Seaflower Skye — Local services in Skye

Come aboard to experience Skye with Ewen, a master of hospitality and his homeland.

tl;dr: amazing Skye experience that includes a balance of leisure, adventure, wildlife, gourmet food, and (optionally) booze.

We were a bit apprehensive about what we would take away from an expensive all-day tour, but I can now say it was worth every pound.

The curated day is chock-full of experiences you'd be hard pressed to get otherwise. Visiting Rona and hiking its pristine land (among only the two residents and any fellow passengers) was an amazing first outdoor experience in Skye. The Church Cave is a cool destination, admittedly enhanced by the exclusivity of visiting there. The top of the island gives you breathtaking 360 degree views of the island, Skye, and the Hebrides.

Next was one of the best meals I've ever had: Ewen's brother's langoustines and a small producer's salmon two ways. The langoustines were understated and amazing. The salmon stole the show for me. The cold smoked salmon had a much richer smokiness than I had ever tasted. I devoured it. But the hot smoked salmon completely caught me off guard. I love nearly all seafood but have never come across a hot smoked salmon I remotely enjoyed until then. It was well salted and also had a rich smokiness, but was still tender and not at all dry. Another (Scottish) guest raved about the Marie Rose sauce being the best he'd ever had. Ewen humbly claims to know nothing of food, but I'd call him a liar on that one!

Our visit to Raasay was short and sweet. We opted for the Raasay Distillery tour. While it's far from my favorite whisky, the tour was very intimate and informative. Getting to see the production process up close was a first for me.

Finally, and most variably, we got to enjoy several wildlife sightings. Co-host Claire pointed out the wildlife (and geology) with interesting and digestible descriptions. We were extremely lucky and came across porpoises three times. Ewen was able to bring us close enough where they were swimming alongside us just 20 feet away... and all our hearts melted when we saw two babies popping out of the water with the group. We also caught a brief glimpse of a red deer...

Janice and Ewen offer excellent luxury boat trips. We booked the half day trip to Rona with a seafood lunch. To say that this trip was perfect is an understatement. It was beyond perfect. First off, the boat - a Katamaran- was gorgeous and in absolut mint condition. Everything was spotless and you are totally comfortable as a guest there. Second - Janice and Ewen are such a great team!!! Janice will tell you a bit about the places you’ll visit and has an amazing knowledge about the history, without it being too much. Ewen handles to boat. They love what they do and you can tell that by every second you have the honor to be on board. Third- the lunch is fabulous! Freshly caught be Ewen’s brother right by your final destination, the food is served at your choice of time and is really perfectly prepared. We had hot and cold smoked salmon, Langoustines and tiny and yet scrumptious lobsters. Breads, salad and drinks were also served. It was delicious! On our trip we got to see bottlenose dolphins as well as seals (plus their babies). We also toured Rona, which is a privately owned island off Skye.

This is the longest review I have ever written,but I was so blown away by the service, the knowledge, the kindness, the food and the wonderful team. I will always keep this memory and this trip in my mind. I‘ve been all over the world and have seen and experienced many cools things. This is in the top three....

We just got back from the full-day Rona and Rassay tour with lunch; it was undoubtedly the highlight of our 6-day stay on Skye. Even before our trip, as we walked around Portree and saw signs plastered everywhere for tour boat companies, I commented to my wife that I was feeling good about our choice of Seaflower Skye. I got a much more personal and less commercial vibe from the whole booking and planning process. We were fortunate enough to get rebooked onto a tour later in the week when the weather for our initial date wasn’t looking so agreeable. That kind of hospitality continued to be extended to us from the moment we met Ewan at the pier until we got back (a bit later than planned, to catch an eager pod of dolphins en route home!). Ewan and Soraya were a phenomenal duo - a captain, crew, tour guide, top-notch floating restaurant and café in one - all with a warm smile. Lunch was fresh and atmospheric. The views on Rona were breathtaking. We saw eagles and seals and dolphins. The boat was comfortable and they’d truly thought of everything to make the trip relaxing and enjoyable. Couldn’t have asked for a better day exploring these smaller isles, or a better way to cap off our holiday here....