Travel to Arran

Helping You Plan Your Trip to Arran

If you are wanting to travel to Arran, we give you the information you need to help you plan your various options.

Arran is one of the easiest Scottish islands to get to, so why not pay a visit and enjoy the wonderful delights of Arran.

Unless you have access to your own boat the only way to travel to Arran is by using one of the the frequent CalMac ferries.

You can sail from Ardrossan to Brodick or use the seasonal ferry from Claonaig on the Mull of Kintyre to sail to Lochranza.

Arran Ferry Isle of Arran

Arran Ferry Routes

Insider Tip Please be aware that in bad weather the ferries may be delayed or even cancelled, so you may not be able to get on or off the island. We can not be held responsible for any delays or missed connections. CalMac posts information on any delays or cancellations on their website

Ardrossan to Brodick

Arran Ferry

The Ardrossan to Brodick ferry runs all year (Except 25th and 26th December) with up to 9 ferries a day during the Summer and 5 in the Winter, it is the most popular way to travel to Arran.

The ferry takes foot passengers and all types of vehicles. Crossing takes 55 minutes and during the journey meals are available.

If the weather is looking poor it is worth checking the CalMac website to check for delays and cancellations.

Claonaig or Tarbert to Lochranza

Arran Ferry

The ferry to Lochranza runs from Claonaig from 26th March 2010 with up to 9 crossings a day. The crossing time is 30 minutes and the ferry takes up to 18 cars, but they can not be booked in advance.

From 1st November to late March there is just one sailing a day and this is a 1 hour 25 minutes crossing from Lochranza to Tarbert. This ferry must be booked in advance.

If the weather is looking poor it is worth checking the CalMac website to check for delays and cancellations. This ferry is much more likely to be cancelled than the Ardrossan to Brodick crossing.

Insider Tip. If you are planning to use both ferry routes, then it's worth considering buying CalMac Island Hopscotch tickets. If you buy a 'route 5' ticket it would save £5.60 for a car and 2 people

If you are visiting Scotland from overseas we have created a special section which may answer some of your questions

Getting to Ardrossan

Travel by Car

Drive to Arran

To get to Ardrossan by road from the South, head towards the Scottish border via the M6 / M74 and then cut across country. The quickest route is usually the A71 passing through Kilmarnock.

Travel times are around 2 hours from Carlisle, 4 hours from Manchester and 8 hours from London.

For a longer but more scenic route you can take the Galloway Tourist Route using the A713.

From the North its easy to travel to Arran as you can head down to Ardrossan from Glasgow in less than an hour, or Edinburgh in less than 2 hours.

Travel by Train

Train to Arran

By train you can get to Ardrossan via Glasgow Central and the trains are timed to link with the ferry.

Ayrshire has a good rail network which stops at all the major towns.

For more details contact National Rail Enquiries or ring 08457 48 49 50

Travel by Air

Fly to Scotland

If you are coming from London or Europe you could fly in to Prestwick Airport (Tel: 0871 2230700) which is around 20 miles south of Ardrossan. The main carrier is Ryanair though there are other airlines as well.

The other airport is Glasgow Intrernational Airport (Tel: 0870 0400008)

Travel by Coach

Coach to Arran

There is a good network of coaches covering the country which can easily get you to Glasgow. From there the bus or train can be used to get you to Ardrossan.

Traveline gives you all the info you need. (Tel: 0141 332 6811)

Travel by Bicycle

Cycle to Arran

Using the Arran ferries is becoming increasingly popular for people cycling the 'end to end' from Lands End to John O'Groats. It may be longer than riding through Glasgow but it's much more relaxing. From Lochranza it's a great ride onwards to Oban and the far North

Bikes are carried for free on the CalMac ferries, so even if you are not doing an epic ride it makes for a great way to get around the island.

Insider Tip.With such a good bus service on the island, why not leave the car at home and use public transport or a bike to get around.

Back to ArranHostel.com home page from Travel to Arran

Visiting Scotland from Overseas - Advice and tips

Arran Information - Useful information about services on Arran

Ardrossan to Brodick ferry - Ferry timetable and fares

Lochranza ferry - Seasonal ferry timetable and fares

Getting Around Arran - Bus network, cycling and the roads

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