|
Support Mercy Corps |
Ferry Services in Scotland
There is a large selection of ferries operating in and out of Scottish ports. Most carry vehicles in addition to passengers.
Most routes are on the western side of Scotland. They operate between several ports on the mainland - from the Highland region in the north; Argyll and Bute, along the central coast; and from Ayrshire and from Dumfries and Galloway in the south - to the Western Isles, other Scottish islands and to Northern Ireland. Several of these routes also provide inter-island service.
Other ferry services operate from Aberdeen on the northeast coast, northern ports in the Highland region, the Orkney Islands, and the Shetland Islands.
Many of these ferries serve to carry cargoes to their destinations, but they offer travelers many opportunities to enjoy places of historical and scenic interest. Most of the destination ports listed below are in areas with small populations and present areas for getting away from large tourist crowds.
| Ports in Scotland | Destination Ports and Remarks |
| Aberdeen, Grampian | Lerwick in the Shetland Islands and to Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands. (Northlink Ferries) (See Shetland Islands/Lerwick below for connecting ferry services to Hanstholm (Denmark), Torshavn (Faroe Islands), Bergen Norway) and Seydisfjordur Iceland) |
| Cairnryan | Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. (P&O Irish Ferries) |
| Dunoon | Gourock (Western Ferries) |
| Edinburgh (Rosyth) | Superfast has a route between Zeebrugge and Rosyth (near Edinburgh) in Scotland. |
| Gills Bay, Caithness | St. Margaret's Hope, Orkney (Pentland Ferries) |
| Glenelg/Bernera, Highland | From Glenelg/Bernera (Highland) to Kylerhea on the Isle of Skye |
| Gourock | Dunoon (Western Ferries) |
| John O’Groats, Highland | The Jog Ferry operates between John O'Groats and Burwick in the Orkney Islands. |
| Lerwick, Shetland Islands | See Shetland Islands below |
| Orkney Islands | Lerwick in the Shetland Islands and to Aberdeen and Scrabster on the mainland. (Northlink Ferries) |
| The Jog Ferry operates between John O'Groats on the mainland and Burwick in the Orkney Islands. | |
| Inter-island ferry services throughout the Orkney Islands are provided by Orkney Ferries | |
| Between St. Margaret's Hope, Orkney and Gills Bay, Caithness (Pentland Ferries) | |
| Scrabster, Highland | Stromness in the Orkney Islands. (Northlink Ferries) |
| Shetland Islands | From Lerwick to Aberdeen (Grampian) on the mainland and to Stromness in the Orkney Islands. (Northlink Ferries) |
| The Smyril Line has a ferry service that calls at Lerwick on its route between Hanstholm (Denmark), Torshavn (Faroe Islands), Bergen (Norway) and Seydisfjordur (Iceland). | |
| There are also Interisland Ferry Services to Fair Isle and other islands in the Shetlands. | |
| Skye (Isle of) | From Kylerhea to Glenelg/Bernera (Highland) (See also Western Isles and West Coast below) |
| Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway | Stena Line has service from Stranraer to Belfast (Northern Ireland) |
| Stromness | See Orkney Islands above |
| Troon, South Ayrshire | Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. (P&O Irish Ferries);Belfast (Northern Ireland) (Isle of Man Steam Packet Company) |
| Western Isles and West Coast** | Caledonian MacBrayne operates several routes that serve the Western Isles and provide connections to ports on the west coast of Scotland. |
** These ports include: Ardrossan (North Ayrshire) ** Armadale (Isle of Skye) ** Brodick (Isle of Arran) ** Castlebay (Barra, Western Isles) ** Craignure (Isle of Mull) ** Claonaig (Kintyre, Argyll and Bute) ** Colonsay (Island) ** Colintraive (Cowal, Argyll and Bute); ** Coll and Tiree ** Colonsay ** Dunoon (Argyll and Bute) ** Fishnish (Isle of Mull) ** Fionnphort (Isle of Mull) ** Gigha (Island of) ** Gourock (Inverclyde) ** Great Cumbrae Island ** Helensburgh (Argyll and Bute) ** Iona (Island) ** Kennacraig (Argyll and Bute); ** Kilchoan (Highland) ** Kilcreggan (Argyll and Bute); ** Largs (North Ayrshire) ** Leverburgh (Harris) ** Lismore (Island) ** Lochaline (Highland) ** Lochboisdale (South Uist, Western Isles) ** Lochmaddy (North Uist) ** Lochranza (Isle of Arran) ** Mallaig (Highland) ** Oban (Argyll and Bute); ** Otternish (North Uist) ** Port Askaig (Isle of Islay) ** Port Ellen (Isle of Islay) ** Portavadie (Cowal, Argyll and Bute) ** Raasay (Island) ** Rhubodach (Isle of Bute); ** Rothesay (Argyll and Bute) ** Sconser (Isle of Skye) ** Tarbert (Kintyre, Argyll and Bute) ** Stornoway (Lewis, Western Isles) ** Tayinloan (Kintyre, Argyll and Bute) ** The Small Isles: Eigg, Muck, Rum, and Canna ** Tobermory (Isle of Mull) ** Uig (Isle of Skye) ** Ullapool (Highland) ** Wemyss Bay (North Ayrshire). Some of these ports only have service in the summer.