Small Isles Ferry

Small Isles Ferry

Location Map ( geo)

View gallery (3)

From:

Mallaig

To:

Small Isles

County

Argyll • Inverness-shire

Current Operator

Caledonian MacBrayne

Toll

Eigg £7.10 Muck £10.75 Rum £10.65 Canna £13.35 (foot, 2013)

On road(s)

A830, Isle of Eigg, Isle of Rum, Isle of Muck, Isle of Canna

The Small Isles are served by the CalMac service from Mallaig, operated throughout the year by MV Loch Nevis. The ferry service doesn't visit every isle everyday, but makes a varied tour between Muck, Eigg, Rum and Canna on different days of the week. Cars can only be taken with a permit for the destination island.

During the summer months it is possible for each island to be visited, from Mallaig, for at least 2-3 hours on one or more days each week, so providing a service for the large number of island-hopping tourists. However, in the winter months the Loch Nevis also operates the Mallaig - Armadale Ferry route, so only Rum gets this luxury.

2013 Ferries Plan

Following the review of the 2012 draft ferries plan for the coming 10 years, the final plan has now been published. This has a number of proposals regarding the services currently operating out of Mallaig, to the Small Isles. The key points seem to be the introduction of a second vessel and a much increased timetable. However, in the shorter term the intention is, for Summer 2013 at least, to introduce a Sunday service, visiting each island, to introduce a fuller service on at least one other day during the week, and to ensure that each island has a return trip to the mainland on at least one day a week.

The longer term plans would see a new passenger only vessel introduced, with the intention being to operate a fast RIB boat, albeit one large enough to accommodate the significant number of tourists carried in the summer months. Vehicle transit will then be provided by a Ro-Ro ferry, whether the existing Loch Nevis or a new vessel is unclear. Each island would be served on at least two days a week, with the service dovetailing with the RIB timetable to provide the maximum flexibility. Presumably the return trip to the mainland for each island would therefore see one journey on each vessel.

Ferries

Name	IMO	Operator	Dates	Notes
Loch Nevis	9209063	Caledonian MacBrayne	2001-date	16 cars
Lochmor	7811240	Caledonian MacBrayne	1979-2001	0 cars; used flit boats prior to island piers being constructed