to hopefully catch sight of grey seals and puffins, and to potentially spot cetaceans. You may also be lucky enough to experience the basking shark, the second largest shark in the ocean, in this Hebridean hotspot. So, do you dare to dive in for the adventure of a lifetime?

For more information and inspiration, visit: baskingsharkscotland.co.uk or follow on Instagram at: @baskingsharkscotland

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  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well
Feb 27, 2025
Feb 27, 2025

Buy, download or subscribe

See the sample of our latest issue here

Buy a copy of our latest anthology: A Year of Celebrations

Buy a copy of Flourish 2, our wellbeing bookazine

Listen to our podcast - Small Ways to Live Well

Feb 27, 2025
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The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

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