A cruise on the tiny Glen Massan, one of three ships operated by Scottish-owned Majestic Line, is a deliciously unstructured way to explore the Hebrides. There was no itinerary, as such, on my three-day cruise. Just pottering around remote lochs, stopping for hikes, rocking up at the occasional castle and searching rocky shorelines for wildlife.

Glen Massan and its sister, Glen Tarsan, are Irish-built fishing trawlers, tastefully converted into 11-passenger mini cruise ships; I was told my very comfortable cabin was once the fish hold. Captain Martin McWhirr and his crew of three run a tight ship. Martin skippers and folds the napkins. Michael cooks. Steph, the cheery bosun, cleans the cabins, drives the tender boat, serves drinks and helps Dave, the engineer, with the lines and anchor.

It was only April and decidedly brisk but the water was dappled with sunlight as the crew hauled anchor and we left Oban, chugging past rust-coloured hillsides, patches of snow still lying on the peaks of distant mountains.

Our first anchorage was Loch A Choire, blissfully silent and still, forested hills sloping straight down to the dark water. It was just warm enough to stand on the wooden deck, taking it all in, with a pre-dinner G&T.

Mealtimes were like a jolly house party. After just one day, we were all doing crosswords together round the big communal dining table after breakfast. Mealtimes were long and boozy while the food was outstanding. Everything is locally sourced or home-made, from the fillet steak from the butcher in Oban to redcurrant crumble with whisky custard.

The itinerary is somewhat random, according to the weather, but we did do some sightseeing.

The brooding hulk of Duart Castle, squatting on a wind-blown headland on Mull, had just opened for the summer so we poked around the restored keep and an exhibition telling the story of the Clan Maclean, who have lived here since the 14^th century.

There were hikes, too, whatever the weather. We were dropped off at a rocky inlet a couple of miles from Tobermory, Mull’s jaunty, chocolate-box tourist town. No sooner had the tender boat returned to Glen Massan than the heavens opened. We trudged along a trail that follows the contour of the hillside, splashing through streams and small waterfalls, under dripping trees.

The following morning, we sailed along the coast of Mull in dazzling sunshine, a pair of dolphins racing the boat, fat seals basking on rocks slippery with seaweed. I’d opted for a five-mile walk along the shoreline of Loch Spelve, where Glen Massan would be waiting near the mussel farm. That night, the mussels appeared at dinner, fresh, garlicky and delicious.

If you’ve come to Scotland hoping to tick off the sights, you’d probably prefer something more structured on a bigger ship, or at least, one of the longer voyages on Glen Etive, Majestic Line’s newer, purpose-built vessel. But I love this quirky little ship, with its polished wood and nautical artefacts and its slight eccentricity. For stupendously good food, interesting company and the privilege of sailing unspoiled coastlines with only wildlife for company, you can’t beat it.