Late August Scotland cruise

[Mkdvmz]

Looking at an August 30 cruise from London around Scotland and Ireland. I am concerned that this time of year may have rough seas and ports may be missed. Any thoughts

[Flatbush Flyer]

25 minutes ago, Mkdvmz said:

Looking at an August 30 cruise from London around Scotland and Ireland. I am concerned that this time of year may have rough seas and ports may be missed. Any thoughts

It’s an ocean: Smooth as silk unless it’s not. 

 

 

[Hanoj]

Onboard Vista now and we missed Stornoway August 22 due to “sea swells and worsening weather making tendering unsafe.” Yesterday we had delays tendering at Dun Laoghaire for Dublin due to high winds. As a result, our Oceania excursion was cut short by an hour. Autumn is considered to begin August 1 in these parts. We’ve had high winds and “crumbled silk” seas nearly every day. 

[Harters]

The weather here this August has been awful. More mid-autumn than a summer. Cold, wet and windy. Our heating has clicked on several times already. Goodness knows what it must be like further north.  Thankfully, I'm off to Spain shortly for a couple of weeks. 

[govanguy]

just have a look at he Calmac webpage. Calmac are the local ferry operators on the West Coast of Scotland. They have frequent delays and cancellations due to weather conditions. 

Further South, to Ireland from Scotland there are fewer issues. Check out Stenna and P and O Ferries.

Pentland Ferries from Aberdeen have few issues.

Check these websites below

 

Leith, for Edinburgh and Greenock, for Glasgow have few issues. Same with Belfast.

 

I'm currently in Tromso, Norway , above the Arctic Circle . Calm seas , blue skies and 64f.

 

https://www.calmac.co.uk

 

https://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferries-to-ireland

 

https://www.poferries.com/en/routes/cairnryan-to-larne

Edited August 27, 2023 by govanguy
wrong link

[hamrag]

16 hours ago, Mkdvmz said:

Looking at an August 30 cruise from London around Scotland and Ireland. I am concerned that this time of year may have rough seas and ports may be missed. Any thoughts

Your concern is valid, I wouldn't sail around the British mainland at that time of year! 

[ORV]

On our Riviera trip in Jun you couldn't ask for better weather. Southampton -Belfast. 

[Harters]

June is often our best month. It's when we usually have a UK holiday. 

[Mkdvmz]

8 hours ago, govanguy said:

just have a look at he Calmac webpage. Calmac are the local ferry operators on the West Coast of Scotland. They have frequent delays and cancellations due to weather conditions. 

Further South, to Ireland from Scotland there are fewer issues. Check out Stenna and P and O Ferries.

Pentland Ferries from Aberdeen have few issues.

Check these websites below

 

Leith, for Edinburgh and Greenock, for Glasgow have few issues. Same with Belfast.

 

I'm currently in Tromso, Norway , above the Arctic Circle . Calm seas , blue skies and 64f.

 

https://www.calmac.co.uk

 

https://www.stenaline.co.uk/ferries-to-ireland

 

https://www.poferries.com/en/routes/cairnryan-to-larne

 

[Mkdvmz]

Thank- you, this is excellent information, just what I was looking for! 

[Mkdvmz]

8 hours ago, hamrag said:

Your concern is valid, I wouldn't sail around the British mainland at that time of year! 

Thank- you, exactly my concern

[Mkdvmz]

On 8/26/2023 at 7:22 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

It’s an ocean: Smooth as silk unless it’s not. 

 

 

[Mkdvmz]

Snarky reply, not really helpful 

[gdlamberth]

All this said my BIL is with a group of 4 playing golf all over Scotland and have ben site seeing in Inverness, at Culloden, Edinburgh (attended the Tattoo) and just emailed this PM saying that they've had great weather everywhere so far.  Granted they have been on land; but, if they had had naxty winds messing with their golf fame they would have said something.

Just a data point

[all2me]

Oh dear. I have an Aug 29 2024 12 day British Isles roundtrip London booked. Did not realize the poor coastal weather trends at this time of year around these areas. Actually most of our European travel has been in September and quite nice…but first time for this itinerary. 

I hope to get some positive reports from those this year traveling this itinerary. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Mkdvmz said:

Snarky reply, not really helpful 

Actually, not snarky at all. One has to chuckle at questions about how the sea will be when they go on a cruise.
It’s the ocean. And even NOAA can’t deliver exacting predictions months in advance.

[osandomir]

We’ll be on the British Isles cruise in April 2024. Anyone can tell from their experience if this is a good time to cruise in the region? Any other tips will be greatly appreciated as well.

[Mkdvmz]

All2 me, that is exactly the cruise we are looking at and I am trying to get a better sense of the odds of inclement weather and rougher seas than perhaps earlier in the summer

[Mkdvmz]

18 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Actually, not snarky at all. One has to chuckle at questions about how the sea will be when they go on a cruise.
It’s the ocean. And even NOAA can’t deliver exacting predictions months in advance.

Of course, one never knows how the sea will be on any given day : but there are trends and that is what I am asking about

[all2me]

I wondered if it’s the same cruise. This itinerary just looked so great! New to O.  Like my previous reply….September weather has worked quite well for our previous European travel. I assumed these more northern seas and coastal areas would be cooler, windy…maybe stormy…and not quite as pleasant as earlier summer. We are not worried about choppy, rough seas…unless….it prevents stopping at our ports and missing excursions. That’s my main concern! It sounds as if this has been happening. And….when I see the “locals” saying not to cruise this ime of year. It’s honestly the better time personally for us to travel too! What to do?? I have had this planned since beginning of this year. 

[tine-tine]

As a Scot whose parents both came from the West Coast Islands and travel there regularly with CalMac I can assure you that our unpredictable Scottish weather can at times be challenging but as they say in Scotland there is no such thing as bad weather just bad clothes. 

 

I personally always prefer to holiday in Scotland, for various reasons, Spring April-June and Autumn September - November, missing the school holidays which are different times for Scotland and England by couple of weeks stretching the availability of bookings from late June to mid September when UK residents depend on Scotland en masse.

 

Then there is the Edinburgh International Festival in August that means accommodation in Edinburgh is impossible but a great place to visit staying a little further out,say in Glasgow and taking the 15 train or bus service to Edinburgh which is less than an hour.

 

This year we have had a particularly wet and windy August but it has not been cold, wet and windy constantly, frequently it is sunny and warm, maybe just not California temperatures but it is still a visually stunning country and culture regardless of the weather.

 

The seas around the west coast can be challenging for sailors and the very experienced Calmac Captains who are recruited from the local Islands and coast know the waters intimately probably would sail into port when less experienced Captains wouldn't try.

 

Here are a few photos sailing into Stornoway one May on a wet day and the dry day is 5 September a photo of the plaque from the Iolaire monument adjacent to the rocks knows as the  "Beasts of Holm" where on Hogmanay soldiers returning home from WWI lost their lives, one of the reason for this disaster is believed to be the Captain was less experienced of the dangerous waters surrounding the island.

Edited August 28, 2023 by tine-tine

[fruitmachine]

6 hours ago, all2me said:

Oh dear. I have an Aug 29 2024 12 day British Isles roundtrip London booked. Did not realize the poor coastal weather trends at this time of year around these areas. Actually most of our European travel has been in September and quite nice…but first time for this itinerary. 

I hope to get some positive reports from those this year traveling this itinerary. 

All weather is possible - we're an island in the East Atlantic - but some weather is more possible than other weather.

 

Anyone predicting beyond that is perhaps claiming more foresight than they deserve!

[Harters]

2 hours ago, tine-tine said:

the Iolaire monument adjacent to the rocks knows as the  "Beasts of Holm" where on Hogmanay soldiers returning home from WWI lost their lives

You've just given me a job for the day. In real life, I'm a military history researcher and author, specialising in the Great War. What intrigues me about the Iolaire is that the vast majority of casualties do not appear to be officially commemorated. There may be a reason for that (other than administrative error) - but research to establish that will keep me occupied for a goodly while today.  

[tine-tine]

@Harters there will be lots of material as the impact of the island was huge, along with the loss of lives resulting with the Spanish flue epedemic which wiped out a generation of men from the Island. There is an excellent book "When I heard the Bell" by John McLeod that gives a fascinating insight.

 

There are many suggestions why this, one of the worst peacetime shipping disasters, was downplayed and the lack of effort to find the cause. It is only recently, reaching the 100th anniversary of the disaster that more publicity has been given to the sad tale.

 

Sometimes it is difficult for outsiders to understand the impact this had on the island, where at the time with no tv and very little radio and newspapers a luxury, they lived a very isolated life with tight communities living off the land, many extremely poor and these men having survived the horrors of the war only to return home and die within 20yds of their homeland has its own particular horror.

 

Being staunchly a presbyterian island where Christmas was not celebrated the main festival was New Year and was of huge importance to the people and why the men were so desperate to get home to their loved ones.

 

A sad topic but one that I am sure will keep you busy.

[all2me]

Good our historians on this thread can find each other and weather becomes part of their connection. We cruise for the many places we visit, the interestingly lovely lands, to walk on trails, in cities and villages and learn their history. The cruise ship itself is secondary but yes a great way to travel. It’s all about where it takes us!
I think I will keep hope then for decent weather for our cruise a year from now. Never expected the great weather of the Med coasts for Sept. I know to always come prepared with proper clothes. We’ll cross our fingers we can dock and tender to set foot on these places.