Single parent families set sail
Bespoke adventure holiday company St Hilda Sea Adventures (www.sthildaseaadventures.co.uk) has experienced a significant increase in bookings from single parent families for the 2010 season.
According to Mumsnet.co.uk, ‘holidays shouldn’t be the preserve of two parent families’. Michael and Colette Marshall, owners of the company couldn’t agree more. Michael said ‘Although our holidays are ideal for any family group, it comes as no surprise that single parent families are particularly attracted to St Hilda’.
St Hilda is a traditional 54 foot wooden sailing vessel that can accommodate 6 guests. The ethos of the holiday is to provide everyone aboard with a memorable experience by ensuring that all tastes are catered for. Families are the focus of time aboard with children especially encouraged by the crew to get involved with a range of action packed activities. These can include learning to sail the vessel to trips ashore in St Hilda’s tender and can even take in catching your own lobsters and snorkelling. St Hilda provides bespoke holidays ranging from just 2 nights to 10 and sails around the stunning coast of the Cowal Peninsula on the west coast of Scotland. This area is full of beautiful sea lochs and inlets and provides some of the most stunning, unspoiled scenery Scotland has to offer. The departure from the Holy Loch is just an hour from Glasgow airport.
Michael Marshall, who is also St Hilda’s skipper continued ’the reason why St Hilda is ideal for single parent families is simple – with just 6 people aboard, the crew can concentrate on individuals and ensure everyone gets the most from their time aboard. Mum or Dad can become as involved with activities as they want. They can either opt to be at the heart of the action, or simply relax and watch their kids having the time of their life’. Colette added ‘We fully appreciate that it’s important for single parent families to get the most from their holiday. If a parent perhaps only gets a chance to see their children over weekends, this holiday can be a unique opportunity to really bond with their family. However, a parent who is the main provider of the childcare may want to have a more relaxing time. We all fully appreciate the differing needs of single parent families and I guess this is why word is spreading that St Hilda is the holiday of choice for single parent families’.
Meals on your sailing holiday are freshly prepared by your on board cook using local produce from the west coast of Scotland whenever possible, including eating your own catch for dinner! Special diets can be accommodated. Everyone is invited to help with the running of the boat and youngsters in particular love the onboard camaraderie of mucking in together. Evenings are spent anchored off idyllic remote inlets where you can hear nothing but the calls of the birds and the water lapping against the sides of the boat – ideal for quality time with your family. Alternatively there can be the option to go ashore by tender and try the local hostelry if the idea appeals!
ADVERTISEMENT
This is surprisingly cost effective way for single parent families to become much more than shipmates for the duration of their holiday.