Ferries to western isles

User avatar
cmm303
Supreme Being
Posts: 1665
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 8:10 pm
Location: Chippenham, Wiltshire

Ferries to western isles

Post by cmm303 » Mon Apr 18, 2016 8:03 am

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.
Chris with BertieB
'96 White unconverted AFT 2.5L Diesel 4WD
User avatar
Muzorewa
Supreme Being
Posts: 5244
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:00 pm
Location: Team Muz HQ, Outer Bongolia
Contact:

Re: Ferries to western isles

Post by Muzorewa » Mon Apr 18, 2016 8:26 am

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 :wink:
Image
User avatar
cmm303
Supreme Being
Posts: 1665
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 8:10 pm
Location: Chippenham, Wiltshire

Re: Ferries to western isles

Post by cmm303 » Mon Apr 18, 2016 8:40 am

Thanks Muz. Very helpful.
Chris
Chris with BertieB
'96 White unconverted AFT 2.5L Diesel 4WD
User avatar
Muzorewa
Supreme Being
Posts: 5244
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:00 pm
Location: Team Muz HQ, Outer Bongolia
Contact:

Re: Ferries to western isles

Post by Muzorewa » Mon Apr 18, 2016 10:29 am

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....

Image
Heron, Clachan Sound, Argyll

Image
Isle of Seil

Image
Isle of Easdale viewed from Ellenabeich on the Isle of Seil

Image
The precarious passenger ferry to get you to the Isle of Easdale!

Image
Looking back to Ellenabeich on the Isle of Seil from the Isle of Easdale

Image
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 :wink:

Image
Stob Dearg (Buachaille Etive Mor) viewed from the King’s House Hotel, Glen Coe

Image
Deer on Rannoch Moor

Image
Glen Coe

Image
Lochleven Seafood Café Smoked Seafood Trio (Crab Claw, Mackerel & Cold Smoked Salmon)

Image
Lochleven Seafood Café - Hot Roasted Shellfish Platter :shock:

Image
Loch Leven - Looking south from North Ballachulish

Image
Castle Stalker, Argyll

Image
The Pierhouse Grand Seafood Platter :shock:

Image
Langoustines at The Pierhouse
Image
User avatar
cmm303
Supreme Being
Posts: 1665
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 8:10 pm
Location: Chippenham, Wiltshire

Re: Ferries to western isles

Post by cmm303 » Mon Apr 18, 2016 11:04 am

I get the feeling you love Scotland! We can't wait
Chris with BertieB
'96 White unconverted AFT 2.5L Diesel 4WD
MountainGoat
Supreme Being
Posts: 3945
Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2007 10:12 pm
Location: Scottish Borders

Re: Ferries to western isles

Post by MountainGoat » Mon Apr 18, 2016 2:05 pm

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.

Image
Rush hour on the road to Hushinish

Image
Road end at Hushinish . Island of Taransay can be seen behind the toilet block

Image
Camping out at Hushinish

Image
Island of Scarp

Image
BBQ sheltered from the wind at the Jetty facing the island of Scarp
Former SGL5 Owner Jeep Cherokee 2.5CRD Burstner Ixeo Time it585
JoeC
Bongolier
Posts: 268
Joined: Wed Jun 25, 2014 9:00 pm
Location: The Home Of Ferodo.

Re: Ferries to western isles

Post by JoeC » Mon Apr 18, 2016 4:59 pm

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!
Similar to us except we start the NC500 early June over 3 weeks.
scanner
Supreme Being
Posts: 7244
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:20 pm
Location: Cambs

Re: Ferries to western isles

Post by scanner » Mon Apr 18, 2016 10:11 pm

We went in 2009 the last year you could wildcamp at the airport.
Image

The only tidal airport in the world
Image
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/

Image
User avatar
Bongoplod
Supreme Being
Posts: 3653
Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 7:03 am
Location: Wiggin,Lancyshire.

Re: Ferries to western isles

Post by Bongoplod » Mon Apr 18, 2016 10:24 pm

Not a sausage in sight Muz?????

Brian
Confucious once said " To be fluent in Bongolese is to hold the key to the world!"
User avatar
Muzorewa
Supreme Being
Posts: 5244
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:00 pm
Location: Team Muz HQ, Outer Bongolia
Contact:

Re: Ferries to western isles

Post by Muzorewa » Tue Apr 19, 2016 9:32 am

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.
Image
User avatar
cmm303
Supreme Being
Posts: 1665
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 8:10 pm
Location: Chippenham, Wiltshire

Re: Ferries to western isles

Post by cmm303 » Tue Apr 19, 2016 10:28 am

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!!)
Chris with BertieB
'96 White unconverted AFT 2.5L Diesel 4WD
User avatar
Muzorewa
Supreme Being
Posts: 5244
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:00 pm
Location: Team Muz HQ, Outer Bongolia
Contact:

Re: Ferries to western isles

Post by Muzorewa » Tue Apr 19, 2016 10:38 am

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 :wink:
Image
scanner
Supreme Being
Posts: 7244
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:20 pm
Location: Cambs

Re: Ferries to western isles

Post by scanner » Tue Apr 19, 2016 10:47 am

There is some accommodation, but be aware that on some of the smaller islands it can be a bit basic.

Image
User avatar
cmm303
Supreme Being
Posts: 1665
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 8:10 pm
Location: Chippenham, Wiltshire

Re: Ferries to western isles

Post by cmm303 » Tue Apr 19, 2016 1:08 pm

scanner wrote:There is some accommodation, but be aware that on some of the smaller islands it can be a bit basic.

Image
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
In that case .... sticking with the 5* luxury of an unconverted Bongo. :D
Never seen pitches with built in fireplaces for that open fire effect :wink: :? :lol:
Chris with BertieB
'96 White unconverted AFT 2.5L Diesel 4WD
User avatar
Muzorewa
Supreme Being
Posts: 5244
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:00 pm
Location: Team Muz HQ, Outer Bongolia
Contact:

Re: Ferries to western isles

Post by Muzorewa » Tue Apr 19, 2016 1:14 pm

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 #-o )
Image
Post Reply

Return to “Scotland”