PLANNING GUIDE
The Best Time to Sail the Hebrides:
A Month-by-Month Guide
Our season runs from late April to early October. Here's what each month brings in daylight, wildlife and weather.
The short answer
For puffins and the longest days, come between May and July. For the warmest sea, choose August. For quieter anchorages and autumn colour, choose September. Every month has something different to offer, and we plan each day around the weather to make the most of it.
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHEN TO SAIL
When can you see puffins in the Hebrides?
Puffins are on the islands from late April to early August. May, June and July are the best months, when they're busy feeding chicks and easy to see near their burrows.
What is the warmest month to sail?
August is usually the warmest month, with daytime highs around 17°C. The sea is at its warmest in August and September.
When are the longest days?
Around midsummer in June, the sun is up for nearly eighteen hours at Oban, and it never gets fully dark.
Are there midges on a sailing holiday?
Midges are mainly found ashore on still days from June to August. Out at anchor there are far fewer, and a breeze keeps them away.
When does the sailing season run?
Our 2027 season runs from 23 April to 4 October, with twenty voyages of five to ten nights.
FIND YOUR MONTH
Twenty voyages between April and October 2027, from five to ten nights. No sailing experience needed.
| Month | Daylight | Typical high | Sea | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | 14 hrs | 11°C | 8°C | Seabirds return, quiet islands |
| May | 16¼ hrs | 13°C | 10°C | Puffins settle in, often sunny and dry |
| June | 17¾ hrs | 15°C | 11°C | Longest days, puffins feeding chicks |
| July | 17 hrs | 16°C | 13°C | Last of the puffins, summer wildlife |
| August | 15¼ hrs | 17°C | 14°C | Warmest month, heather on the hills |
| September | 13 hrs | 15°C | 14°C | Warm sea, quieter anchorages |
| Early October | 11½ hrs | 13°C | 13°C | Autumn colour, the red deer rut |
Daylight is sunrise to sunset at Oban in the middle of each month
(21 June for June, 1 October for October).
Temperatures are typical averages for the Isle of Tiree and are a guide only.