Your guide to travelling with us to Cowal Gathering

Your journey to Dunoon

We do expect our Gourock to Dunoon service to be busier than usual for customers travelling to Opens in new windowCowal Gathering for the period Thursday 28 August to Saturday 30 August. Wait times at the port may be longer, so factor this into your plans.  

You can travel to Dunoon from Gourock on our passenger-only service.

Take a look at our pre-travel checklist below – an at a glance guide for travelling on our ferries.  

Information on sailings

View sailing times for the Gourock to Dunoon route

And then check service status for any important information or updates for travel during the period of the Cowal Gathering events from Thursday 28 August to Saturday 30 August 2025.

Download our app and save Gourock to Dunoon as a favourite route to receive push notifications on updates for the service.  

For information on facilities available at our ports, please check our port pages.  

Tickets 

Not yet got your ticket?  

If you’ve yet to purchase your ticket, save time by buying online in advance of travel. 

Opens in new windowBuy tickets

Rail and Sail tickets for travel to Dunoon?  

If you are planning to purchase a Rail and Sail ticket with ScotRail, when you arrive in Gourock by train, please speak to a member of our team. You need to exchange the ferry coupon for an CalMac ticket. The Rail and Sail coupon is not a ticket for the ferry.

Already purchased your ticket?  

Great. You’re ready to sail. When you arrive at Gourock just have your QR ready to scan when you board the ferry.

Travelling in a group  

If you plan to travel in a group, and you have purchased your tickets online, the full party must travel on the same sailing. This applies to all legs of the journey.  

If you have yet to purchase your tickets, and you are unsure whether all group members will travel together, please make separate transactions so you are covered for all eventualities.  

Getting to Gourock

• Check public transport connections via bus and train via the Opens in new windowJourneyPlanner.
• If you are driving to Gourock, plan ahead on where you’ll leave your car. There are charges at car parks in Gourock and limited free parking.
• If you haven't already purchased your ticket online, you can buy tickets from our staff at Gourock or on the vessel.

Travelling by vehicle  

Caledonian MacBrayne operates a foot passenger only service from Gourock to Dunoon. If you are travelling with a vehicle to Dunoon, you could travel with Western Ferries.  

Returning to Gourock from Dunoon

Give yourself plenty of time to get to the port, especially for your return journey. We do expect our ferries to be busier than usual during the Cowal Gathering. Wait times at the port may be longer, so factor this into your plans. 

Not yet got your ticket for the return journey?  

If you’ve yet to purchase your ticket, save time by buying online in advance of travel. 

Opens in new windowBuy tickets

Already purchased your ticket for the return journey from Dunoon?  

When you arrive at Dunoon just have your QR ready to scan when you board the ferry.

Everyone's journey

When you travel with us – we're always here to help and support you. On occasion, some of our colleagues have received abuse when doing so. We know this won’t apply to the vast majority – but we need to remind everyone that we can't and won’t tolerate poor treatment of our people. Anyone who does behave in a way that’s unacceptable may be turned away from their sailing or in some reported to Police Scotland. Let’s be respectful to one another.

Visit calmac.co.uk/respect for more information.

Enjoy your time in Dunoon and at the Cowal Gathering