Ardrossan – Campbeltown
Headline route information
- Mainland port: Ardrossan
- Peninsular port: Campbeltown
- Check-in-time: 30-minutes prior to departure for cars and passengers
- Crossing time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Vessel: MV Isle of Arran
- Overnight berth: Ardrossan and Campbeltown
Introduction
The Ardrossan – Campbeltown route was introduced in 2013, initially as a three-year summer only trial. Following the success of the trial, the route was retained, continuing to operate as a summer-only service.
It should be noted at the outset that there was no service on this route in 2020 (due to COVID-19), nor in 2023 or 2024 due to the requirement for MV Isle of Arran to be redeployed elsewhere on the network.
Step 1: Route Service Level
The table below sets out the incremental ‘Route Service Levels’ which have been developed for this methodology:
| Level | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | Shared single vessel, single crewed | Several routes in Orkney including: Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre; Stromness - Graemsay / Hoy; and Houton - Lyness / Flotta |
| B | Shared single vessel, with more than a single crew | Uig - Tarbert / Lochmaddy (summer, currently) |
| C | Dedicated single vessel, single crewed | Various 'small vessel' routes in the CHFS network, e.g., Sconser - Raasay, Tayinloan - Gigha etc |
| D | Dedicated single vessel with more than a single crew | Colintraive - Rhubodach, which uses a shift system to offer an extended operating day |
| E | Two dedicated vessels, each with a single crew | There are no routes with this operating model currently, Wemyss Bay - Rothesay being the closest |
| F | Two dedicated vessels, with one operating with more than a single crew | Several routes on the Shetland inter-island network, e.g., Symbister - Laxo / Vidlin |
| G | Two dedicated vessels, with both operating with more than a single crew | CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL) Gourock - Dunoon route |
Please note, the operating day of a single crewed vessel is limited to the maximum hours that can be delivered by a single crew within the hours of work regulations and crew contractual agreements. More than a ‘single crew’ is where a small number of additional crew are added to the complement to extend the operating day. However, this falls short of a full extra crew.
Where the table refers to ‘more than a single crew’ (Levels B, D, F and G), this could be a small additional crew complement to extend the day or a full second crew. The crewing model will be described in the narrative which follows.
The table below allocates the Ardrossan – Campbeltown route to its relevant Route Service Level for both the winter and summer timetables, with commentary provided in the following sections.
Please note that this service does not operate in winter.
| Timetable/Route Service Level | Level A | Level B | Level C | Level D | Level E | Level F | Level G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Winter | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Categorisation of waters
The Ardrossan - Campbeltown route operates in ‘open seas’ and thus is governed by The Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Hours of Work) Regulations 2018.The provisions of this legislation are covered in Merchant Shipping Notice (MSN) 1877.
The key stipulations of MSN 1877 are as follows:
- On a sea-going vessel, the minimum hours of rest are:
- 10-hours in any 24-hour period
- 77-hours in any seven-day period (i.e., a maximum 91-hour week)
- The 10-hours of rest may be divided into no more than two periods, one of which is to be at least 6-hours in length
- It is also noted that, where a seafarer whose normal period of rest on board a ship is disturbed by a call-out, they should have a period of compensatory rest, as per the Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1877 (M) Amendment 1
The Ardrossan – Campbeltown route is operated by ships from the ‘Major Vessel’ fleet. On the ‘Major Vessel’ fleet, the crew live aboard and the operation is centred around a single live-aboard crew which operates on a two-weeks on, two-weeks off basis. The timetable is generally structured around the maximum number of hours that a single crew can operate on a daily and indeed weekly basis, in line with MSN 1877.
The number of crew cabins on the ‘Major Vessel’ fleet is therefore a constraining factor on the number of crew which can be housed onboard and thus the level of service which can be operated. However, additional shore-based crew can be deployed to marginally extend the day where necessary.
Length of Operating Day
The table below summarises the length of the operating day and week for the Ardrossan – Campbeltown service, conventionally operated on a shared basis with Ardrossan – Brodick by MV Isle of Arran. For the avoidance of doubt, the table reflects the total hours of the vessel across the week over both routes.
| Day | Start-Up | Sailing-Day | Close Down | Length of operating day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 1:00 | 13:15 | 1:00 | 15:15 |
| Tuesday | 1:00 | 13:15 | 1:00 | 15:15 |
| Wednesday | 1:00 | 13:15 | 1:00 | 15:15 |
| Thursday | 1:00 | 14:20 | 1:00 | 16:20 |
| Friday | 1:00 | 13:45 | 1:00 | 15:45 |
| Saturday | 1:00 | 15:55 | 1:00 | 17:55 |
| Sunday | 1:00 | 11:50 | 1:00 | 13:50 |
| Total | 7:00 | 95:35 | 7:00 | 109:35 |
MV Isle of Arran operates with a single live aboard crew delivering the service. However, the extended operating day is delivered through supplementing the core crew with a small number of shore-based crew, who return home in the evening or sleep in Bunkabin accommodation. This allows sufficient periods of rest to be achieved across the entirety of the crew to deliver the timetable.
Route specific characteristics
- The Ardrossan – Campbeltown route is often the first to be withdrawn in the event of a requirement for MV Isle of Arran elsewhere on the network
- With a trunk road connection and both bus and air services to Glasgow, it is perhaps considered ‘less lifeline’ than for island routes
Step 2: Analysis of connectivity
This section summarises headline connectivity in terms of the number of ferry connections provided and time on-mainland and on-island. The interactive dashboard includes further detailed connectivity analysis, including information related to onward connectivity.
Summer Connections
This summer only service is operated by the second vessel on the Ardrossan – Brodick service, typically MV Isle of Arran, with services Thursday to Sunday between late April and early September. The tables below summarise the first departure, last arrival, number of connections per day and time on mainland / peninsula.
| Sailing Details | Mon-Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First departure | Nil | 18:40 | 18:40 | Nil | 13:50 |
| Last arrival | Nil | Nil | 10:15 | 10:40 | 19:35 |
| No. of sailings | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Time on mainland | Nil | Nil | 08:25 | Nil | Nil |
| Time on peninsula | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Sailing Details | Mon-Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First departure | Nil | N/A | 07:35 | 07:00 | 16:55 |
| Last arrival | Nil | 21:20 | 21:20 | Not applicable | 16:30 |
| No. of sailings | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Time on mainland | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Time on peninsula | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 00:25 |
The key points of note from the above tables are as follows:
- There is no Ardrossan – Campbeltown service Monday to Wednesday
- On a Thursday, there is a single sailing from Ardrossan, which departs at 18:40 and overnights in Campbeltown upon arrival at 21:20
- On a Friday, there is an 07:35 departure from Campbeltown, which arrives into Ardrossan at 10:15. The vessel thereafter operates Ardrossan – Brodick services until her departure from Ardrossan back to Campbeltown at 18:40, again overnighting upon arrival in Campbeltown at 21:20
- On a Saturday, the ferry departs Campbeltown at 07:00 and calls at Brodick on her way to Ardrossan, supporting the changeover of the largely Saturday-to-Saturday self-catering market on Arran. There are no Saturday services between Ardrossan and Campbeltown, as the vessel is used to strengthen the Arran run on this peak day of the week
- There is a single Ardrossan – Campbeltown round-trip sailing on a Sunday, which is operated on an ‘out and back’ basis. It is understood that this is popular as a tourist day tripper / mini-cruise service. On arrival back into Ardrossan at 19:35, the vessel operates a final sailing of the day to Brodick so that she is positioned to operate the first Monday morning sailing from Arran
- The timetable does not facilitate meaningful time on mainland or in Campbeltown, with the sole exception of just eight over hours in Central Scotland on a Friday
- It should be noted that time on the mainland and time on island are calculated from published timetables and may differ slightly from the interactive dashboard, which is based on actual departure and arrival times.
Connecting public transport
The interactive dashboard incorporates a detailed breakdown of onward connectivity from all ports on the network, including connecting bus and rail services and contour-based journey time mapping. Key headlines include:
- Arrivals into Ardrossan from Campbeltown are generally well-connected with onward rail services to Glasgow Central, albeit the wait time is typically around circa 45 minutes
- Services to Campbeltown are particularly well-connected with rail services. There is a 13-minute transfer time on a Thursday and Friday and 30-minutes on a Sunday. It is assumed that the check-in time for passengers arriving off of rail services is relaxed from the advertised 30-minutes
- Campbeltown has two direct flights to Glasgow on a weekday as part of an aviation Public Service Obligation procured by Transport Scotland (which it is understood was set-up primarily to provide connections to health appointments in Glasgow). This allows just shy of eight hours in Glasgow for peninsular residents and just short of nine hours in Campbeltown (less check-in and wait time at the airport). There are no flights on a Saturday and one return flight from Glasgow on a Sunday, although timetables may vary across the year
- The early morning flights and ferries from Campbeltown on a Thursday and Friday both leave relatively early, but likely serve different markets given the variance in journey times
- Citylink operates five return coach connections per day between Buchanan Street Bus Station in Glasgow and Campbeltown. The journey time is slightly over four hours on most services, although this is competitive with the ferry and train from Ardrossan Harbour when interchange is accounted for
The figures below show onward connectivity (drive times) by car from Campbeltown and Ardrossan respectively. This is broken down to journey times of 0 minutes (in blue), 1-30 minutes (in green), 31-60 minutes (in yellow), 61-90 minutes (in amber) and 91-120 minutes (in red):
Step 3: Carryings, capacity utilisation and performance
This section sets out the key route headlines with regards to carryings, capacity utilisation and performance – described in the form of answers to questions. The data / charts underlying this commentary are included in Appendix A, and detailed route specific data, including sailing-by-sailing analysis, is provided in the interactive dashboard. The appendix covers the period to the end of calendar year 2022, as a full year of 2023 sailing-by-sailing data was not available at the time of its production
What have been the key supply-side changes since 2014?
2013
- Whilst slightly outwith the ten-year horizon, it is worth noting that the Ardrossan – Campbeltown route was first introduced as a summer trial in 2013, using the second summer vessel deployed on the Ardrossan – Brodick route (MV Isle of Arran)
2014
- Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) was introduced onto the Ardrossan – Campbeltown route in October 2014. The extent of its impact on carryings is not fully understood as there was not a clear pre-intervention baseline against which to compare
2015
- The Ardrossan – Campbeltown route was retained following the trial in 2015
2020
- The route was suspended during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic
2023 and 2024
- The Ardrossan – Campbeltown route was suspended due to breakdowns elsewhere in the fleet and the redeployment of MV Isle of Arran. The chartered vessel MV Alfred does not operate to Campbeltown as she is not compatible with the linkspan at the port
How have carryings changed over time?
- Carryings on the Ardrossan – Campbeltown route have historically been very low, due to a combination of its seasonal nature, low frequency and periods of route suspension. In its peak years (2014 and 2019), the route carried circa 11,000 passengers and 3,000 cars
- The structure of the timetable means that CV and coach traffic are negligible
- Despite the challenges the route has faced, carryings were relatively consistent pre-pandemic. They have however settled at a lower-level post-pandemic, with 2022 passenger and car carryings being 77% and 93% respectively of their 2019 level
How has reliability and punctuality changed over time?
- The Ardrossan – Campbeltown route has a notably high cancellation rate, although this has varied across the years since 2014. In 2018 and 2021, over a fifth of sailings were cancelled (on what is already an infrequent timetable)
- Delays are also relatively significant for a route operated so infrequently, although again the extent of this varies across years
Why are sailings cancelled?
- The Ardrossan – Campbeltown route is operated by one of the oldest vessels in the fleet – MV Isle of Arran – and has been cancelled multiple times due to mechanical problems
- Whilst not shown in the cancellation statistics (to the best of our understanding), this route is often the first to be suspended when there is a breakdown elsewhere in the fleet, as Campbeltown has an air service and road connection to the Central Belt
- For a route of its length and exposure, comparatively few sailings are cancelled due to adverse weather, largely because the route is summer only, when the weather is more clement
Why are sailings delayed?
- Whilst a relatively high proportion of sailings are delayed, the absolute numbers are relatively small. The causes of delay are wide and varied, but most typically relate to adverse weather, knock-on-delays from a previous sailing and mechanical problems
How many days per year do services operate to timetable?
- As there is only one return sailing or fewer to Campbeltown, the percentage of days and sailings operating to timetable are broadly similar. On average, around three quarters of sailings operate to timetable
How often has the vehicle deck been full or nearly full?
- Capacity utilisation is not routinely a problem on the Campbeltown service. That said, around 10%-15% of sailings per annum operate at or near vehicle deck capacity. The data suggests that these higher utilisation sailings are relatively evenly distributed across the summer
Forthcoming Changes
With MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa scheduled for introduction onto the Arran route in 2025, it was unclear at the time of production of this report if or how the Campbeltown service will be operated in summer 2025. Any Community Needs Assessment for the Kintyre Peninsula will need to be updated to account for the position at that time.