Ardrossan - Campbeltown Ferry.

[ghiribizzo]

A tale of CalMac at their best. In their wisdom, CalMac have decided to run a pilot service on the Ardrossan - Campbeltown route.
Now, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this could be a route useful for all sorts of outdoors types, eh? Motorcyclists, cyclist, campers, hmm?
Well, possibly - until you see what CalMac have come up with.

Once you've got to grips with their website - the horror unfolds. The Ferry only operates on Thursdays and Fridays at 18.40 from Ardrossan. That gets you into Campbeltown at 21.20. So - you'd better have a B&B organised as you've little chance of looking around at that time or getting a meal once you've arrived.
The only other departure to Kintyre is Sunday at 13.50, getting in at 16.30.

Just to maximise the quirkiness, Campbeltown to Ardrossan leaves on a Friday at 7.35, Saturday at 7.00 and a Sunday at 16.55. Add into the Saturday sailing a 25 minute stopover at Brodick, Isle of Arran and you'll see they've a sure-fire recipe for failure! I doubt that tomorrow's arrival will see bikes riding off into Campbeltown just like the DFDS ferry arriving in IJmuiden...

If anyone tries it, post some pictures!

Oh, and it's £38.50 one way for you and your bike. Pillion another £9.50

http://www.calmac.co.uk/timetables/summer-timetables.htm?id=summer-kintyre-ardrossan-campbeltown.png

 

[Coolcarbon]

They don't do themselves any favours....

I've been using them over the last few decades and they seem to 'tweek' the timetables without any obvious logic making things more difficult when trying to organise connections etc. ..... How to endear yourself to your customers eh...

 

[Shunt]

Im going up to Ayr for a week with Wifey, Im tempted by doing the crossing as a return leg from a day out riding.
Is it worth the the £40 ferry ticket to do a route like this?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/A...b2ed99cf89acf!2m2!1d-5.605374!2d55.424117!3e0

 

[aRTy_Hexhead]

If anything it's a round trip, so a change of scene.

I did a day trip from Edinburgh to Campbeltown, then back up to Tarbet to get the Portavadie ferry - Summer only.
Then onto Tighnabruach and round to Dunoon to Greenock then home.
Unfortunately the last bit of the trip is difficult to avoid the west side of 'Glasgow', even by going over the Erskine Bridge. Thousands of traffic lights to go through Dumbarton et al.

Perhaps the Campbeltown to Ardrossan would get you a bit further south to avoid the environs of Glasgow and make for a more rural trip home via the A71 or A706 through Lanark....

Pause for thought.....mmmh.

 

[Shunt]

It would indeed.

My only concern or issue is the ferry cost. Me an the wife both ride, me on my gs. Her on her street triple r.
So we have twice the crossings to cost for, or twice the fuel to cover.

Is the run to Campbeltown worth it??

Or do we spend more around Galloway forest and up to Loch Lomond and alike?