I explored some of Scotland’s most beautiful islands on a 12-person boat

Idyllic though it seemed, this wasn’t the Caribbean but the west coast of Scotland. In unseasonably good weather our captain had achieved the rare feat of landing us by boat at the uninhabited islet of Hyskeir, where the welcome sign read: “Danger – proceed at your own risk.”

This was just one stop on our voyage around the Small Isles, an archipelago in the Inner Hebrides. We were sailing on Majestic Line ship Glen Etive, stopping at other, equally breathtaking spots such as Muck, Eigg and Rum.

Each day we would be dropped ashore and left to explore by ourselves, whether it was a gentle stroll around a bay or a hike to see an inland loch.

Some of the 11 passengers (the ship can hold 12) took the option of staying on board and admiring the surroundings from the decks. The best view of wildlife during our six-day cruise – a pod of dolphins – came this way, though we also spotted an eagle, some seals and a puffin.

The voyage, my fourth with The Majestic Line, began in Oban and headed first to Tobermory on Mull, home to the collection of coloured shopfronts and houses made famous by the children’s TV series Balamory.

Returning to Glen Etive, we enjoyed the first of many excellent dinners served by chef Andy Grant. That night, with the generator switched off, we slept peacefully, waking to a glorious sunrise with the silence broken only by the screech of birds, before heading to the isle of Canna. It’s barely four miles long and only one mile wide.

Among the highlights was Canna House, once home to historian and folklorist John Lorne Campbell, who gifted the island to the National Trust for Scotland in 1981. Canna is also known for its early Christian cross and “punishment stone”, where offenders would have their thumb wedged into a hole and left to ponder their crimes.

The following day we headed over the sea to Skye. Instead of heading to the port, we visited rugged Loch Scavaig and headed inland to Loch Coruisk, which the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson called “the wildest scene in the Highlands”.

A few hours later we arrived in Rum for a walk to Kinloch Castle, the now-abandoned home of the eccentric George Bullough. The baronet, who lived between 1870 and 1939, was a renowned playboy and, at the time, a member of the sixth richest family in the world.

In addition to a mechanical 40-piece orchestra, he and his wife Lady Monica owned hummingbirds, turtles and alligators, none of which met a happy ending. The birds died when the heating failed and were stuffed in glass cases. The turtles were intended for soup but the owner took pity on them and released them into the sea where, not being native species, they probably perished. The two alligators broke out of their pen and were shot.

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In this century, the house has been subject to a lengthy restoration project, supported by the Kinloch Castle Friends Association. Now fenced-off, but with furnishings still visible through the windows, it is up for sale for £750,000.

After mooring overnight, we sailed two-and-a-half hours to Hyskeir lighthouse, now automated, but where the former keepers used their spare time to create a mini golf course, since been reclaimed by nature.

Visiting Eigg the next morning, we stopped at a cafe looking out to a glorious seascape and enjoyed a pint of locally brewed pilsner.

The island, dominated by the pitchstone ridge called An Sgùrr, has a legend about the Great Women, Pictish warriors who murdered a community of monks then met their end by drowning in a loch. It wasn't the only massacre on Eigg – in the 16th century almost the entire population was wiped out in a clan feud, still remembered today.

Our final stop on the Small Isles was at Muck. Don’t be put off by the name, it was beautiful, with mountains, hills and sheep.

These islands have seen prehistoric feuds, bloody battles and hard, unstable economic conditions. Yet today they seem gentle, serene and welcoming. No wonder some people come for a summer job and end up staying, largely cut off from the world apart from the occasional ferry or tourist boat.

The Majestic Line has four small ships: two converted fishing vessels and two purpose-built for cruising. Glen Etive, like its sister Glen Shiel, is one of the more modern, fitted with stabilisers to be able to head farther out, such as to the remote archipelago of St Kilda.

During our time at sea, the going was very smooth, apart from one day when the ship rocked and rolled enough to send books sliding off our bedside tables.

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Nothing disturbed the regular flow of food, though. From the moment the generator went on at 7.30am, there was tea and biscuits followed an hour later by breakfast. Elevenses preceded lunch. Cake or scones in the afternoon kept us going until dinner.

The four-person strong crew all pitched in, from manning the tenders and pouring drinks to serving meals. It was not unusual for the skipper, Domhnall MacLachlan, to be found handing out toast.

You won’t find entertainment, spas or even cabin TVs on The Majestic Line. Though the wifi is good, life on board is very much centred on conversation, wildlife spotting, scenery watching, reading and relaxing. And eating and drinking, of course.

After 20 years of being run by founders Ken Grant and Andy Thoms, the company is now under new management. Craig of Campbeltown has refreshed the furnishings, replacing the tartan with clean modern colours and upgraded some of the crew equipment as well.

With speculation about another ship possibly joining the fleet in a couple of years, it seems this remarkable, quirky cruise line is in safe hands as it sails gently into the future.

A “Skye and the Small Isles” cruise on Glen Etive with The Majestic Line, leaving Oban on April 3, 2027, costs from £3,340 per person. Oban is 97 miles by road, or around three hours by train, from Glasgow airport.

Dave was a guest of The Majestic Line