About Our Boat Trips

Find out what makes a boat trip with us so special and what makes Misty Isle Boat Trips such a special part of Elgol’s history.

The Misty Isle Boat Trips Experience

Loch Coruisk Boat Trips with us need to be experienced to be believed! The climax of your boat trip will be the awesome view when you arrive at Loch Coruisk itself as it sits in the heart of the Cuillin hills in the south west of the Isle of Skye. But there is much to see and hear about along the journey to Loch Coruisk as well!

As you leave the village of Elgol, you will be surrounded by some of the most magnificent scenery to be found anywhere in the world. You will cruise past the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides on your left.

Loch Coruisk Boat Trips arial view

Approaching the Cuillin hills and Loch Coruisk you will see a great variety of seabirds including some rare species – oyster catchers, manx shearwaters, razorbills, cormorants, herons and occasional sea eagles, golden eagles and puffins, to name just a few, are found in the area (some are there all the time, others are more occasional visitors).

Other sea life can often be seen. Occasionally basking sharks, minky whales, dolphins and porpoises join us for our sail to Loch Coruisk. Sometimes they come very near to the boat, providing passengers with fantastic photo opportunities.

After your arrival at breathtaking Loch Coruisk you will have plenty of time ashore for the short walk to the loch or just to enjoy the beauty and tranquility that surrounds you. There is a wide variety of trip lengths available to suit every need.

Loch Coruisk Boat Trips viewing seals

And then… very near to Loch Coruisk… there are the famous seals!

Booking in advance is not always essential but it is always highly recommended to ensure we keep a place for you. Do have a look at our times and prices page for more details.

The Misty Isle Boat Trips History

Misty Isle Boat Trips is run by Seumas and Anne Mackinnon. The Mackinnon family have lived in Elgol since the 1300s when they were gifted the land by Robert the Bruce. Seumas’ ancestor, Captain John Mackinnon was the skipper who famously ferried Bonnie Prince Charlie to safety from a cave in Elgol back in 1747.

Seumas has had the pleasure of running passenger boat trips Elgol to Loch Coruisk for over 50 years, beginning in 1969 (The famous film director Alfred Hitchcock being one of his first!)

He is often asked if, after so many hundreds of trips, he ever tires of the views of the Cuillins or of visiting Loch Coruisk itself. Seumas believes that it is impossible to tire of such a stunning and ever-changing part of the Scottish Highlands.

In 2009 Seumas was asked to write an article for the ‘Elgol & Torrin Historical Society’ magazine about the history of Elgol boat trips to Loch Coruisk. The following is adapted from that article:

Click to read article

Loch Coruisk Memorial Hut

In 1958 skipper Seumas’ father, Lachlan Mackinnon, was commissioned to build a climbers bothy near Loch Coruisk by the families of 2 boys who died in a climbing accident a few years earlier. The building was to be a memorial to the boys and to provide shelter and accommodation for those climbing the Cuillin Hills.

Find out more about the history of the Loch Coruisk Memorial Hut and how it is still in use today.

Click to read info