Enjoy a 90-minute afternoon cruise past rugged cliff scenery and see arctic skuas, storm petrels, colonies of guillemots, puffins, razorbills, kittiwakes, Atlantic grey seals, and much more.

About this activity

Free cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
Covid-19 precautions: Special health and safety measures apply. Learn more
Reserve now & pay later: Keep your travel plans flexible—book your spot and pay nothing today. Learn more
Duration 1.5 hours: Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide: English

Highlights

Enjoy a wildlife cruise off the coast of northern Scotland
Look out for puffins, seals, the occasional whale, and many more types of wildlife
Cruise through Pentland Firth and take in the rugged cliff scenery

Full description

Experience the wild and windy Scottish coastline. Listen to informative commentary from your guide throughout the cruise and enrich your knowledge of Scotland’s natural history. Cruise through the Pentland Firth past Duncansby Head lighthouse passing close to the sheer 200-feet high cliffs teeming with sea birds followed by a close-up view of the famous Stacks of Duncansby. Cross the inner sound of the Pentland Firth for a view of the uninhabited island of Stroma and the colonies of Atlantic Grey Seals. See the various cliffs and birds of Stroma. The types of birdlife seen will depend on the nesting season. For example Puffins will be seen in large numbers in June and July but in much smaller numbers in August. If you are lucky, catch a view of some whales.

Includes

90-minute sightseeing cruise
Live commentary

Hotel pickup and drop off

Covid-19 precautions

Safety measures in place

All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned
The number of visitors is limited to reduce crowds

Traveler requirements

You are required to bring and wear a mask
Masks are required while indoors

Meeting point

Meet at John O'Groats Harbour at MV Pentland Venture.

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Important information

Know before you go

The route for the cruise will depend on the prevailing tide and weather conditions
Free parking is available at John O'Groats
You will hear live commentary on this tour
This is a 90-minute sightseeing cruise

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.5 /5

based on 52 reviews

Review summary

Guide
4.3/5
Transportation
3.9/5
Value for money
4.5/5

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Great boat trip. We went out to the Duncansby Stacks and the skipper brought us right in to see the nesting birds., even in to the mouth of a cave to see Kittiwakes. Saw puffins nesting and flying along with thousands of guillemots. The Skipoer explained about the geology of the stacks and pointed out where a new stack was forming. Very interesting trip and I would thoroughly recommend

June 9, 2022

Had the most amazing time we got to see a Minkey Whale. Staff are all very friendly and made us feel welcome. We also made friends with a few people from Orca Watch everyone was fantastic . We loved it that much we are going back next year roll on 2023

June 6, 2022

June 26, 2022

Wildlife Cruise from John O'Groats

Wildlife Cruise from John O'Groats

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