Saturday 20 June 2009

Isle of Arran

The Scottish Isles are serviced by the legendary Caledonian Macbrayne Ferries. With thirty vessels in their fleet and a new Islay ship under construction, they provide a lifeline to the island communities of Scotland and a wonderful tourism opportunity for casual visitors. This is especially true for cyclists, who pay the single person rate and bicycles go free. The 55 minute crossing one way from Ardrossan on the Scottish mainland is £5.45. A car and two passengers would be over £50.

This is the MV Caledonian Isles, a 90m vessel capable of carrying 951 passengers and 70 cars. The space on the car deck for bikes can get a little crowded, particularly at weekends. Today we arrive after coming up the Ayrshire coast from Dumfries and Galloway.

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