Summer ferry link announced for Kintyre peninsula

[petewick]

Any idea on the fares for foot passengers?

[A15 NMA]

To be honest I don't really "get it" - (from a motorists point of view) the whole point of having such a ferry especially when you can drive there in the first place, and a lot quicker and cheaper
Personally I would def consider it as an option if you miss your connection with the plane on a Friday - would much rather go on the ferry than the bus....maybe even manage a pint!!

Cannot see why hauliers etc would consider using it due to the costs involved.....!!! What do others think?

Hopefully as mentioned above - "the tourists" will save the day.......

[howlsatthemoon]

Any idea on the fares for foot passengers?

Single - £9.50, Return - £16.00, 6 Journey - £39.90

[EMDEE]

Deleted

[petewick]

Any idea on the fares for foot passengers?

Single - £9.50, Return - £16.00, 6 Journey - £39.90

Very reasonable...........

[LANDROVER ROGER]

http://www.calmac.co.uk/timetables/summ ... eltown.png
I think that for a charge of £99 return I will return to Kintyre by road!Emdee,count me in for recommendations.We will not holiday anywhere else now.
I also really enjoy the drive from Glasgow to Campbeltown.It forms part of my enjoyment of the holiday although I do not speak as a a commuter.

[sl7023]

Based on achieving around 40 miles to the gallon, I reckon the cost of driving from my home to Campbeltown - and back - is about £50 - regardless of how many are in the car.

On that basis, a minimum cost of £131 for my wife and I on the ferry makes no sense. Further, there's the cost of getting to Ardrossan in the first place - again, I reckon that would be around £26 for the return journey, resulting in a total of around £160.

In addition, I much prefer to arrive mid/late afternoon, rather than twenty past nine at night....

All that said, I may well do at least one journey on the ferry - there is definitely, for me at least, a certain romance associated with arriving somewhere from across the water !

Hopefully the ferry will attract foot passangers who will spend money in the town.

[russanros]

All for about 25 to 30 quid for a return goin by similar journeys in the calmac network plus your train fare. Thats cheaper than the busand only very slightly longer journey times.

The 'advance booked' bus fare will always be cheaper - I think it is still less than 20 pounds and even less if you book well in advance and get one of the bargain deals.

I dont think the ferry prices that I've seen are competitive with driving or citylink bus regardless of where your onward destination is. For local traffic I dont see the ferry offering any advantage. Can assume its purely aimed at the tourist market, there are possibly a few exceptions as already mentioned it will be handy for trips to Arran/Ayrshire and possibly N Ireland, and cycles can be taken free.

There will be those who prefer the break the ferry offers and less driving I can think of at least two of our visiting relatives who will probably go for this.

hopefully at the start the tourism & 'novelty value' will be enough to make a go of it?
- can somebody tell us if this is a 'road equivelent' tariff and if so how it is worked out.
(I reckon in diesel costs I could do 2 or 3 return trips from C/town to (west) Yorkshire via the A83 compared to 1 via the ferry)

[tarmmaker]

Having lived on Kintyre for many years I still enjoy the journey to and from Glasgow. There aren't many places where 20 mins. out of a large city you are in wild countryside. Driving along Loch Lomond is a delight and the road down Loch Fyne must be classed as one of the best driving experiences around.
I do hope the ferry brings loads of tourists, but I also think the journey getting here is a large part of Kintyre's attraction.

[bill]

All the years I have driven from Corby to Campbeltown to Corby I always wished there was a ferry from the Ayrshire coast to the town.Now that it has become a reality I won't be using it.Why ? Because for the last few years I find it so much more relaxing to fly to Glasgow,then hire a car for the journey down the road.I used to hate the A83 as I would have already driven the length of the M6 followed by the M74. Now I get of the plane relaxed, and actually enjoy "the long and winding road" to the town.

So no ferry for me.

[muppetanimal]

Now that the general public have realised just how much the fares will be on a mainland-to-mainland ferry service they may be not just as thankful to the local politicans for what has finally been delivered. Some people going to Dunoon from Kintyre will use the Tarbert to Portavadie service, others will drive the distance required and do so on a calculation of fuel cost & convenience vs fares + less driving & fuel. That the road on the Cowal side is not particularly good affects you one way or the other. So it will be with any ferry leaving Campbeltown.

From 2000 onwards the politicians (Labour,Libdems,SNP,Conservative) had campaigned/promised that the Campbeltown to Ballycastle service would be reinstated. NOT ONE OF THEM DELIVERED ON THAT COMMITMENT. Somewhere along the line the idea of a three-legged service linking with the Ayrshire coast was claimed to be a better option, and now the idea of linking with another island (which ferries do best) has been dropped from the equation.

Hauliers require a regular service 7 days a week 52 weeks of the year. Personally I cannot see many who will use the new service because it will not be particularly suitable for their needs, although there may be the odd occasion where driving hours concerns may be factored into specific loads. Without regular freight traffic the use of a large ferry will be impracticable and expensive to maintain.

That people will be left stranded in the coming months at various ports is just my prediction ......

[Niander]

Its good there is another option it would be useful for traveling to England as for the "Very long romantic drive"...to be honest its just hassle if on the long journey down south...I would want the easier option and I love ferry's/boats so that helps
is this a summer service?
It will bring more tourist into the town because of the mull

[petewick]

Every travel option to and from Kintyre can each be regarded as a good thing to be decided by the individual..................

[Niander]

Based on achieving around 40 miles to the gallon, I reckon the cost of driving from my home to Campbeltown - and back - is about £50 - regardless of how many are in the car.

.

40 miles per gallon? ...not many cars are as good as that ill get about 25 per gallon in my van and I drive to save juice its so expensive!
the other thing you need to factor in is the general wear and tear on the vehicle and tyre wear...it all adds up to the real cost!

[Mary G]

Almost exactly one year ago, John S repeatedly asserted that the proposed ferry to Ayrshire would have subsidised fares viewtopic.php?f=12&t=13721&p=123681

WC the proposals ARE for a subisidised service using RET (Road Equivalent tariff) so it would be cheaper even than the current Arran Service.....

and

I have assurances that, should a route between Campbeltown and Troon be an outcome of the ferries review that RET would apply ….

That the Ayrshire port is Ardrossan doesn’t change the principle. What’s the explanation, John S, for so-called RET not applying?