Ferries to western isles
Ferries to western isles
Just realised we have 3 weekends before we start our West Coast Scotland tour - the reason why we bought the bongo 3 yrs ago!
We expect to do a fair bit of ferry hopping following a route very similar to Muz and others. How far ahead, if at all, should we book Ferry crossings.
Ideally we would like the trip to stay as flexible as possible but waiting for ferries for hours/days would be miserable.
We expect to do a fair bit of ferry hopping following a route very similar to Muz and others. How far ahead, if at all, should we book Ferry crossings.
Ideally we would like the trip to stay as flexible as possible but waiting for ferries for hours/days would be miserable.
Chris with BertieB
'96 White unconverted AFT 2.5L Diesel 4WD
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Re: Ferries to western isles
I think you'll be ok in May, we went on our 2009 tour in August so it was busy but the only ferry we had to wait for was the final one from Arran to the mainland.
Our 2013 tour was in April and that was fine everywhere.
Some of the shorter crossings you can't book in advance of course, only the big ones. If you're doing Oban to Barra or South Uist it's worth having that one booked, and also if you're going to or from Ullapool. The other killer for us was that the Oban to Islay sailing was only once a week, so you really wanted to get on that one!
Bon voyage and take plenty of photos
Our 2013 tour was in April and that was fine everywhere.
Some of the shorter crossings you can't book in advance of course, only the big ones. If you're doing Oban to Barra or South Uist it's worth having that one booked, and also if you're going to or from Ullapool. The other killer for us was that the Oban to Islay sailing was only once a week, so you really wanted to get on that one!
Bon voyage and take plenty of photos
Re: Ferries to western isles
Thanks Muz. Very helpful.
Chris
Chris
Chris with BertieB
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Re: Ferries to western isles
Enjoy the trip. We were up in that neck of the woods only a week ago so sample some of the best shellfish you can get. We actually went to London first for a couple of days then took the Caledonian Sleeper to Fort William where we hired a car for a few days. A few pictures below....
Heron, Clachan Sound, Argyll
Isle of Seil
Isle of Easdale viewed from Ellenabeich on the Isle of Seil
The precarious passenger ferry to get you to the Isle of Easdale!
Looking back to Ellenabeich on the Isle of Seil from the Isle of Easdale
Remembering the history of these islands known as the Slate Islands, the Fisherman’s Slate at The Puffer on the Isle of Easdale is served up on a piece of slate
Stob Dearg (Buachaille Etive Mor) viewed from the King’s House Hotel, Glen Coe
Deer on Rannoch Moor
Glen Coe
Lochleven Seafood Café Smoked Seafood Trio (Crab Claw, Mackerel & Cold Smoked Salmon)
Lochleven Seafood Café - Hot Roasted Shellfish Platter
Loch Leven - Looking south from North Ballachulish
Castle Stalker, Argyll
The Pierhouse Grand Seafood Platter
Langoustines at The Pierhouse
Heron, Clachan Sound, Argyll
Isle of Seil
Isle of Easdale viewed from Ellenabeich on the Isle of Seil
The precarious passenger ferry to get you to the Isle of Easdale!
Looking back to Ellenabeich on the Isle of Seil from the Isle of Easdale
Remembering the history of these islands known as the Slate Islands, the Fisherman’s Slate at The Puffer on the Isle of Easdale is served up on a piece of slate
Stob Dearg (Buachaille Etive Mor) viewed from the King’s House Hotel, Glen Coe
Deer on Rannoch Moor
Glen Coe
Lochleven Seafood Café Smoked Seafood Trio (Crab Claw, Mackerel & Cold Smoked Salmon)
Lochleven Seafood Café - Hot Roasted Shellfish Platter
Loch Leven - Looking south from North Ballachulish
Castle Stalker, Argyll
The Pierhouse Grand Seafood Platter
Langoustines at The Pierhouse
Re: Ferries to western isles
I get the feeling you love Scotland! We can't wait
Chris with BertieB
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Re: Ferries to western isles
We did the Oban, Barra, Stornoway to Ullapool hopscotch trip in our Bongo in late May early June 2007 and the only ferry that we booked was that from Oban and had no problems. This enabled us to take our time, even then it is possible to phone ahead to Stornoway to book on the ferry to Ullapool but we did not.
Granted things must have changed a bit since we were there. Then it was possible to wild camp at the beach airport now it is banned and there is now a small campsite on Barra. If you are determined to wild camp as much as possible check out the dunes on Vatersay which is connected to Barra by a narrow causeway and road. In 2007 it was possible to camp opposite the community hall which stands by itself on the roadside. There is an honesty box there and there was no set charge at the time so I doubt if many people paid.
Watch out for the Slipway on Eriskay if you use the ferry at low tide, it is very steep so you will scrap the front of your bongo and smash any extra lights if you come off the ferry too fast.
A great free camp on North Harris is at Hushinish Point facing the Island of Scarp of the film "Rocket Mail". There is a public toilet block with an outside water tap and septic tank at the road end. A concrete track leads from the road to the jetty facing the Isle of Scarp but it is often full of sand. The ground is good so it is safe to pull of this track anywhere, I have seen large motorhomes parked there.
Rush hour on the road to Hushinish
Road end at Hushinish . Island of Taransay can be seen behind the toilet block
Camping out at Hushinish
Island of Scarp
BBQ sheltered from the wind at the Jetty facing the island of Scarp
Granted things must have changed a bit since we were there. Then it was possible to wild camp at the beach airport now it is banned and there is now a small campsite on Barra. If you are determined to wild camp as much as possible check out the dunes on Vatersay which is connected to Barra by a narrow causeway and road. In 2007 it was possible to camp opposite the community hall which stands by itself on the roadside. There is an honesty box there and there was no set charge at the time so I doubt if many people paid.
Watch out for the Slipway on Eriskay if you use the ferry at low tide, it is very steep so you will scrap the front of your bongo and smash any extra lights if you come off the ferry too fast.
A great free camp on North Harris is at Hushinish Point facing the Island of Scarp of the film "Rocket Mail". There is a public toilet block with an outside water tap and septic tank at the road end. A concrete track leads from the road to the jetty facing the Isle of Scarp but it is often full of sand. The ground is good so it is safe to pull of this track anywhere, I have seen large motorhomes parked there.
Rush hour on the road to Hushinish
Road end at Hushinish . Island of Taransay can be seen behind the toilet block
Camping out at Hushinish
Island of Scarp
BBQ sheltered from the wind at the Jetty facing the island of Scarp
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Re: Ferries to western isles
Similar to us except we start the NC500 early June over 3 weeks.cmm303 wrote:Just realised we have 3 weekends before we start our West Coast Scotland tour - the reason why we bought the bongo 3 yrs ago!
Re: Ferries to western isles
We went in 2009 the last year you could wildcamp at the airport.
The only tidal airport in the world
We found it was far cheaper to buy a Hopscotch ticket and like Tony only booked the outbound trip to Barra in advance.
Buying the individual crossings as you go will work out more than the relevant Hopscotch ticket for the Islands you want to visit and thus the ferries you need to use.
https://www.calmac.co.uk/hopscotch
Even if you have made bookings CalMac make it very easy to change them and I don't recall any amendment fees.
If you can (and try very hard to) take the Barra - Benbecula - Barra "standby" trip in the Twin Otter
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/barra/loganair/
The only tidal airport in the world
We found it was far cheaper to buy a Hopscotch ticket and like Tony only booked the outbound trip to Barra in advance.
Buying the individual crossings as you go will work out more than the relevant Hopscotch ticket for the Islands you want to visit and thus the ferries you need to use.
https://www.calmac.co.uk/hopscotch
Even if you have made bookings CalMac make it very easy to change them and I don't recall any amendment fees.
If you can (and try very hard to) take the Barra - Benbecula - Barra "standby" trip in the Twin Otter
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/barra/loganair/
Re: Ferries to western isles
Not a sausage in sight Muz?????
Brian
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Re: Ferries to western isles
Yes Hopscotch tickets are the way to go to save some money, they cover all your main options. For our 2009 tour we used two, the Oban Barra Uists Harris Skye one (currently denoted Hopscotch 23) and the Oban Islay Kintyre Arran one (Hopscotch 17), plus a fair few individual sailings too. They used to do an Island Rover ticket but that has been discontinued with the advent of the Road Equivalent Tariffs on some of the longer crossings although the Rover ticket wouldn't have saved us anything despite the number of ferries we used on that tour.
Re: Ferries to western isles
Brilliant stuff guys. Thanks. Need to digest and get plotting on the map!
We also want to do the West Highland railway.
Not set up for continuous wild camping but we've popped in the odd night here and there and certainly intend to take advantage of idyllic stopover locations mixed in with camp sites and even a guest house/hotel that takes our fancy (esp if we're getting stinky!!)
We also want to do the West Highland railway.
Not set up for continuous wild camping but we've popped in the odd night here and there and certainly intend to take advantage of idyllic stopover locations mixed in with camp sites and even a guest house/hotel that takes our fancy (esp if we're getting stinky!!)
Chris with BertieB
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Re: Ferries to western isles
For the West Highland line, see here http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 37&t=63014
Sadly the Corrour Station House isn't open in the same guise any more, it is open but only for snacks and it's not operating as a hotel now, the proprietors from when we were there have gone onto other things.
If you do decide to do that journey, the section from Fort William to Mallaig is the best bit and especially if you can do it by steam ( The Jacobite ) but you need to book in advance for that. You can do the same journey on a normal train any time. The section further south over Rannoch Moor as far as Tyndrum is worth doing but the best bit is FW to Mallaig
Sadly the Corrour Station House isn't open in the same guise any more, it is open but only for snacks and it's not operating as a hotel now, the proprietors from when we were there have gone onto other things.
If you do decide to do that journey, the section from Fort William to Mallaig is the best bit and especially if you can do it by steam ( The Jacobite ) but you need to book in advance for that. You can do the same journey on a normal train any time. The section further south over Rannoch Moor as far as Tyndrum is worth doing but the best bit is FW to Mallaig
Re: Ferries to western isles
In that case .... sticking with the 5* luxury of an unconverted Bongo.
Never seen pitches with built in fireplaces for that open fire effect
Chris with BertieB
'96 White unconverted AFT 2.5L Diesel 4WD
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Re: Ferries to western isles
Yes, it's a sophisticated fire-pit, on most sites you have a dig a hole in the soil but on these ones the fire-pit is properly built in with a good chimney to draw the flames. Cooks sausages just great (grate )