My son and I have just had the most wonderful trip with Sessions and Sail, on our voyage aboard the Lady of Avenel from Barra to Oban. It was great to join in with a lovely group of fellow folk musicians of all ages, supported by fantastic tutors who helped us develop our skills. All the crew were incredibly kind and patient and as a result we have both grown in confidence in our musical and sailing abilities. The food was freshly cooked, delicious and plentiful - I don’t think I had a hungry moment all trip! Joining in with our fellow shipmates, whether playing music or climbing the rigging, brought a great sense of camaraderie and we were sad to say goodbye to our friends at the end of the week. My son described it as the best week of his life and I have to say I feel much the same way.

I wanted a sailing adventure & a music adventure and I got both. Our ship, Lady of Avenel, was comfortable & practical. The weather was not playing nicely for the Skaldic Fringe trip, but that's always a possibility at sea; skipper Barry Nisbet knew how to make the most of the conditions. I was also very impressed with the quality of the tutors & their ambitions for us. Fellow participants were good company. Sessions & Sail was an excellent choice!

A great trip despite the very wild weather. Barry and the crew did a great job of making the very best of the wild conditions and keeping everyone happy despite a bit of sea sickness amongst the clients. Some great sessions aboard and tremendous sessions ashore in Stornoway and Inverie. Tom did a fantastic job of the cooking. Harry and Hoowe (sorry about spelling) were a great crew, helping us understand some of the technicalities of sailing. Hamish and Elle did a wonderful job keeping sessions going and providing some tuition. Bonding with the rest of the players was excellent, probably assisted by the harsh conditions. Definitely hope to be back for another trip.

A wonderful opportunity to see Shetland's dramatic coastline from the deck of a tallship, to go ashore several times to meet and play sessions with the local communities. The tuition was great and the mix of songs in various languages, including Norn, was lovely to have been a part of. And we rounded Muckle Flugga!

Great to do some overnight sailing, watching the moonrise and lighthouse lights along the coast, and to have engines off and canvas up from Stornoway to Mallaig. Exvellent focused guitar tuition, with theory thrown in too, helping me to realise what I'm playing at last. As ever, the food was excellent. Good last night session at the Old Forge.