Winter timetable, 23 August 2026 - 29 May 2027
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Operator
Argyll and Bute Council
Map – Luing Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Foot or vehicle passenger, adult, return | £2.85 |
| Foot or vehicle passenger, adult, 5x return (single traveller only) | £9.00 |
| Foot or vehicle passenger, child (5-16), return | £1.60 |
| Foot or vehicle passenger, child (5-16), 5x return (single traveller only) | £4.35 |
| Concession, single (island/peninsula residents) | £1.00 |
| Concession, return (island/peninsula residents) | £1.50 |
| Motorcycle, return, including rider | £7.30 |
| Motorcycle, 5x return, including rider (single traveller only) | £23.55 |
| Car, trailer or caravan up to 6m, return, including driver | £13.80 |
| Car, trailer or caravan up to 6m, 5x return, including driver (single traveller only) | £44.95 |
| Car up to 6m, Blue Badge holder return (25% off), on board only | £9.70 |
| Car up to 6m, Blue Badge return including driver, on board only | £11.00 |
| Car up to 6m, concession driver return, on board only | £12.50 |
This is a turn-up-and-go vehicle and foot-passenger ferry — you don't book a specific sailing. Tickets can be bought in advance on the council's Cuan Commerce site or the Cuan Ferry app, or with cash or card from the crew once on board; tickets bought online expire 365 days after purchase. Argyll and Bute Council's online shop sells adult and child fares only as returns, not as one-way singles — there is no published single (one-way) price for foot or vehicle passengers. Concessionary fares (single and return) are restricted to residents of an island or peninsula who qualify under Strathclyde Partnership for Transport's scheme and may be asked to show a National Entitlement Card; discounted Blue Badge and concession car tickets are sold only by the crew on board, not online. Frequent car users can also buy a 5-return-journey ticket or a 3-month or 12-month unlimited pass, though the two passes are restricted to permanent Luing residents travelling for domestic (non-commercial) purposes and must be bought by phoning the council directly rather than through the online shop. All fares in pounds sterling (GBP).
The Luing ferry is one of the shortest council-run crossings in Scotland: a few hundred metres across Cuan Sound, the narrow tidal strait separating the Isle of Seil from the Isle of Luing in Argyll. Argyll and Bute Council operates the service itself, using the vehicle-and-foot-passenger ferry MV Belnahua, from an unstaffed slipway at Cuan on Seil's western shore to a matching slipway at the north end of Luing. Because it's genuinely a turn-up-and-go service, there's no booking system for a specific sailing — you simply arrive, and vehicles are asked to be at the slipway at least five minutes before the boat leaves.
The timetable itself is dense rather than simple: a fixed pattern of 26 sailings a day runs each way, Monday to Saturday, spaced mostly every 15 to 30 minutes with a lunch break around 12:30-13:30 and one school-term-only sailing at 09:00/09:05. Friday and Saturday add five further evening sailings up to 22:30, and on Monday to Thursday two more late departures, at 19:30 and 22:00 from Cuan, can also run — but only if you telephone the ferry terminal to book them before noon the day before, since they aren't guaranteed like the rest of the day. Sunday runs to a completely different, simpler pattern: a car ferry every hour from 10:00 to 18:00, with no late sailings at all.
Tickets can be bought in advance through the council's Cuan Commerce website or its Cuan Ferry app, or with cash or card straight from the crew on board. Oddly for such a short hop, the council only sells foot-passenger and car tickets online as returns — there's no separate one-way price listed — so anyone travelling one-way still pays the return fare unless they buy on board. Concessionary fares are reserved for residents of an island or peninsula who qualify under Strathclyde Partnership for Transport's scheme, and discounted Blue Badge car tickets are sold only on the ferry itself, not online.
- 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
From the Cuan slipway on the Isle of Seil (postcode PA34 4TU), across Cuan Sound to a matching slipway at the north end of the Isle of Luing. It's roughly 8 miles by road south of Oban via the B844.
No — this is a turn-up-and-go service and specific sailings can't be reserved. Vehicles should arrive at least five minutes before the boat is due to leave. The exception is the two late request-only sailings at 19:30 and 22:00 (Cuan side) Monday-Thursday, which must be booked by phone before 12:00 noon the day before.
An adult foot or vehicle passenger pays £2.85 return (there is no separate single fare sold online); a child aged 5-16 pays £1.60 return. A car up to 6 metres, including the driver, costs £13.80 return, and a motorcycle with rider is £7.30 return.
Yes, but to a different, simpler timetable: a car ferry runs on the hour from 10:00 to 18:00 (10:05 to 18:05 from Luing), with no early-morning, evening or late sailings.
Roughly every 15 to 30 minutes through the day, with 26 scheduled sailings each way between 07:30/07:45 and 18:05/18:15, apart from a lunch break around 12:30-13:30 when only a single crossing runs.
Yes, cars are carried as standard, at £13.80 return including the driver for a vehicle up to 6 metres — the same published rate covers cars, trailers and caravans of that length; there's no separate towed-trailer surcharge listed.
Yes, it runs year-round. The winter timetable published on this page runs from 23 August 2026 to 29 May 2027; a slightly different summer timetable applies for the rest of the year, though the council had not yet published the exact 2027 summer dates and times at the time of writing.
Both work. You can pre-buy tickets on the council's Cuan Commerce website or its Cuan Ferry app (tickets are valid for 365 days from purchase), or simply pay the crew by cash or card once you're on board.