Single-vessel timetable, Gourock departures 06:10-22:40 and Dunoon 06:35-23:10 Monday to Saturday (late sailings vary by day); Sundays 08:20-22:20 from Gourock
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~25 min
Operator
Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac Ferries Ltd)
Map – Gourock–Dunoon (CalMac)
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult (16 and over), single | £6.40 |
| Adult (16 and over), return | £12.80 |
| Child (5 to 15), single | £3.20 |
| Child (5 to 15), return | £6.80 |
| Infant (0 to 4) | Free |
| Adult SPT concession, single | £2.50 |
| Adult SPT concession, return | £4.00 |
| Adult SPT companion, single | £3.20 |
| Adult SPT companion, return | £6.40 |
| Pedal cycle (add to booking) | Free |
Summer 2026 fares, valid from 27 March 2026. The route is 'Turn Up and Go': when booking online you choose a date, but the ticket is valid for any date and sailing within the timetable period (summer or winter), and cannot be amended or refunded. CalMac advises buying in advance; its fares sheet lists online, phone, port and onboard as places to buy. Infants aged 0 to 4 travel free, and bicycles are carried free if added to the booking. SPT Ferry Card concessions can be applied online. This is a foot passenger service only. The route page published no separate winter fare table when read. All fares in pounds sterling (GBP).
This is the CalMac passenger ferry between Gourock, on the Inverclyde shore, and Dunoon on the Cowal peninsula. CalMac, Caledonian MacBrayne, runs it as a foot passenger service only, with no vehicles, and puts the crossing at 25 minutes. The route page lists two vessels, MV Ali Cat and MV Argyll Flyer. CalMac's Gourock port page says Gourock railway station is adjacent to the port.
It shares a stretch of water with a different ferry, and the two are often mixed up. Western Ferries sails from McInroy's Point, near Gourock, to Hunter's Quay on the Dunoon side, and it is the one that takes cars; CalMac's own port pages tell anyone with a vehicle to contact Western Ferries. We cover that route on our Western Ferries timetable page.
The timetable is the part that changes. CalMac publishes a summer timetable that ran to 18 October 2026 and a winter timetable from 19 October 2026 to 25 March 2027. Within winter it switches between one-vessel and two-vessel versions: two vessels from 28 January to 10 February and from 6 to 9 March 2027, one vessel otherwise. On a single vessel most Gourock departures are at a quarter past the hour, and there is no sailing at 10:15 from Gourock or 10:45 from Dunoon. Late sailings depend on the day: none after 21:40 from Gourock on Tuesdays, and extra ones on Fridays and Saturdays. Sundays are hourly. CalMac's notes add no service on 25 December and 1 January.
At present MV Ali Cat is out for overhaul, and CalMac's status page showed a single-vessel service running to 12 November 2026, with a shuttle bus to Western Ferries at 10:15 and 10:45. Tickets are turn up and go: you pick a date online, but the ticket is valid for any sailing in the summer or winter period. On the summer 2026 fare table, the only one published when checked on 15 October, an adult single is £6.40, a child £3.20, and bicycles are free.
- Arrive at the slipway a few minutes before departure; vehicle queues build quickly in summer.
- Check the operator's notices before travelling — tides, weather and maintenance affect sailings.
- Confirm accepted payment methods: several crossings are contactless-only.
Frequently asked questions
No. It is a foot passenger only service. CalMac's port pages direct anyone travelling with a vehicle to Western Ferries, which is a separate company running from McInroy's Point to Hunter's Quay.
CalMac gives the crossing time as 25 minutes. Its timetable shows the same gap between departure and arrival for each sailing.
The winter timetable runs from 19 October 2026 to 25 March 2027. It is a single-vessel timetable, apart from two-vessel blocks on 28 January to 10 February and 6 to 9 March 2027.
On the summer 2026 fares, valid from 27 March 2026, an adult single is £6.40 and a return £12.80. A child (5 to 15) is £3.20 single or £6.80 return. Infants aged 0 to 4 and pedal cycles are free.
You cannot reserve a specific sailing. CalMac calls it a Turn Up and Go service: you pick a date when you buy a ticket online, but the ticket is valid for any sailing in that summer or winter timetable period, and cannot be changed or refunded.
CalMac's status page on 15 October 2026 showed a single-vessel timetable while MV Ali Cat is overhauled, running to Sunday 18 October and then from 19 October to 12 November. Check the route's service status page before travelling.
On the single-vessel timetable the last sailing from Gourock is 22:40 on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 21:40 on Tuesday and 22:20 on Sunday. On Fridays and Saturdays there are also sailings at 23:40 and 00:55 from Gourock. From Dunoon the last sailings are 23:10 (not Tuesdays), 22:10 on Tuesdays and 22:50 on Sundays, with extra ones at 00:10 and 01:20 on Fridays and Saturdays.
CalMac sails from the Gourock and Dunoon ferry terminals and carries foot passengers only. Western Ferries runs from McInroy's Point to Hunter's Quay and carries vehicles. A shuttle bus linking the two is running at 10:15 and 10:45 during the MV Ali Cat works.