Lochboisdale – Mallaig / Oban

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.

Key supply-side changes since 2014

In order to understand recent route trends with regards to carryings, capacity utilisation and performance, it is important to record the primary supply-side changes over the last decade or so.

2015

Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) was introduced on the Mallaig - Armadale route in October 2015. This led to the average passenger and car fares being reduced by 39% and 60% respectively, significant reductions in both proportional and absolute terms, as detailed on page 18 of Transport Scotland’s Evaluation of Road Equivalent Tariff on the Clyde and Hebridean Network.

2016

There was a major change in vessel deployment in summer 2016. MV Coruisk was reallocated to the Oban – Craignure route and replaced by the Loch Class vessels MV Lochinvar and MV Loch Bhrusda. This first introduced the tidal timetable to the route and provoked widespread criticism from the Sleat community
The Loch Class vessels were supplemented by MV Lord of the Isles, which operated three Mallaig – Armadale crossings in between her Lochboisdale – Mallaig duties. MV Lord of the Isles however is towards the larger end of vessels which can operate to and from Mallaig and she was subject to some disruption in inclement weather

2017

MV Loch Fyne, one of the largest of the Loch Class fleet, entered service on the route in 2017, working alongside MV Lord of the Isles. MV Lochinvar returned to Lochaline – Fishnish. This became the settled vessel deployment until MV Coruisk returned to the route in 2022.

2022

MV Coruisk returned to the route in 2022 when she was displaced from the Oban – Craignure route by MV Loch Frisa. When originally operating on the route prior to her redeployment to the Oban – Craignure route, she did so in isolation. However, continued route growth, driven in large part by RET, means that she is now supported by MV Loch Fyne in the summer as previously described
The Mallaig – Lochboisdale route was split from the Mallaig – Armadale route and now operates entirely independently.

How have carryings changed over time?

Passenger carryings had been growing strongly prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing by 28% between 2014 and 2019. However, passenger numbers have not fully recovered from the pandemic, standing at only 70% of their 2019 level in 2022
Car carryings grew strongly following the introduction of RET in October 2015 and, by 2019, were 43% higher than in 2014 (although the CHFS RET Evaluation suggested that this rate of growth would have been higher had the issues with vessel deployment not arose). Car carryings have also not fully recovered their 2019 level, standing at 76% of their 2019 level in 2022
As with many routes on the network, the reclassification of the length at which a vehicle is defined as ‘commercial’ from five metres to six metres when RET was introduced has led to a sharp reduction in the number of CVs carried. The impact was particularly marked on this route, with 66% fewer CVs carried in 2019 relative to 2014 and the downward trend has continued post-pandemic, with only 34% of the 2019 CV carryings moved in 2022. That said, it is understood that much of the loss of traffic between 2014 and 2019 was a consequence of the vessel deployment on the route and the tidal timetable operated. Moreover, CV carryings on this route are low in absolute terms, even in 2014 when only 382 were carried
Coach traffic was prominent on this route prior to the pandemic, with almost 2,500 coaches carried in 2019, a 15% growth from 2014. This traffic has though almost halved since the pandemic, with coach carryings at only 57% of their 2019 level in 2022
The Mallaig – Armadale route has therefore been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, and carryings in 2022 remained depressed despite the summer return of MV Coruisk in that year

How has reliability and punctuality changed over time?

On the face of it, cancellations on the Mallaig – Armadale route had been relatively steady between 2014 and 2020 before a significant increase in 2021 and 2022. The large increase was almost entirely attributable to ‘Scot Gov approved’, which it is understood was in part due to MV Lord of the Isles being redeployed to cover breakdowns elsewhere on the network (although it is not understood if this accounts for all of these cancellations)
Delays have not followed any particular pattern but were very prominent in 2016 at the point when the vessel deployment was at its most unsettled

Why are sailings cancelled?

Outwith ‘Scot Gov’ approved, the most common reason for cancellations is adverse weather – the rate of these cancellations has been fairly consistent between 2014 and 2024. MV Lord of the Isles was particularly susceptible to cancellation for this reason, as she first had to make the crossing from Lochboisdale (and get back in the evening) and manoeuvre in the tight harbour at Mallaig

Why are sailings delayed?

By some distance, the most common cause of delay since 2016 has been ‘operational’ reasons. It is assumed that this is a consequence of the tidal timetable that had to be introduced when the new vessel deployment took effect. That said, there is a ‘high / low tide’ category in the data, which does not feature particularly prominently
‘Knock-on delay’ and ‘loading / loading related delay’ are also relatively common causes of delay. This was particularly prominent in 2022 when the rate of cancelled sailings was at its greatest, putting pressure on the other available sailings

How many days per year do services operate to timetable?

Since 2017 (and excluding the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021), around two thirds of days have operated to timetable (i.e., all sailings on that day arrived on time). This figure however reduced to 34% in 2022
The Mallaig - Armadale route is however very intensively operated in summer, and a better measure here is the percentage of individual sailings operated to time. This has generally been around 90% but again reduced to 74% in 2022, reflecting disruption on the route

How often has the vehicle deck been full or nearly full?

2014-2022

The Mallaig – Armadale route has been fairly consistent in terms of vehicle capacity utilisation over the last decade. Since 2018, around 45%-55% of sailings have had a load factor in excess of 75%, with around a quarter of sailings being effectively full, although this increased to 38% Capacity can therefore be a problem on the route, particularly as much of the traffic is concentrated on certain peak sailings in the day
2022 was a particularly problematic year, reflecting the significant disruption on the route
Passenger capacity is not routinely a problem

2022 by month

As with many routes on the network, utilisation challenges are at their most acute in the summer months. Whilst 2022 is perhaps not wholly representative due to disruption on the route, around 70%-75% of sailings between May and August had a load factor in excess of 75%, with around a half of sailings being effectively full
Mallaig – Armadale is a slightly unusual route in that vehicle deck capacity can also be under pressure in winter due a combination of the much-reduced timetable and the deployment of a smaller vessel, MV Lochnevis

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

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 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.

The table below allocates the Lochboisdale – Mallaig / Oban route to its relevant Route Service Level for both the winter and summer timetables, with commentary provided in the following sections.

Table 24.2: Allocation of Lochboisdale – Mallaig / Oban route to levels
Timetable/Route Service Level	Level A	Level B	Level C	Level D	Level E	Level F	Level G
Winter	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Summer	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No

Categorisation of waters

The Lochboisdale – Mallaig / Oban 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 detailed in the Merchant Shipping Notice, (MSN) 1877 (M) Amendment 1.

The Lochboisdale – Mallaig / Oban 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.

Length of operating day

Winter

The table below summarises the length of the operating day and week on the Lochboisdale – Mallaig / Oban route:

Categorisation of waters

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 detailed in the Merchant Shipping Notice, (MSN) 1877 (M) Amendment 1.

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.

Length of operating day

Winter

The table below summarises the length of the operating day and week on the Lochboisdale – Mallaig / Oban route:

Table 24.3: MV *Lord of the Isles* – Lochboisdale – Mallaig / Oban, length of operating day – winter (hh:mm)
Day	Start-Up	Sailing-Day	Close Down	Length of operating day
Monday	1:00	11:30	0:30	13:00
Tuesday	0:00	0:00	0:00	0:00
Wednesday	1:00	7:40	0:30	9:10
Thursday	0:00	0:00	0:00	0:00
Friday	1:00	11:25	0:30	12:55
Saturday	1:00	7:40	0:30	9:10
Sunday	1:00	7:40	0:30	9:10
Total	5:00	45:55	2:30	53:25

The Lochboisdale / Mallaig – Oban service operates with a single vessel-based crew. The winter timetable on this route is relatively relaxed (compared to the much more intensive summer timetable). The ‘no service days’ on a Tuesday and Thursday help from a resilience point of view, as they allow some flexibility in the operation and also allow drills and maintenance to take place (so they are not ‘zero hour’ days from a crew working day perspective).

Summer

The table below summarises the length of the standard summer operating day and week on the Lochboisdale – Mallaig route in the summer:

Table 24.4: MV *Lord of the Isles* – Lochboisdale - Mallaig, length of operating day – summer (hh:mm)
Day	Start-Up	Sailing-Day	Close Down	Length of operating day
Monday	1:00	15:45	0:30	17:15
Tuesday	1:00	7:50	0:30	9:20
Wednesday	1:00	7:40	0:30	9:10
Thursday	1:00	15:45	0:30	17:15
Friday	1:00	7:50	0:30	9:20
Saturday	1:00	15:40	0:30	17:10
Sunday	1:00	7:50	0:30	9:20
Total	7:00	78:20	3:30	88:50

The summer timetable on the Mallaig – Lochboisdale route is more intensive than the winter timetable, particularly on a Monday, Thursday and Saturday, when a double rotation to Mallaig is operated. The later start and single rotation on the other days of the week does however provide adequate rest for crew across the week.

On the longer operating days in the summer timetable period, crew breaks are staggered across the day to ensure that all crew have the necessary breaks. However, it is understood that, given the challenging nature of the ports of Lochboisdale and Mallaig, the Master will generally see the vessel into and out of these ports.

Route specific characteristics

When MV Lord of the Isles is out of service for scheduled drydocking or any other reasons, all services are operated to Oban (i.e., the Mallaig service is suspended). This is because MV Lord of the Isles is the only ship in the ‘Major Vessels’ fleet that can berth in Mallaig
MV Lord of the Isles is a highly versatile vessel and, in the event of a breakdown elsewhere on the network, she is generally cascaded to other routes, as Uist has an alternative route to the mainland. This has at times impacted on the route fully establishing itself as a reliable connection
Lochboisdale is a challenging port to berth in – the vessel manoeuvring and turning area is constrained by shallows in very close proximity. This creates a navigational safety risk (albeit one which is managed) which is exacerbated in unfavourable weather conditions and low tides
MV Lord of the Isles overnights in Lochboisdale. She cannot generally lie in Mallaig and there are few other diversionary ports if she cannot get back into Lochboisdale. Armadale has been used on a handful of occasions but is not an ideal overnight berth, whilst Lochmaddy is a (somewhat distant) option if MV Hebrides is not lying there. This lack of diversion ports means that, prior to departing Lochboisdale in the morning, the Master has to be confident that he can get the vessel back alongside in the evening, bearing in mind that Lochboisdale itself is a challenging port to operate to and from. Where he is not confident of this, the service may either be cancelled or brought forward
There is limited commercial vehicle traffic using this route. This is because the A830 to / from Mallaig includes three railway bridges with height restrictions at 4.1m, which is too low for general commercial freight traffic using some standard trailer equipment. Regular freight to / from Mallaig is moved in vehicles configured to operate at lower heights

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.

Winter Connections

The tables below summarise the first departure, last arrival, number of connections per day and time on mainland / island:

Table 24.5(a): Lochboisdale – Mallaig / Oban winter timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
First departure	05:20	Not applicable	09:40	Not applicable	05:20	09:40	09:40
Last arrival	16:50	Not applicable	17:20	Not applicable	16:45	17:20	17:20
No. of sailings	1	0	1	0	1	1	1
Time on mainland	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Time on island	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil

Table 24.5(b): Mallaig / Oban - Lochboisdale winter timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
First departure	11:20	Not applicable	13:50	N/A	Not applicable	13:50	13:50
Last arrival	10:50	Not applicable	13:10	N/A	Not applicable	13:10	13:10
No. of sailings	1	0	1	0	1	1	1
Time on mainland	00:30	Nil	00:40	Nil	00:45	00:40	00:40
Time on island	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil

The key points of note from the above tables are as follows:

The service operates to Oban on a Monday and Friday, departing early in the morning and returning late afternoon
On a Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, the service operates to Mallaig. Given the shorter crossing time, it leaves Lochboisdale mid-morning and returns for around the same time as the Oban service
There are no sailings from Lochboisdale on a winter Tuesday or Thursday
All sailings are operated on an ‘out and back’ basis, so there is no meaningful time on-island or mainland in either direction
Time on 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.

Summer Connections

The tables below summarise the first departure, last arrival, number of connections per day and time on mainland / island:

Table 24.6(a): Lochboisdale - Mallaig summer timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
First departure	05:45	09:40	09:40	05:45	09:40	05:50	09:30
Last arrival	21:30	17:30	17:20	21:30	17:30	21:30	17:20
No. of sailings	2	1	1	2	1	2	1
Time on mainland	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Time on island	00:40	Nil	Nil	00:30	Nil	00:35	Nil

Table 24.6(b): Mallaig - Lochboisdale summer timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
First departure	09:50	14:00	13:50	10:05	14:00	09:55	13:50
Last arrival	17:30	13:10	13:10	17:35	13:10	17:30	13:00
No. of sailings	2	1	1	2	1	2	1
Time on mainland	08:45	00:50	00:40	08:45	00:50	08:40	00:50
Time on island	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil

The key points of note from the above tables are as follows:

Unlike the winter months, there are seven-day sailings on this route, all of which operate to Mallaig
On a summer Monday, Thursday and Saturday, there are two return crossings per day. This provides a significant amount of time on mainland for South Uist residents, such that it would be possible to attend, for example, a health appointment or leisure activity in Fort William (albeit it is a very long day return)

Connecting public transport

In Oban in winter:
- There is an 08:35 train arrival into Oban which allows passengers to connect with the 11:15 / 11:20 departures to Lochboisdale on a Monday and Friday. The 10:50 ferry arrival into Oban allows passengers to connect with the 12:07 train to Glasgow Queen Street
- Coach connections to and from Glasgow do not align particularly well will the ferry. The ferry arrives at 10:50 but the next coach does not depart until 12:55
In Mallaig in winter:
- The arriving ferry from Lochboisdale (13:10) has a lengthy wait for the connecting train (16:04)
- However, there is a 13:35 train arrival into Mallaig which allows connections with the 13:50 departure to Lochboisdale, assuming check-in times are relaxed for these passengers
- Connecting bus services to and from Fort William do not connect particularly well with the Lochboisdale ferry. The ferry arrives in Mallaig at 13:10 but the next bus to Fort William does not depart until 15:30
In Mallaig in summer:
- On double rotation days (Monday, Thursday and Saturday), 09:15 ferry arrival into Mallaig connects with the 10:10 train departure to Glasgow Queen Street. The later arrival on those days (17:30 or 17:35 does not however allow for onward connections beyond Fort William)
- There are connecting rail services from Fort William (morning sailing) and Glasgow Queen Street (evening sailing) on double rotation days, but this depends on the passenger check-in time not being rigorously enforced
  - The 15:40 bus departure from Fort William allows for a connection with the 18:00 departure from Mallaig on a Monday and Thursday
  - On single rotation days, the onward rail connectivity is similar to that offered in winter, although there is an extra ten minutes of connectional allowance on a Tuesday and Friday as the ferry sails at 14:00 rather than 13:50
- The W17 bus provides the only onward public transport connection in Lochboisdale, but does not meet the early morning departure or late evening arrivals in summer
- Benbecula has direct commercially operated flights to Glasgow and Inverness
- There is also a Public Service Obligation air service between Benbecula and Stornoway, operated by Hebridean Air Services. There are two rotations per day on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, allowing for a day-return trip to Stornoway

The figure below shows onward connectivity (drive times) by car from Lochboisdale and Mallaig (Oban is omitted as the secondary port on the route). This is broken down to journey times of 1-30 minutes (in green), 31-60 minutes (in yellow), 61-90 minutes (in amber) and 91-120 minutes (in red):

Figure 24.1 - Onward journey times by car from Lochboisdale and Mallaig, as described in the text above — Figure 24.1 - Onward journey times by car from Lochboisdale and Mallaig

Step 3: Carryings, capacity utilisation and performance

What have been the key supply-side changes since 2014?

In order to understand recent route trends with regards to carryings, capacity utilisation and performance, it is important to record the primary supply-side changes over the last decade or so.

2013

A twice per week (Tuesday and Saturday) winter pilot service was introduced in November between Lochboisdale and Mallaig using MV Lord of the Isles. This realised in part a long-term aspiration of the South Uist community for the reestablishment of a link to Mallaig. RET fares applied to this route from its inauguration

2016

As part of a wider vessel redeployment, MV Lord of the Isles was cascaded to Lochboisdale, permitting the operation of a year-round Lochboisdale – Mallaig service, with a daily summer connection between South Uist and Mallaig and mixed Mallaig and Oban connections in the winter
As part of this redeployment, MV Lord of the Isles also operated the Mallaig – Armadale service in the summer timetable period between Lochboisdale runs and alongside a Loch Class vessel

2018

Following a breakdown of MV Clansman, MV Lord of the Isles was redeployed to other routes for a part of the 2018 summer timetable for circa two months. The Mallaig service was suspended throughout this period, with a partial service from Lochboisdale to Oban introduced after several weeks without a service

2022

The Mallaig – Lochboisdale route was split from the Mallaig – Armadale route and now operates entirely independently

2023 and 2024

The Lochboisdale - Mallaig route has been subject to disruption throughout 2023 and 2024 due to a range of breakdowns across the fleet