Scottish Islands by Campervan: A CalMac Ferry Guide

Scotland has dozens of islands you can reach by campervan, and choosing between them is half the fun. Skye gets the headlines, and we cover it in its own Isle of Skye guide, but Arran, Mull, Islay and the Outer Hebrides each give you something different. They all start the same way: a CalMac ferry from the mainland, which is the one thing worth planning properly. Here's a tour of the islands worth your time, and how to get a motorhome across to them.

Arran: Scotland in miniature

The easiest island to start with, and the closest to the depot. The ferry from Ardrossan to Brodick takes about 55 minutes, and Arran packs a Highland-and-Lowland landscape into one loop road: Goatfell rising over Brodick Castle, the standing stones on Machrie Moor, seal-watching at Kildonan, and a distillery and a brewery for the evenings. A long weekend does it nicely, which makes Arran a great first island.

Mull and Iona

Mull is the wildlife island. The ferry from Oban to Craignure is about 45 minutes, and once you're across there are white-tailed eagles overhead, otters on the shore and whale-watching trips out of Tobermory, the painted harbour town. Drive the single-track to Fionnphort at the south-west tip for the foot-passenger ferry to Iona and its abbey; note that visitors can't take a vehicle onto Iona, so you leave the van at Fionnphort and cross on foot. Calgary's white-sand beach is worth the detour.

Islay: the whisky island

Islay is for the distilleries, nine and counting, strung around an island of beaches and birdlife in the southern Hebrides. The crossing from Kennacraig to Port Ellen or Port Askaig is the longest of these at over two hours, and it's popular, so book the vehicle well ahead. Keep a driver dry for the tours, and leave time for the beaches at Saligo and the geese on the RSPB reserves.

Harris and Lewis: the Outer Hebrides

The big one. Harris has Luskentyre, the beach that tops every list, and Lewis has the Callanish Standing Stones and the Butt of Lewis. You can reach them from Skye on the Uig to Tarbert ferry, about an hour and 40 minutes, or work up the chain from Barra; our Outer Hebrides island-hopping route covers the full run, ferries and all.

Taking a campervan on a CalMac ferry

This is the part that makes or breaks an island trip. Every crossing here is run by CalMac, and a motorhome has to be booked on in advance, especially in summer, when vehicle space on the popular routes fills weeks ahead. Fares are charged by vehicle length, and this is where staying compact pays: vehicles at or under six metres travel at the standard car rate, while anything over six metres pays the higher motorhome rate, with a sharp step up just past the 6.1-metre mark. Atlas's compact six-metre vehicles sit on the right side of that line, so they cross at the car rate every time, which adds up fast over a multi-ferry island trip; you can see the range on our vehicles page. Declare your length honestly when you book, turn up 30 to 45 minutes before sailing, and check the current CalMac timetables and vehicle charges as you plan.

Which Scottish island is best for a campervan?

It depends on the trip. For a first island or a short break, take Arran, easy to reach and easy to drive. For wildlife and that west-coast feeling, Mull. For whisky, Islay. For the icons, Skye. And for the big adventure, the Outer Hebrides. You don't have to choose just one, but you do have to book the ferries, so start there and build the trip around the crossings.

Good to know

• Book the vehicle, not just yourself. Motorhomes must be reserved on CalMac, and summer space on Mull, Islay and the Hebrides goes early.
• Stay under six metres and save. Sub-six-metre vehicles cross at the car rate; over six metres pays the motorhome rate. It mounts up across several ferries.
• Some small isles are foot-only. You can't take a vehicle to Iona as a visitor; park on Mull and cross on foot.
• Dogs travel on the ferries and the islands are dog-friendly. Bring your own bowls and bedding; the whole fleet takes dogs for a single per-hire cleaning fee.

Pick an island, book the boat, and the rest takes care of itself. For where to stop once you're across, our west coast and isles campsites guide has the sites.

City guides nearby

For where to stop and what to see in the cities on or near this route, see our city guides: Glasgow, Fort William.