Two- to three-hour trips leaving Macduff harbour, usually at 10am and 2pm in summer. The eastern route heads to the gannet colony at Troup Head — the only mainland gannet colony in Scotland — and past the film-set village of Pennan with its famous red telephone box. The western route passes Findlater Castle and the beach at Sandend. Both routes offer a good chance of seeing bottlenose dolphins, which are resident in the Moray Firth year-round; minke whales pass through in summer; puffins and guillemots are reliable from April to July.
Booking ahead is strongly recommended in peak season (July and August). The boat is small and the experience is genuinely close to the wildlife. Dress warmly even in summer — it is consistently colder on the water than on shore.