Your guide to travelling with us to Islay for Fèis Ìle

If you’re travelling with Caledonian MacBrayne to Islay for the Fèis Ìle Festival between 22 May to 31 May, our travel guide below shares a few handy hints and tips for your journey.

Your journey to Islay

Plan ahead

Our ferries will be busier than usual around the duration of the Fèis Ìle Festival including the days before the festival begins, as it comes to a close and beyond.

It's so important to book travel in advance, even if you’re planning to travel as a foot passenger, to secure your space. This will help you avoid disappointment.

An amended timetable will operate on 23, 30 May and 1 June - there will also be changes to services on 23 May and 2 June, full details can be found on our service status page for this route.

If your plans have changed and you already have a reservation for a particular sailing, but you're not sure if you'll travel - please do contact us to amend your booking.

Stay up to date on sailings between Kennacraig and Islay

You can stay up to date with the latest information on the route via the service status page on our website – we'll always share any important information or updates for travel on these pages.

Or download our app and save ‘Kennacraig - Islay’ as a favourite route - this means you'll receive push notifications on updates for the service direct to your device.

Some top tips for tickets and travel

We strongly encourage customers to make sure you have booked tickets for both their outward and return journey, even as a foot passenger.

Space on sailings when travelling with a vehicle between Kennacraig and Islay is limited on the days before and after the festival – this means that anyone arriving at our ports without a confirmed booking can’t be guaranteed to travel.

Campervans/Motorhomes/Caravans: Before you travel, read about the motorhomes, campervans and caravans standby process.

Making an online reservation for Islay: when booking travel to/from Islay online, there will be three options available: Kennacraig – Islay, Kennacraig – Port Ellen, and Kennacraig – Port Askaig. If you select Kennacraig-Islay, all sailings to/from both ports, either Port Ellen or Port Askaig, will be shown. If you wish to use different ports on Islay for each leg of a return journey, please select the Kennacraig – Islay option.

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Ticket information

Great. You’re ready to sail. Have your QR code ready to scan by our team when you check in at the car lanes or if you're travelling as a foot passenger when you are in the queue to board the ferry.

You must travel on the sailing you’ve purchased a ticket for – foot and vehicle passengers. This is a must – but will be especially important due to increased passenger numbers travelling to Islay for Fèis Ìle.

If there is capacity, you might be able to travel on an earlier sailing, but if you miss your sailing, you'll need to purchase another ticket for a later crossing, space permitting.

If you’re planning to travel in a group and you’ve booked tickets together as one booking - please make sure you travel together. This means you’ll need to travel on the same sailing and have your tickets scanned as a group.

This will be the case for both legs of the journey. Once any QR code which is associated with a booking is scanned, everyone in your group will be checked in - and the ticket cannot be scanned again until the return 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.

Arriving at the port

Kennacraig port postcode: PA29 6YF, Port Ellen port postcode: PA42 7DW, Port Askaig port postcode: PA46 7RB

For information on travel to Kennacraig, and our two ports on Islay, Port Ellen and Port Askaig, and what to expect at the port, please check our port pages which contains everything you need to know about travelling from/to our ports – and facilities available at the port.

Follow guidance and directions from our port teams.

Ports will be busier – give yourself plenty of time to check-in (check-in closes strictly 30 mins vehicles/10 mins foot passengers)

Kennacraig - a hot drinks vending machine will be available at Kennacraig. The machine accepts card payments only. If you require any other food or drinks, make sure you come prepared as there are no other shops/retail facilities at the Kennacraig port. You can find shops and cafes, in the village of Tarbert, around 5 miles from the port.

Port Askaig port works from 27 April: Customers are advised of significant ongoing works at Port Askaig by Opens in new windowScottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) to support vessel operations. When travelling to and from Port Askaig, you may experience delays, so please allow extra time for your journey. Marshalling lanes within the port and access from the main road will be impacted by the works and caution is advised when approaching the port.

When you arrive at our ports, if you’ve already got your ticket, you’re ready to board, you don't need to queue at the ticket office to redeem your ticket.

Have your ticket ready Have your eTticket/QR code on your device. Make sure you have it ready to present to the port team when boarding the ferry - you don’t need to queue at the ticket office to redeem your ticket.

Our team will advise when it is time to board the ferry and scan your ticket.

If you still need to buy a ticket, join the queue for the ticket desk and our team will be able to advise availability of your preferred sailing.

When you arrive at our ports, if you already have your ticket for you and your bike, make your way to the car lanes and our team will direct where to wait for the ferry.

If you still need to buy a ticket, please leave your bike outside the port building and join the queue for the ticket desk and our team will be able to advise availability of your preferred sailing.

For additional handy hints and tips to help you plan for arriving at the port, and embarkation onto the ferry, as a foot or bike passenger, visit our pre-travel checklist.

Car Park info: If you’re leaving your car at Kennacraig, please be aware that parking is not guaranteed at Kennacraig port, as demand is very high and available spaces are very limited. The car park operates on a first come first served basis and customers should be prepared to find alternative parking where possible. There will be around ten blue badge spaces available.

If you’re being dropped off, the signage will direct you to the drop off point too.

If you are travelling with your vehicle to Kennacraig, follow signs to our check-in kiosks, where our team will support you and direct you to the car lanes. If you have a reservation, have your QR code ready to be scanned and make sure you have tickets for all of your passengers and pets in the vehicle.

If you don’t have a reservation for your vehicle, you will need to park your vehicle in the short stay car park at the terminal and join the queue within the port office, where our team will advise of availability for your preferred sailing, or our team may direct you to the standby lane, space permitting.

Please follow directions from our port team and have your QR code ready to be scanned. Listen out for specific boarding instructions from our crew.

If you think you might need some extra assistance from us, please do let us know and we’ll do our best to help – please get in contact at least 48 hours prior to travel, if possible.

There’s additional handy hints and tips including information on embarkation onto the ferry with a vehicle and facilities available on our pre-travel checklist.

Arriving at Islay

There are two ports on Islay, Port Ellen and Port Askaig. Make sure you check your arrival port on Islay, the ports are around 20 miles apart but you can get a bus between ports. For general public transport information, you can find out more via Traveline Scotland's Opens in new windowJourneyPlanner for information on buses around Islay.

Foot passengers

When arriving at Islay as a foot passenger - you’ll find bus service stops close to both ports when you disembark the ferry. However, please do check Opens in new windowFèis Ìle Festival organiser information on advice for travel to venues.

When returning back to your departure port from Islay, make sure to give yourself plenty of time to arrive at the port for your check-in time.

Saturday 23 May - Read important information about the 07:00 departure from Kennacraig, on our service status page.

Leaving the car deck in your vehicle

Vehicle passengers will disembark by following the directions of our crew when leaving the car deck and then following the signage to exit the port.

Make planning for your journey easier by taking a quick look at our pre-travel checklist - it’s a handy, at-a - glance guide for travelling on our ferries. Even for our most seasoned travellers, it helps you plan ahead and know what to expect from the moment you arrive at the port.

For the latest information

The latest details on the sailing, bookings, and where relevant – vessel information – will be shared on our service status page for the route. Or download our app – and add the route as a ‘favourite’ to receive push notifications to your device.

Thank you and enjoy your time in Islay – and enjoy Fèis Ìle!

The smoothest way to sail

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Your guide to travelling with us to Islay for Fèis Ìle

Your journey to Islay

Plan ahead

Stay up to date on sailings between Kennacraig and Islay

Some top tips for tickets and travel

Ticket information

Already purchased your ticket?

Travelling in a group?

Arriving at the port

What to expect when you get to our ports

Travelling by foot

Travelling by bike

Information on public transport to Kennacraig

Travelling by vehicle to Kennacraig

Boarding the ferry at Kennacraig