ROUTES
OPERATED |
 Main
Crossings
Tarbert (Loch Fyne) - Lochranza |
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Tarbert (Loch Fyne) - Lochranza |
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Crossing Time: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
(Winter only) |
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Regular Ship:
Loch Riddon /
Loch Tarbert |
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ROUTE TIMELINE: |
Ships to Serve:
1995 - Present:
Loch Tarbert /
Loch Riddon
Additional Ships:
Various members of
the Loch Class
ferries on winter duties |
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Terminal Facilities: |
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Tarbert
(Loch Fyne):
A small vehicle queuing area before the concrete slipway,
sticking out into East Loch Tarbert. There is also a car park next to the
slipway, with sufficient space for a dozen or so cars. For foot passengers
there is a small shelter just up from the slipway. Nearby there is the
village of Tarbert with various shops and supplies.
Lochranza:
Recently rebuilt pier provides ferry berth when not in use. Slipway and
marshalling area located next to the pier, as is the bus stop for public
transport routes around Arran.
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Route History: |
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This winter only service started in the mid 1990s following the
introduction of the Tarbert - Portavadie crossing. Initially this service
from Tarbert, on the western side of Loch Fyne, to Lochranza on Arran was
started to carry dangerous loads such as gas tankers and petrol loads to
the island, as an alternative to using the Caledonian Isles on expensive
additional sailings to and from Brodick. With the provision of a vessel
in Loch Fyne it seemed the perfect scenario. With a passage time of
nearly 90 minutes it was not pushing the boundaries by any stretch of
the imagination. |
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It seemed only logical that the Portavadie link could be utilised to
provide an alternative solution to the dangerous loads problem. The summer
only route across Loch Fyne had proved extremely popular since its start
in 1994 and the new plan involved extending the service through the winter
months as well. This was only a trial run for the first winter season,
using the Loch Striven after she had finished for the summer at Largs.
The trial was successful and unwittingly allowed a glimpse of the
service to come. As part of the trial run, the Loch Striven would run
two or three sailings to Portavadie and back before going off on a
three-hour round trip to Arran and back before offering another couple
of return trips to Portavadie in the late afternoon.
The 1994/5 winter
trial proved successful and seemed to secure the future of the route. At
that point in time there was something of a reversal of logic going on.
The summer vessel was actually smaller than the winter one and Rhum was
starting to struggle in the summer months. It was inevitable, after the
1995 summer season, that a Loch Class vessel would eventually be
deployed here beyond the end of the winter. |
Loch Tarbert approaching
Lochranza having crossed from Tarbert
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Loch Riddon setting off to
Lochranza, November 2005
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More recently the Lochranza crossing was opened up for regular passengers
to use as well, although for safety purposes all passengers must be booked
on and a limit of 12 passengers applies, in case a dangerous load is being
carried. Due to the exposed nature of the latter part of the journey to
Lochranza, when heavy weather sets in this is often one of the first
routes subject to disruption as the small ferry remains in the safety of
Tarbert's harbour. The winter service is now a well established part
of the timetable each year. The crossing is operated by one of the many
Loch class ferries. At the start of the winter timetable the Loch
Tarbert usually takes the first few weeks of sailings
until the regular winter ferry Loch Riddon arrives in November or
December. |
 Images from Ships of CalMac Collection |
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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. |
