Visiting Rothesay With CalMac: A Pleasant Day Trip From Glasgow

Ferries provide a lifeline service to rural communities across Scotland, with many island communities relying on them for transport of goods and people to and from the mainland.

Caledonian MacBrayne (referred to as CalMac) is the Scottish Government owned operator responsible for ferry services across the west coast of Scotland. One such route is between the Isle of Bute and Wemyss Bay on the mainland, one of two services to serve Bute.

Although there are many valid reasons to criticise CalMac in recent years, I want to share the experience I had on this particular day to highlight the excellent day I had travelling with them, and how they can do the basics when it comes to ferries very well.

Route and Sailing Details

This particular route runs from Wemyss Bay on the Scottish Mainland and crosses the River Clyde to the port town of Rothesay, the main town on the Isle of Bute.

Services on this route operate every hour, with a crossing time of 35 minutes, with services primarily being operated by MV Argyle and MV Bute (I travelled on both vessels, but this review focuses on my journey onboard MV Bute)

Date of Travel: 12th June 2024

Vessel Name: MV Bute

Age of Vessel: 19 years (at time of writing)

Price Paid: £7.60

This particular review is based on a sailing from Rothesay to Wemyss Bay.

Before Departure Experience

I arrived at Rothesay terminal approximately 30 minutes before departure, with the ferry terminal being located in the centre of town, making it easy to connect with local bus services on the island.

The ferry terminal is a very basic facility with a small ticket counter with staff available to purchase tickets from, as well as answering questions that passengers have.

Seating is available, however this is limited due to the size of the building, however, if the weather is cooperating then you can also wait outside until boarding begins.

Boarding takes place via a covered gangway, however lifts are available at both ports on the journey.

Immediately after boarding I found an empty seat and settled in for the short voyage across to Wemyss Bay.

Onboard Experience

As these vessels operate short services the facilities onboard are limited, but are perfectly adequate for this particular route.

CalMac offer different onboard catering facilities depending on the particular vessel you are travelling on, with both ferries on this route having a “coffee cabin” onboard.

Prices onboard are reasonable and you are likely to find something onboard that you like. I purchased a Latte for £3.30 and took it back to my seat.

One of the best things you can do while travelling by ferry is either look out of the window, or head to the outdoor seating area at the real of the vessel.

I was very lucky that I was travelling on one of the few days this year where the weather has actually been pleasant. Although this is a short sailing compared to others on the network, there is still plenty to see outside, and it provides 35 minutes to put your phone down and disconnect.

If you are lucky enough to be seated at the front of the vessel then you will get the best view of Wemyss Bay train station as you arrive, however, you will best appreciate the station once you disembark.

Arrival In Wemyss Bay

We arrived into Wemyss Bay on time at 1535 and were quickly able to disembark the vessel via a covered ramped walkway.

Once inside you will quickly be able to understand why Wemyss Bay station was voted the winner of the “2023 World Cup of Stations” competition held by the Rail Delivery Group.

The Category A listed station is well looked after by a team of volunteers who tend to flower displays around the station concourse, and also run the station bookshop which is open 6 days per week during the summer, an ideal place to visit while waiting for the next train, bus or ferry.

The station is served by up to two trains per hour to Glasgow operated by ScotRail, with a journey time of 60 minutes.

Just outside the station you will find buses operated by McGill’s on their “Clyde Flyer” 901 and 906 routes between Glasgow and Largs.

My Final Thoughts

Overall I thought this was a fantastic service and was excellent value for money.

Both of my sailings were on time, had excellent crews onboard and both vessels were very well presented despite their age.

My only suggestion would be some information leaflets onboard promoting Bute to those visiting, especially as my sailing was host to a large number of American tourists on a day trip, they might benefit from some leaflets about local attractions and bus services available on the island.

I would say if you have a free day that taking this service and spending the day on Bute would be a good way to spend it, and I certainly am looking at other opportunities to visit places closer to home with CalMac.