Sailing Across The Minch With Calmac

Sailing Across The Minch With Calmac | Stornoway - Ullapool

Рет қаралды 2,765

16 күн бұрын

ROUTE: STORNOWAY - ULLAPOOL
OPERATOR: CALEDONIAN MACBRAYNE
VESSEL: mv LOCH SEAFORTH
COST: £60.65 + £11.15 single car and passenger (2024)
One of the best ways to see the Scottish islands is to use the ‘Rail & Sail’ method. However on this occasion there is no rail option! This trip sees me take the car from Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis and Harris to Ullapool. In June 2024 I travelled the 53 miles across a notorious stretch of sea - The Minch.
I took the 0700 sailing service from Stornoway due to arrive in Ullapool at 0940. Be aware that in the summer this route is very popular and booking is essential if your planning on taking a vehicle.
The original mv Loch Seaforth was launched in 1947. In 1949 she became the first member of the MacBrayne fleet to be fitted with radar and is the only Caledonian MacBrayne vessel to have been written off whilst on passenger service. In March 1973 she was damaged by stranding on Gunna Rocks, 2 miles east of Tiree on passage Lochboisdale for Tiree and Oban. Later in she was 1973 broken up by West of Scotland Shipbreaking Co. Ltd., Troon.
The current mv Loch Seaforth was constructed in Flensburg, Germany and launched on 21 March 2014 and christened by Joan Murray, a daughter of the late Captain John Smith, master of the original 1947 mailboat. She entered service in February 2015.
For timetables and fares visit www.calmac.co.uk
As you may have guessed, I’m Tim and I live in the Scottish Highlands. I’ve always had a love of travel and thanks to the magical KZfaq thing I can share my travels with you, the unsuspecting viewer. Thank you so much for watching this video and supporting my channel. All your likes, dislikes, comments and subs are greatly appreciated. If you like what you watched please hit that Subscribe button!
Follow my travels on X & Instagram: @TimsTravels01
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MUSIC
Kimochii by Mona Wonderlick / monawonderlick Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported - CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/3aovLOi
Music promoted by Audio Library • Kimochii - Mona Wonder... ri
Lonely River / Roots and Recognition / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
MAPS
All Maps: © OpenStreetMap contributors (routes added)
www.openstreetmap.org
www.openstreetmap.org/copyright www.opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl
#timstravels #scotland #scottishislands #scottishislands #calmac #caledonianmacbrayne #ferries #ferry #ferryservice #ferrytravel #travel #traveling #travelling #travelvlog #random #stornoway #lewis #isleoflewis #ullapool #boat #boats #ship #ships #shipping #vessels

Пікірлер: 32

@LetsMakeaTrip 14 күн бұрын

Nice one Tim, a route and vessel I haven’t tried before but I’m sure I’ll make it there at some point. Looks great! 👍

@Timstravels01 13 күн бұрын

I think you would thoroughly enjoy it Mark. Add it to the list.

@leneeanderson4848 14 күн бұрын

Content about ferries are some of my fav travel videos! I've got the bug to see the Isle of Lewis as well!

@Timstravels01 13 күн бұрын

I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’ve a soft spot for ferry travel too and there’s no shortage of opportunities to explore around Scotland!

@ohheyitskevinc 14 күн бұрын

Great video! Pity you couldn’t show the whole ferry, but kudos for not letting that affect your review at the end there :)

@Timstravels01 14 күн бұрын

Thanks for watching. Aye it was a shame but better to ask first I think. All I all it didn’t adversely affect my experience.

@RJH1971 14 күн бұрын

Great video, glad I subbed! One boring piece of trivia - apparently back in the day when the railway to Kyle from Dingwall was built there was a plan to run a line from a junction at Achnasheen (I think) up to Ullapool. It's a shame it never happened, the Rail and Sail could have been a wonderful option!

@Timstravels01 13 күн бұрын

Thanks so much for subscribing, I really appreciate it. That’s an interesting piece of trivia about the potential of a rail link to Ullapool. I find it interesting to think how ferry services were closely connected to the railways. The Stornoway route was served from Kyle of Lochalsh until 1972. I wonder did the change to Ullapool reflect a change from less reliance on railways to more people having a car and better road connectivity for freight?

@billyshearer117 14 күн бұрын

Lovely stuff. Very relaxing music. Loch Seaforth looks like a gorgeous ship.

@Timstravels01 13 күн бұрын

I’m glad you enjoyed it. Loch Seaforth is very pleasant indeed.

@flyingmyles 9 күн бұрын

What a wonderful journey, the scenery on approach to Ullapool looked absolutely stunning! The vessel looked very modern!

@Timstravels01 8 күн бұрын

Thanks for watching mate. Yes, the west coast never ceases to astound. The ferry is brilliant in my opinion although there was outrage when she was introduced to the service as she lacks a dedicated bar.

@flyingmyles 8 күн бұрын

@Timstravels01 but it's only a 2 hour journey! If it was an overnighter I'd probably argee with them 😄

@Timstravels01 8 күн бұрын

Don't underestimate the drinking abilities of a Hebridean. 😂😂😂

@flyingmyles 8 күн бұрын

@@Timstravels01 a professional !? 😄

@Timstravels01 8 күн бұрын

@@flyingmyles I can neither confirm nor deny…

@steve-marsh 14 күн бұрын

Cracking video mate! Never done that route before, on the list now!

@Timstravels01 14 күн бұрын

It’s well worth a try. I’d recommend booking in advance, we weren’t aiming to get the 7am ferry back it was just the later ferry was fully booked.

@martinhogg9140 14 күн бұрын

Thanks Tim, most informative and enjoyable as usual,… MH and TH

@Timstravels01 13 күн бұрын

Thanks so much for watching!

@calvinfor 14 күн бұрын

I was actually looking up this journey on google for potential holiday two days ago. Thanks for reviewing this route.

@Timstravels01 14 күн бұрын

Thanks so much, it’s a great option to get to the Western Isles. If you’re thinking about a summer visit, I’d highly recommend booking well in advance.

@TravelSignal 12 күн бұрын

Nice one mate. Can't beat the Western Isles for scenery! And a smooth crossing to boot. How much for the cooked breakfast, if I may ask? Apparently this is a highlight of a morning Calmac trip!

@Timstravels01 12 күн бұрын

The cooked breakfast was very good. We went for the 8 item breakfast which was £11.95. A bit of a last day of holiday treat. It was a fine crossing and Loch Seaforth is a beautiful vessel. Thanks so much for watching and commenting, it’s greatly appreciated.

@webrarian 13 күн бұрын

When I did the 30 minute crossing from Lymington, Hants, to Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, it cost me over twice what you paid for a much longer journey. And the views were nowhere near as good :-( A beautiful video, and rather a good breakfast, too.

@Timstravels01 13 күн бұрын

I thought it was tremendous value for money. I wonder how much Road Equivalency Tariff helps with that? Thanks (as always) for watching and commenting.

@webrarian 12 күн бұрын

@@Timstravels01 Until you mentioned it, I was completely unaware of the RET. Nothing like that in England - at present. The Torpoint Ferry across the River Tamar is going to be £3 for a five minute crossing shortly because the toll is linked to that for the Tamar Bridge (road, not rail) which the government has always refused to take responsibility for ever since it was planned in the early 1960s.

@Timstravels01 12 күн бұрын

@webrarian interestingly RET only applies on the west coast services. North Isles routes aren’t included although shamefully I can’t remember why! When will the Torpoint fares be introduced?

@webrarian 12 күн бұрын

@@Timstravels01 The Torpoint fares have been in place since the bridge opened and the two crossings were put under the control of a Joint Committee of Cornwall and Plymouth. But the latest rise - set off by a massive drop in use due to lockdowns - is imminent. But SE Cornwall and the two Plymouth constituencies now have Labour MPs. I'm not holding my breath.