When travelling to the Isle of Skye you have likely heard of the road bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh. If you’re looking for a ferry crossing to the Isle of Skye, you’ve probably heard of the Calmac ferry from Mallaig to Arisaig. However you may not, like me, have heard of the Glenelg to Kylerhea ferry. And wow am I glad I found out about it. The ‘Glenschulish’ is the last manually operated turntable ferry in the world. This definitely deserves a place on your Scotland road trip itinerary!

You won’t experience another boat journey like the Glenelg ferry to Skye, this I assure you. By the end of the journey, I referred to it as the crazy spinning ferry, although that makes it sounds a lot more fast paced than it actually is. It’s a unique experience to say the least, but the Skye ferry is over 50 years old and the maintenance is expensive. So by travelling on his ferry you’re really keeping a piece of Skye heritage alive!

TAKING THE GLENELG FERRY, ISLE OF SKYE

How to get to the Glenelg Ferry

Both the Glenelg and Kylerhea slipway for this Isle of Skye ferry are easily reached by car. There aren’t many roads out that way so it’s almost impossible to get lost!

If you are travelling TO Skye from Glenelg the postcode is IV40 8JZ (what.3.words – ///headings.webcams.umpires).Glenelg is accessed via the A87. Turn off at Shiel Bridge where you turn left and continue to Glenelg. This journey involves crossing the Mam Ratagan pass which boasts some incredible view points. Make sure you allow extra time for this journey as you’ll want to keep pulling over!

REALLY FUN, FUN FACT: Glenelg in Scotland is twinned with Glenelg on Mars!

If you are travelling FROM Skye from Kylerhea the postcode isIV42 8NH (what.3.words – ///basher.homecare.camps). To get to Kylerhea, continue along the A87 through Broadford, towards Kyleakin. At Ashaig there is a right turn, signposted Kylehea and the ferry. Continue along here until you come to the slipway. There isn’t much around here so it feels a bit unnatural. But just park your car at the top of the slipway and wait for the ferry to come across.

If you are relying on public transport, you can get to Glenelg from Kyle of Lochalsh via the 712 bus, however transport links from Kylerhead on the other side are more difficult.

Kylerhea ferry port what.3.words – ///basher.homecare.camps

Glenelg ferry port what.3.words – ///headings.webcams.umpires

Glenelg Ferry Times

The Glenelg ferry runs from April-October (10-6 April, May, September, October and 10-7 June-August). Ferries operate 7 days a week and are usually around every 20 minutes, or as required. The ferry sometimes won’t be able to operate due to bad weather, so if you’re unsurecheck their website or social media before travelling. Each of the junctions to access the ferry will also be signposted accordingly.

Glenelg Ferry Fares

A car with up to 4 passengers costs £18 one way. Foot passengers are £3. There are varying prices for bikes, camper vans, minibuses and for return tickets. Visit their website for more information.

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Gleann Beag Brochs

Once you’ve survived the spinning Skye ferry and are safely over to the mainland, you might want to take some time to explore Glenelg. Just a few miles from the Glenelg slipway you can find two ancient iron age Brochs, which are over 2000 years old. The Dun Telve and Dun Troddan brochs are found just 500m apart from one another, and are the best examples of Scottish brochs that you can visit on the mainland.

Dun Televe – what.3.words ///powers.distorts.nobody

Dun Trodden – what/3.words ///coverings.exact.lion