ROUTES
OPERATED
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 Main
Crossings
Rothesay (Bute) - Brodick
(Arran) |
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Rothesay (Bute) - Brodick (Arran) |
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Crossing Time:
?? Minutes |
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Last Ship:
Pioneer
/ Jupiter |
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ROUTE TIMELINE: |
Ships to Serve:
1994 - 1998:
Pioneer
Additional Ships:
1998 Relief
Jupiter |
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Terminal Facilities: |
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Rothesay:
Terminal set on the pier with the linkspan set into the face - as at
Dunoon. Vehicles queue back along the pier access road, next to the
Victorian gardens. The inner faces of the pier also provide extra ferry
berths for spare vessels - especially used by 'Loch Class' ferries during
the winter months.
Brodick:
Terminal building located next to passenger boarding area and at the end
of the vehicle lanes. Linkspan and passenger gangways are accessed via
causeways due to water depth nearer the shore. Public transport facilities
are also located close by, with Arran tour buses drawing up next to the
queuing area.
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Route History: |
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Before 1994, the only way of getting between the islands of Bute and Arran
was via the mainland - a journey which would often take over half the day to
complete. In 1994 however, a new seasonal route was opened up in the CalMac network on
a trial basis. Using the secondary Wemyss Bay - Rothesay ferry,
Pioneer, there would be a twice weekly return sailing from Rothesay
to Brodick on Arran |
Pioneer at Brodick with Caledonian Isles
approaching from Ardrossan (Dot on Left)* |
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By this time of course, the Wemyss Bay - Rothesay route had grown
significantly since its early roll-on roll-off days and now warranted its
own two vessels employed full time. Removing
Pioneer for
a substantial chunk of the day would only serve to create queues for the
remaining Streaker to clear on each sailing, so it was decided that the
second vessel at Gourock (one of the other streakers employed on the 1A
roster for peak-time sailings to Dunoon and idle through the day) would be
brought down to cover the 2A roster at Rothesay.
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Pioneer at Brodick with Caledonian Isles*
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The Pioneer would depart Rothesay for Brodick mid-morning
and cross the Upper Firth to Largs first of all. As well as being a
scheduled car ferry service, this new crossing was also marketed as part of
the Clyde cruising season in addition to the 1A streaker's cruises to places
such as Tighnabruaich and Tarbert between the peak Dunoon sailings. Of
course no vehicles could be taken on at Largs as there is no linkspan there,
but the extra call did allow new passengers to join the ship for the sailing
to Brodick.
From Largs, Pioneer would then sail down the Firth and
around to the south of the Cumbraes before heading directly for Brodick.
This part of the crossing opened up excellent views of Goatfell and Glen
Sannox in the north of the island as the vessel skirted down the east
shores.
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Pioneer arriving in Rothesay Bay |
Upon arrival at Brodick the ferry would berth stern-in at the linkspan and
offload any vehicles via the rather large stern ramp. Foot passengers
would disembark via means of a gangway provided on the pier. Once all her
passengers unloaded, the ferry would sometimes vacate the linkspan to
allow the Caledonian Isles arrive from Ardrossan and
depart with the return sailing. Pioneer would then return
to the linkspan , reload and set off back to Rothesay via Largs.
Loadings for this seasonal service were never really that
impressive and the
service only lasted a handful of seasons before it was removed from the
summer timetables. In 1998 Pioneer was called away for
Western Isles service and it was left to Jupiter to
operate the Brodick service (which she could do thanks to being upgraded
to Class III standards back in the early 1980s) until the regular ferry's
return.
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There are at present no plans to reopen the route and once more the only
link between the two island remains via the mainland.
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 Images by Ships of CalMac and Allan
Comrie* |
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SoC Links |
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To see a more detailed description of the islands and photos, visit
Undiscovered Scotland and click on a place. |
Webmaster: webmaster @ shipsofcalmac.co.uk