CalMac to open ferry bookings for winter travel

CalMac aims to release tickets imminently for travel over this autumn and winter.

Passengers have been unable to book ferry space beyond mid-October.

For North Uist and Harris routes, the situation was worse with ticket sales only available for the next four weeks.

Now the CalMac reservation system is set to start accepting advance bookings.

Sailings out of Skye for the last fortnight of the summer season until 23rd October reopen for bookings today.

The overall winter timetable is still being worked on and will be issued imminently.

► New timetable confirmed for Skye ferry pier closure

Delays in opening CalMac’s booking system are caused by changing shutdown dates for Uig harbour in Skye during pier construction works.

Timetables and the fleet’s drydocking schedule are being updated to accommodate the pressures on delivering ferry services to the Western Isles and Inner Hebrides.

The winter season runs from 24 October to 30 March 2023.

The first Skye triangle outage commences on 16 January until 13 March 2023. The second shutdown is for six weeks from 30 October next year.

Harris sailing are cancelled during the outage periods while North Uist will receive a daily return journey between Lochmaddy and Ullapool.

Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth instructed a rethink of earlier plans for a six month cancellation of sailings for North Uist and Harris during linkspan installation activity at the mainland port for the island routes.

Now fresh dates have been confirmed for the project CalMac pledges to issue a winter timetable soon allowing ticket sales to proceed.

The pier closure comes against the back-drop of a challenging logistical nightmare to figure out how to maintain lifeline services to the Western Isles while juggling the over-stretched fleet’s annual dry-docking schedule.

When ships set off in a series of departures for repair and maintenance fewer vessels will remain to cover the gaps.

Knock-on impacts on ferry services include having fewer suitable vessels being available for routes and the need to reposition vessels for relief duties - if suitable ships are available.

CalMac is also braced for unplanned extensions to overhauls.

The Skye port is the mainland destination for North Uist and Harris ferry links.

Ferry outages stretching for six months were on the cards during a major project to rebuild the aging pier. The installation of a new linkspan and berthing structure will form a significant part of the redevelopment works.

Under the latest change, seabed construction work has been rearranged for eight weeks in early 2023 during which ferry operations would be impossible.

Ferry berthing is pencilled in to restart around the crucial Easter period, running until September when a second closure is required.

CalMac set to open ferry bookings for winter travel

7 September 2022