Getting to Colonsay

Colonsay is served by a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry service from the port of Oban six times a week in summer, three times a week in winter. The journey takes two and a quarter hours and is a beautiful one, passing between the mainland and the islands of Kererra and Mull and then sailing South and West past the islands of Seil, Luing, Scarba and Jura.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In the summer there is an extra option. The Wednesday ferry actually originates at Kennacraig, makes its way north via Islay and Colonsay to Oban, then pauses for 90 minutes before re-tracing the route. Thus if you wish to travel between Colonsay and Islay/Jura, this is ONLY possible on a Wednesday.

The summer ferry service has been greatly augmented in recent years. All the details are given here but please note that most holiday accommodation continues to be let in line with the Sunday, Wednesday and Friday summer services. If you intend to come or go on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday it is important to arrange this with your host. Ferry reservations are always important, but should be made as early as possible if you intend to arrive or depart on a Wednesday, since those services will probably be heavily subscribed.

The ferry details below are given in good faith but they are subject to change so it is wise to check them with Caledonian MacBrayne in advance. We have reason to believe that these timetables will also operate throughout 2009, subject to final confirmation. To confirm ferry details and reservations contact Caledonian MacBrayne on 08705 650000 or visit their Web site at http://www.calmac.co.uk/. From that site, you can download an official version of the timetable, complete with details of fares etc.

If you miss the ferry....
In fair weather it may be possible for a local boat to make a special run. A strong possibility is a Rigid Inflatable Boat, which can travel at up to 25 knots in fair weather and is fully seaworthy in any conditions that you might be inclined to consider. Travel from Oban is possible, but the street-wise person will go to Easdale by taxi, then continue by RIB - this reduces sea-time considerably. [If you have a car, CalMac will arrange to forward it by the next available sailing]. Contact Seafari on 01852 300003 (out of hours, it will be switched through to a duty skipper). In addition, Roger Eaton (01496 302459) operates "Angie" from Port Askaig. All the above craft are fully licensed, insured and operated by qualified personnel.

Air Services for 2008:
A scheduled air service operates twice daily, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from Connel (by Oban), starting on June 17th, 2008. This service is operated by Highland Airways. Timetables are on their site and tickets may be purchased online - if you do not use this link, just Google "Highland Airways". Timetable and details.

In addition, a sea-plane service operates a scheduled service to/from Oban out of Clydebank in Central Glasgow. See their site at http://www.lochlomondseaplanes.com/index.html

Connecting Transport
Many people choose to come to Colonsay without a motor car, to enjoy the walking and the freedom. If you need secure parking in Oban, contact Stoddard's on 01631 564176. Road, rail and air services to Scotland are a bit varied in quality, but excellent websites exist which make it fairly easy to plan your journey from anywhere within the UK. For travel from the London area, the "east coast" railway operated by GNER via Edinburgh is usually the quickest but rail travel is best avoided on Sundays. It is best to explore both train and bus options:

National Rail inquiries
Railtrack Travel Website.
National Express Bus/Coach Website.

Rail and coach companies will give itineraries right through to Oban, whereas airlines will only list services to Glasgow or Edinburgh, from which cities you will of course require onward transport:
British Airways.
British Midlands.
EasyJet (budget airline).
Ryanair (budget airline).
(Please feel free to submit comments or additional sites to Getting-to-Colonsay)

Public transport between Glasgow/Edinburgh and Oban is somewhat restricted and does not always fit in well with the ferry sailings. There is a very scenic but exceedingly slow rail service between Glasgow and Oban, operated by ScotRail. There is also a bus service operated by Citylink.

If you are coming a long way and are having trouble finding the ideal connection through to Oban or Kennacraig, you might consider a taxi or even a self-drive car. A taxi can be highly cost-effective if savings in overnight accommodation are taken into account. Youngs of Oban (01631 563784) are a reliable local firm which will be happy to send a car to Glasgow or Edinburgh to meet you. If you decide on self-drive, consider using Avis - they have operated a "one-way" hire facility, whereby you leave the car with their Oban agents, Munro's Garage (01631 567439) but there is some doubt as to its present status.

Self-Drive Car Hire
Obviously there is a wide range of Car Rental companies and many of them offer excellent rates. If you only require the car for the mainland part of your holiday, do consider using Avis. As mentioned above, they have a depot at Munro's Garage in Oban (01631 567439) so that you can surrender the vehicle if you do not want to bring it to Colonsay. (But do check - present status of the service is in doubt). You save the rental whilst you are in Colonsay and you save the ferry fare; on the other hand, do be sure that transport is provided to/from your accommodation in Colonsay and that you are happy to explore the island on foot or by bicycle. If in doubt, do ask for advice from your accommodation provider.