Treasure Islands: Scottish boat tours Heading off on a small-ish boat towards a whirlpool off the west coast of Scotland in November may not seem like the actions of a sane person. However, we were in the area and husband Calum had booked us on the trip before too much thought had been given to it. Of course, we weren't on any old small boat; the Sea Leopard II has been designed and built especially for these tours from Ardfern, south of Oban, to Corryvreckan where, in the sea between Jura and Shula the incoming and outgoing tides collide to create a maelstrom. Those who understand how these things work will know what I am talking about and for the rest of us, we just have to believe. With the trip lasting around three hours there also has to be a few more things to look at and the captain/guide Lindsay points out various birds and mammals as we encounter them. We even pull into an inlet where big fat mama seals bask on the rocks, having just got rid of their pups, some of whom were playing in the water. As we passed Jura he pointed out the wild goats scavenging on the seashore - beasts believed to be descended from ones that escaped when the Spanish Armada sank here a few centuries ago. As I raised an eyebrow, we were informed that they share DNA with the same creatures in Andalucía. That's me told. There are some tours especially geared to whale and dolphin spotting (indeed, Lindsay told us that there had been 165 sightings of the former this year), but this was not the best time to see them. Overhead, a couple of eagles swooped and hovered, spending quite a bit of time showing off, and so they should. Twitchers would be happy with all the other birds around, such as shags and kittiwakes. High on a ridge on Jura stood a magnificent stag, looking for all the world like he spent the whole day there, waiting for tourists to come and take photographs of him looking splendid. Some of the smaller islands still have the remains of houses and walls, although most of them are no longer inhabited full-time. However, King's Island, which we passed at the beginning of the trip, has a fabulous house with a specially designed astrology bunker and is for sale for a cool £3 million. "Hold on," instructed Lindsay as we came to the whirlpool, which was in a mild state at midday. I was quite happy with that, but I reckon that some of those on board might have liked a bit of danger. At this point the waves were a lot higher than we had just experienced, but nothing like what they can be at the peak of their powers, when they reach heights of 15-20ft. While I have no desire to repeat this trip when the tides create this wonder of nature, I'd certainly like to go back on a sunny day as the views would be amazing when not seen through a veil of drizzle. The three-hour islands, history and wildlife trip with Craignish Cruises costs £36 for adults and £20 for children. Family packages are available. For information and bookings, tel: 07747 023038 or visit www.craignishcruises.co.uk