Summer timetable, 27 March – 18 October 2026
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~5 min
Operator
Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac)
Map – Kerrera Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Foot passenger, adult, single | £2.15 |
| Foot passenger, adult, return | £4.30 |
| Foot passenger, child (5-15), single | £1.10 |
| Foot passenger, child (5-15), return | £2.20 |
| Foot passenger, infant (0-4) | Free |
| Foot passenger, SPT/Blue Badge concession, single | £1.10 |
| Foot passenger, SPT/Blue Badge concession, return | £2.20 |
| Pedal cycle | Free |
| Car, by prior arrangement only, single | £6.37 |
| Car, by prior arrangement only, return | £12.74 |
This is a CalMac 'Turn Up and Go' route: you don't book a specific sailing, but you do need a valid ticket before boarding, bought online, by phone, at the Oban Ferry Terminal, or (if staff can still fit you on) at the Gallanach slipway itself. Gallanach and Kerrera are both unstaffed slipways, so buying in advance at Oban avoids relying on being able to pay on the day. Pedal cycles travel free; groups of six or more cycles must tell the port office in advance. This is a passenger ferry — cars are only carried when arranged in advance by phone with the Oban port office, and are charged a separate vehicle fare. All fares in pounds sterling (GBP).
Search for the "Kerrera ferry" and most people expect it to leave from Oban's town pier — it doesn't. Caledonian MacBrayne's little passenger ferry to the Isle of Kerrera sails from Gallanach, an unstaffed slipway about 4km by road south-west of Oban along a single-track lane hugging the Sound of Kerrera. Oban only comes into the journey as somewhere to buy a ticket in advance, at the Oban Ferry Terminal, if you don't want to rely on paying at the slipway itself. Get this wrong and you'll be stood on the wrong pier watching Kerrera sit tantalisingly across the water.
The crossing itself, on the small vessel MV Carvoria, takes only five minutes. It runs on a CalMac "Turn Up and Go" basis: you don't reserve a specific sailing, and a ticket bought for the day is valid on any sailing within the current timetable period. The Summer 2026 timetable (27 March-18 October) runs sixteen return crossings a day, roughly every 30 minutes through the morning and afternoon with a lunchtime gap, the same pattern every day of the week including Sundays; a shorter Winter 2026/27 timetable takes over from 19 October. Two extra sailings, at 08:00 and 19:00, can be added Monday to Saturday only, but strictly by phoning CalMac before noon the day before.
This is fundamentally a foot-passenger and cycle service, not a car ferry: pedal cycles travel free, but cars are carried only if you've arranged it in advance by phone with the Oban port office, and pay a separate vehicle fare on top. There's no need to bring a car anyway — most of Kerrera is walked or cycled, and the island's few miles of track loop past the Kerrera Tea Garden, Gylen Castle and the marina. Parking is the practical question most people actually have, and CalMac confirms there is car parking at Gallanach itself, plus a small shelter while you wait; there's also a petrol station 300 metres away and local bus stops opposite the slipway.
- 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
Correct — it leaves from Gallanach, an unstaffed slipway about 4km by road south-west of Oban along the Sound of Kerrera. Oban is only relevant for buying a ticket in advance at the Oban Ferry Terminal; if you go to Oban's own pier looking for the Kerrera boat, you're in the wrong place.
About five minutes on CalMac's small vessel MV Carvoria.
Not as a normal walk-up option — it's built as a foot-passenger and cycle service. A car can only travel if you telephone the Oban port office in advance to arrange it, and it's charged a separate vehicle fare (from £6.37 single).
Yes, pedal cycles travel free on this route. If you're travelling in a group of six or more cycles, tell the relevant port office in advance, as the first sailing of choice can't always be guaranteed for large groups.
Yes — CalMac's own port information confirms there is car parking available at Gallanach, along with a small shelter. A petrol station is about 300 metres away, and Oban's shops, station and taxis are roughly 2.4 miles further on.
Not a specific sailing — this is a "Turn Up and Go" service, so any valid ticket for the current timetable period covers any sailing. Buying online or by phone before you travel is still recommended, since both slipways are unstaffed and there's no guarantee you can pay on arrival.
An adult foot passenger pays £2.15 single or £4.30 return; a child (5-15) pays £1.10 single or £2.20 return; under-5s travel free. Pedal cycles are free too.
Yes, it runs year-round. A separate, slightly reduced Winter timetable applies from 19 October 2026 to 25 March 2027, after which the fuller summer pattern used on this page resumes.