You might wonder what a ferry from Ardrossan to Campbeltown has to do with Islay? Well, more than you perhaps think. I know people, including myself, who travelled earlier from Ardrossan to Brodick on the Isle of Arran, and then took the ferry from Lochranza to Claonaig to get to Islay or elsewhere on the west coast. This is perhaps not the fastest route but a very scenic one. It also avoids the 2 to 3 hours journey from Glasgow to Kennacraig over the Rest and be Thankful, also a very scenic route by the way! However, Calmac today announced the introduction of a new ferry link to Campbeltown from Ardrossan on the mainland which could provide an interesting alternative for some of you. A quote from the press release:

"From May, a pilot ferry service will be introduced to take passengers and vehicles across the Firth of Clyde from Ardrossan to Campbeltown. The service will run three times per week throughout the summer, with an additional stop at Brodick on a Saturday. The pilot has been set up to boost visitor numbers to the Kintyre Peninsula and to provide an additional transport service to local residents and businesses.

Leaving Ardrossan on the Calmac Ferry.....

Martin Dorchester, Managing Director of CalMac Ferries Ltd, which will operate the new service on behalf of Transport Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be providing this new link between Ayrshire and the Kintyre peninsula which is CalMac and Argyll’s first new route for nearly 20 years. We are confident it will prove very popular with locals and visitors alike who now have an attractive alternative to the overland route. In addition to benefitting the communities in Kintyre, Arran and Ayrshire, we expect it to increase traffic to the rest of Argyll and beyond.”

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