Guest Cruise Speakers

Travel with Expert Cruise Speakers

Selected cruises welcome specially chosen expert guest speakers. They bring Scotland’s history and culture to life with passion and in-depth knowledge.

Experience the rich history, culture and taste of Scotland with expert cruise speakers who can bring this beautiful country to life. On selected cruises, Hebridean Princess welcomes expert guest speakers, hand-picked for their in-depth knowledge, who love nothing more than sharing their passion for Scotland. The enrichment of discovery and thrill of knowledge put these cruises in a category of their own.

Our Guest Speakers:

Guest Speaker Jeremy Burton

St Kilda Wildlife Safari
Oban to Oban
Tuesday 3rd June to Tuesday 10th June 2025
7 nights including 2 Gala Dinners

Andy has been an obsessive wildlife enthusiast ever since he can remember.
Educated at Cambridge, Newcastle and Imperial College, he then embarked on a career in nature conservation. He has worked for local government, wildlife trusts, and, for 26 years, the RSPB. Initially working in RSPB Scotland he headed south to be the South-East England Regional Director before moving to the North of England to take up the reins of director there. Andy has cruised and lectured extensively completing over 20 trips ranging from Costa Rica to the Philippines and from Argentina to Svalbard. Now an environmental consultant, Andy is an enthusiastic traveller and has led wildlife groups to numerous places around the world including the Seychelles, France, Egypt, Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Ethiopia, Sweden, Spitzbergen and, of course, Scotland.

Guest Speaker Amelia Dalton

St Kilda and Scotland’s Remote Archipelagos
Oban to Oban
Tuesday 10th to Tuesday 17th June 2025
7 nights including 2 Gala Dinners

Amelia Dalton is an author and one of travel’s aficionados. Her best-selling book Mistress and Commander, is a lively account of the pitfalls and triumphs of an English, middle class girl amongst the colourful, chauvinistic fishing communities of the Hebrides. She has spoken at Literary Festivals from Scotland to Cornwall, appeared on Saturday Live, BBC World Service and Radio Scotland. In addition to writing, she uses her hard-won marine skills creating specialist expeditions world-wide for charities such as Durrell Conservation Trust and is a keen naturalist.

Guest Musician Will Marshall

Hebridean Harmony
Oban to Oban
Tuesday 17th to Tuesday 24th June 2025
7 nights including 2 Gala Dinners

Previously the musician on board Hebridean Spirit and Hebridean River Cruises, Will is now a full-time professional musician, composer and musical director, playing piano and accordion. Will is looking forward to working with Hebridean once more, bringing his eclectic mix of music and light-hearted entertainment to the Highlands and Islands.

Guest Speaker Michael Buerk

Journey to the Jurassic Coast
Oban to Portland
Tuesday 22nd July to Friday 1st August 2025
10 nights including 2 Gala Dinners

Michael Buerk is one of Britain’s leading broadcast journalists and has won many of the industry’s major awards. He has worked as a BBC foreign correspondent and presenter for more than thirty years. He anchored the BBC’s main evening television news programme from 1989 to 2004. He continues to present documentary and other programmes for both BBC Television and Radio as well as ITV and other networks. He currently chairs the BBC’s leading ethical debate programme, “The Moral Maze” on Radio 4. He lectures regularly on current affairs issues and chairs conferences on political, economic and ethical questions.

Guest Speaker John Lippiett

Secrets of the Solent and the Seine
Portland to Portland
Saturday 16th to Monday 25th August 2025
9 nights including 2 Gala Dinners

John Lippiett had a 36 year career in the Royal Navy which included command of 3 ships at different seniorities, a frigate squadron and the School of Maritime Warfare, and culminating in three appointments at flag rank. He took early retirement in 2003 and became Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust. He now lectures extensively on Maritime History.

Guest Speaker Caroline Holmes

Celtic Crusade
Swansea to Oban
Wednesday 10th to Friday 19th September 2025
9 nights including 2 Gala Dinners

Caroline Holmes is a garden historian of ancient, modern and contemporary people, places and plants. Author of 12 books in 8 languages. Academic but not dry, her research, writings, lectures and design consultancies delve into the myriad ways humans have shaped landscapes from the ‘Astute Butes’ to Monet. She lectures as a course director for the University of Cambridge ICE, for The Arts Society, The Gardens Trust and internationally.

Guest Speaker Jim Allan 

Spirit of Scotland
Oban to Oban
Tuesday 30th September to
Tuesday 7th October 2025
7 nights including 2 Gala Dinners

Over the past 30 years Jim Allan has developed his passion for whisky and is known as an outstanding whisky ambassador and raconteur. He has an extensive knowledge of Scotch whisky and the industry having travelled extensively around both Scotland and the world to develop his knowledge. Previously the manager of the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh, Jim is now retired and living the island life where he has founded the Western Isles Whisky Club and is a passionate collector of single malts. Jim is also finding time to work part time in the Isle of Harris Distillery.

Guest Speaker Nicholas Merchant 

Pearls of Antrim and Argyll
Oban to Greenock
Tuesday 28th October to Tuesday 4th November 2025
7 nights including 2 Gala Dinners

Nicholas has lectured for Hebridean Island Cruises for a number of years, both on Hebridean Princess and more recently on European river cruises. In both cases he takes pleasure in preparing talks appropriate to the destinations to be visited, with the intention of ‘setting the scene’ for the guests and so enhance the pleasure of the visits. His background is in the Decorative and Fine Arts, having worked as a valuer for some of the major auction houses including Sotheby’s and Phillips (now Bonhams). From these associations he has acquired a wide knowledge and interest in not just objects but their historical background. On becoming accredited to the Arts Society (formerly NADFAS) in 2004, he has travelled widely to lecture on various aspects of his passion, the decorative and fine arts.

Expert guest speakers accompany selected cruises to help you get the most out of your voyage

Our guest speaker and themed cruises always prove extremely popular. To avoid disappointment, book an enriching cruise on Hebridean Princess today.