How to Get to Arran

Ferry

The main car ferry crossing to Arran is operated by Caledonian MacBrayne from Ardrossan Harbour in North Ayrshire. The route is served by the large and modern, MV Caledonian Isles, which has a range of on board facilities including a café serving meals, snacks, teas & coffees, a licensed bar, shop, soft play area and various comfortable lounges. The crossing from Ardrossan to Brodick takes 55 minutes and it is advisable to book your crossing in advance if you are planning to bring a car to the island.

Alternatively, during the summer months, you can also sail from Claonaig (Kintyre) to Lochranza in the north of the Island. The shorter crossing takes only 30 minutes, however, the smaller ferry whilst pleasant and efficient has no catering facilities on board. During the winter months, there is a reduced service which sails to Tarbert (Kintyre) taking approximately 1.5 hours.

Rail to Ardrossan Harbour

Driving to Ardrossan Harbour

The car ferry terminal at Ardrossan Harbour is well sign-posted from the A78.

From Glasgow or Glasgow International Airport take the A737 to Kilwinning, then change to the A738 and finally join the A78. The journey should take between 45 minutes and an hour, depending on traffic.

From Prestwick Airport join the A78 and follow the signs to Ardrossan Haroubr. The journey should take about 30 minutes.

The map below should help you plan your journey.

By Air

The two closest airports to the Isle of Arran are Glasgow Internation Airport and Glasgow Prestwick.

Glasgow International Airport (www.glasgowairport.com) is served by many major airlines including: British Airways, EasyJet, Thomas Cook, KLM, Flybe, BMI, Canadian Affair, Aer Lingus, Emerates and others.

Travelling from Glasgow International Airport

• Hire Car. If you are picking up a hire car at the airport simply follow the directions for driving to Ardrossan Harbour above.
• Taxi. If you do not have a car, a taxi is the easiest option. We recommend the local taxi firm, Direct Taxis, as a reliable service which will be much less expensive than using a taxi from the taxi rank at the airport. Give them a call on 01294 602005
• Train. The nearest rail station to Glasgow International Airport is Paisley Gilmore Street which is about 2 miles from the airport. To get to the station you can take a taxi or a local bus which takes about 7 minutes. See the Traveline Scotland website for details of bus times.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport (www.glasgowprestwick.com) is served primarily by Ryanair which operates flights from the U.K. and Europe.

Travelling from Glasgow Prestwick Airport

• Hire Car. If you are picking up a hire car at the airport simply follow the directions for driving to Ardrossan Harbour above.
• Taxi. If you do not have a car, a taxi is the easiest option. We recommend the local taxi firm, Direct Taxis, as a reliable service which will be much less expensive than using a taxi from the taxi rank at the airport. Give them a call on 01294 602005
• Train. Glasgow Prestwick Airport is served by its own railway station which is linked directly to the airport by a short, covered bridge. The views of Arran from this station are stunning! All airline passengers travelling to or from Glasgow Preswick rail station are offered a half price discount on their ticket so be sure to ask for it if it is not offered by the staff member selling you your ticket. You may be asked to show proof that you are an airline passenger so be sure to have your ticket or boarding pass to hand. There is no ticket office at this station so you simply board the train and pay once you are on board. To reach Ardrossan Harbour take the train towards Glasgow and then change at Kilwinning. The journey takes about 45 minutes including a wait at Kilwinning of approximately 20 minutes. See the Traveline Scotland website for details of bus times.

Taxi

Whether you are travelling to or from a local airport or to another local destination it is often most convenient to use a taxi to get to or from the ferry terminal.

At Ardrossan. We recommend Direct Taxis, which is a local, private taxi firm. They can take you to the ferry terminal or be waiting to pick you up when you are travelling back to the mainland from the island. They are cost effective but you will need to book in advance. Just give them a ring on 01294 602005.