Ferry

You know you are travelling to a special place once you board one of the ferries to the Outer Hebrides. Before long you are sailing in the wide open seas of The Minch and this is where the adventure begins. Soon you will be treated with mesmerising seascapes, start to feel the stresses of day to day life disappear and quite possibly be treated to dolphins swimming alongside the ferry or catch a glimpse of a soaring golden eagle.

The Western Isles ferry services are run by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac for short) and connect our islands to the mainland and our island-groups to each other offer a great opportunity to ease yourself into an island-hopping holiday and really feel like you are getting away from it all at the start of something special.

UIG HARBOUR CLOSURE 2023

Please note the Uig Harbour Closures in 2023 which will affect  some of our ferry services. Uig Harbour in Skye will close for planned upgrade works from 16 January - 13 March 2023 and 30 October - 11 December 2023. This will affect  Tarbert (Harris) and Lochmaddy (North Uist) ferry services in particular with timetable changes to accommodate the service changes on the Stornoway, Lochboisdale and Sound of Harris ferries. More information is detailed here.

Please also note that Summer 2023 ferry timetables are due to be published in late January 2023. This year, bookings will open on a phased approach. Phase 1 will cover the period 31 March – 4 June and will open for bookings shortly after publication of the timetables.  Bookings for the period from 4 June will be made available as soon as CalMac are able to do so.  

• If you are taking a car across, you MUST book the ferry
• We strongly advise that following booking accommodation, you then book your ferry
• We also recommend both are booked as far in advance as possible, to avoid disappointment. Ferries and accommodation book up very quickly!
• If you have trouble getting your car on a ferry, there are lots of car hire options on our islands
• Sit outside to get the fresh sea air (you’ll sleep well) and you might spot some wildlife and perfect for taking great pics as the light changes quickly!

Sail from Ullapool on the mainland, Uig on the Isle of Skye, or if you are already in North Uist sail from the island of Berneray.

Ullapool is a mainland port in the highlands of Scotland and services the main port of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. The sailing between Ullapool – Stornoway typically takes 2hrs 45mins. From Lewis you can journey south by road to Harris – the islands are connected.

Include the Isle of Skye in your trip and journey direct to Tarbert, Harris from the port of Uig in the north of Skye. From Uig the sailing is typically 1hour 40mins.

Alternatively, travel from Berneray (connected to North Uist) to Leverburgh (Harris).  The sailing time between Berneray – Leverburgh is 1 hour.

The main ferry to Barra is from the mainland port of Oban. You will sail for 4 hours 45mins to Castlebay on Barra. To link with the northerly islands, sail over to the island of Eriskay via Ardmhor (Barra) and travel by road over the Eriskay causeway to South Uist.

A more direct route to South Uist exists via the mainland port of Mallaig, sailing to Lochboisdale in 3 hours 30mins.

Similarly, a direct sailing to North Uist exists from Uig (Skye) – Lochmaddy and takes just 1hour 45mins.

For your Sat Nav

Many of the ports that service the Outer Hebridean islands are in remote locations. To help you plan your trip here are a list of the postcodes by port to type into your sat nav.

• Ullapool Port: IV26 2UR
• Uig (Skye) Port: IV51 9XX
• Mallaig Port: PH41 4QD
• Oban Port: PA34 4DB

Island Hopping

With so much to see the Outer Hebrides are perfect for an island hopping adventure. The CalMac ticket Island Hopscotch® 8 takes you from Oban to Barra, and on to the Uists, Harris and Lewis, returning to the mainland from Stornoway to Ullapool, and you can go in the other direction too.

CalMac Bookings

CalMac Interactive Map