Mallaig – Small Isles

Headline route information

  • Mainland port: Mallaig
  • Island port: Canna, Eigg, Muck and Rum
  • Check-in-time: 30-minutes prior to departure for cars, 20-minutes for passengers
  • Crossing time from Mallaig (Direct):
    • Canna: 2 hours and 5 minutes
    • Eigg: 1 hour and 20 minutes
    • Muck: 1 hour and 45 minutes
    • Rum: 1 hour and 5 minutes
  • Vessels: MV Lochnevis
  • Overnight berth: Mallaig

Overview

The Mallaig – Small Isles route is served by the Mallaig-based vessel MV Lochnevis. The service operates to the islands of Canna, Eigg, Muck and Rum (collectively known as the Small Isles) on a broadly circular basis, although it does not call at each island on every rotation. The timetable varies by day, with different combinations of calls across the week. 

MV Lochnevis is shared with the Mallaig – Armadale route in the winter months.

Step 1: Route Service Level

The table below sets out the incremental ‘Route Service Levels’ which have been developed for this methodology:

Table 22.1: Route Service Level definitions
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 Mallaig – Small Isles route to its relevant Route Service Level for both the winter and summer timetables, with commentary provided in the following sections.

Table 22.2: Allocation of Mallaig – Small Isles route to levels
Timetable/Route Service Level Level A Level B Level C Level D Level E Level F Level G
Winter Yes No No No No No No
Summer No No Yes No No No No

Categorisation of waters

The Mallaig – Small Isles 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.

It is our understanding MV Lochnevis is not classed as a CFL ‘Major Vessel’ but she operates on the same principles. 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 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 Mallaig – Small Isles route. The times presented cover the combined Mallaig – Small Isles and Mallaig – Armadale roster:

Table 22.3: MV Lochnevis – Mallaig – Small Isles, length of operating day – winter (hh:mm)
Day Start-Up Sailing-Day Close Down Length of operating day
Monday 1:00 8:50 0:30 10:20
Tuesday 1:00 9:10 0:30 10:40
Wednesday 1:00 8:35 0:30 10:05
Thursday 1:00 9:10 0:30 10:40
Friday 1:00 8:35 0:30 10:05
Saturday 1:00 8:50 0:30 10:20
Sunday 1:00 8:15 0:30 9:45
Total 7:00 61:25 3:30 71:55

MV Lochnevis operates with a single live aboard crew which can operate the timetable (both Mallaig – Small Isles and Mallaig – Armadale in winter) within the regulatory maximum hours.

Summer

The table below summarises the length of the operating day and week for MV Lochnevis in summer:

Table 22.4: MV Lochnevis – Mallaig – Small Isles, length of operating day – summer (hh:mm)
Day Start-Up Sailing-Day Close Down Length of operating day
Monday 1:00 8:40 0:30 10:10
Tuesday 1:00 5:50 0:30 7:20
Wednesday 1:00 8:00 0:30 9:30
Thursday 1:00 5:00 0:30 6:30
Friday 1:00 10:45 0:30 12:15
Saturday 1:00 12:20 0:30 13:50
Sunday 1:00 10:00 0:30 11:30
Total 7:00 60:35 3:30 71:05

The summer crewing arrangements are the same as the winter.

Route specific characteristics

  • MV Lochnevis is specially designed for the Small Isles route, with a lengthy stern ramp designed to allow her to load directly from any slipway in the island group without the risk of her grounding
  • Despite the major improvement to the service when MV Lochnevis was introduced in 2001, serving four relatively distant islands in a single crew day makes it difficult to operate a daily and frequent service. It is understood that Small Isles residents and visitors to the isles routinely charter vessels for journeys (provided by local leisure operators)
  • Only those in receipt of a permit – typically residents and contractors – can take their car to the Small Isles
  • Vehicular traffic is prohibited from the Small Isles unless the vehicle owner is in receipt of a permit and the road infrastructure on the islands cannot generally accommodate a standard HGV. CFL therefore operates a trans-shipment ‘loose freight’ service at Mallaig. Any freight for the islands is deposited at Mallaig Harbour. CFL consolidate this freight into a van or, for larger pieces, a flatbed. Some containers and pallets are lifted directly onto the deck using a forklift. Fares for loose freight are based on highly disaggregated weight bandings, with a general tonnage rate. The operation of this service is a condition of the Clyde and Hebridean Ferry Services contract
  • A tidal timetable operated on the Small Isles route on 19 days in the 2023 summer timetable. When the tidal timetable is in operation, the timing of sailings in the regular timetable is amended to reflect tidal conditions

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

In the winter timetable period, the Mallaig – Small Isles route is operated on a shared basis with the Mallaig – Armadale route. The tables below summarise the first departure, last arrival, number of connections per day and time on mainland / island.

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.

Table 22.5(a): Mallaig – Canna winter timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure Not Applicable 09:50 Not Applicable 09:50 Not Applicable Not Applicable 09:00
Last arrival Not Applicable 15:50 Not Applicable 15:50 Not Applicable Not Applicable 15:30
No. of sailings 0 1 0 1 0 0 1
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Time on island Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Table 22.5(b): Canna – Mallaig winter timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure Not Applicable 13:00 Not Applicable 13:00 Not Applicable Not Applicable 13:25
Last arrival Not Applicable 12:40 Not Applicable 12:40 Not Applicable Not Applicable 11:05
No. of sailings 0 1 0 1 0 0 1
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Time on island Nil 00:20 Nil 00:20 Nil Nil 02:20

Canna only receives three sailings per week in the winter, the lowest of any island in the network. All services are operated on an ‘out and back’ basis meaning that there is no meaningful time in Mallaig or in Canna, except on a Sunday when MV Lochnevis lies at the berth for 2h20m.

Table 22.6(a): Mallaig – Eigg winter timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure 10:15 Not Applicable 10:15 Not Applicable 10:15 10:15 09:00
Last arrival 15:55 Not Applicable 15:15 Not Applicable 15:15 15:55 15:30
No. of sailings 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Time on island Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Table 22.6(b): Eigg - Mallaig winter timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure 11:55 Not Applicable 11:55 Not Applicable 11:55 14:35 Not Applicable
Last arrival 11:35 Not Applicable 13:35 Not Applicable 13:35 14:15 Not Applicable
No. of sailings 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Time on island 00:20 Nil 02:20 Nil 02:20 00:20 Nil

Eigg has four sailings per week in the winter months. On a Wednesday and Friday, MV Lochnevis calls at Eigg first and last on its circuit providing 2h20m meaningful time on the island.

Table 22.7(a): Mallaig – Muck winter timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure 10:15 Not Applicable 10:15 Not Applicable 10:15 10:15 Not Applicable
Last arrival 15:55 Not Applicable 15:15 Not Applicable 15:15 15:55 Not Applicable
No. of sailings 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Time on island Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Table 22.7(b): Muck - Mallaig winter timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure 12:55 Not Applicable 12:55 Not Applicable 12:55 13:35 Not Applicable
Last arrival 12:35 Not Applicable 12:35 Not Applicable 12:35 13:15 Not Applicable
No. of sailings 1 0 1 0 1 1 0
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Time on island 00:20 Nil 00:20 Nil 00:20 00:20 Nil

Muck has four sailings per week in the winter timetable. However, unlike Eigg, all sailings are operated on an ‘out and back’ basis, so there is no opportunity for meaningful time on-island or in Mallaig, necessitating overnight stays.

Table 22.8(a): Mallaig – Rum winter timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure 10:15 09:50 Not Applicable 09:50 Not Applicable 10:15 09:00
Last arrival 15:55 15:50 Not Applicable 15:50 Not Applicable 15:55 15:30
No. of sailings 1 1 0 1 0 1 0
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Time on island Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Table 22.8(b): Rum - Mallaig winter timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure 14:30 11:35 Not Applicable 11:35 Not Applicable 12:00 Not Applicable
Last arrival 14:10 14:05 Not Applicable 14:05 Not Applicable 11:40 Not Applicable
No. of sailings 1 1 0 1 0 1 0
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Time on island 00:20 03:10 Nil 03:10 Nil 00:20 Nil

Rum has five sailings per week in the winter months. On a Tuesday and Thursday, MV Lochnevis calls at Rum first and last on its circuit providing 3h10m meaningful time on the island.

Length of Operating Day

Summer Connections

As noted in the introduction, the Small Isles benefit from the exclusive use of MV Lochnevis in the summer months, allowing more than one rotation to be operated on certain days of the week.

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

Table 22.9(a): Mallaig – Canna summer timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure 10:10 Not Applicable 09:55 Not Applicable 12:45 07:35 09:10
Last arrival 18:50 Not Applicable 17:55 Not Applicable 18:45 19:55 19:10
No. of sailings 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil 00:50 Nil
Time on island Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Table 22.9(b): Canna - Mallaig summer timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure 14:40 Not Applicable 15:05 Not Applicable 15:55 10:45 12:20
Last arrival 14:20 Not Applicable 12:45 Not Applicable 15:35 17:30 12:00
No. of sailings 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Time on island 00:20 Nil 02:20 Nil 00:20 07:25 00:20

Canna receives six sailings per week in the summer, three more than in the winter timetable period. On a Wednesday, MV Lochnevis lies over in Canna for a period, providing 2h20m of meaningful time on island. On a Saturday, there are two sailings to Canna, which provide 7h25 minutes on island. However, there is no meaningful time in Mallaig, as the vessel is only in port for around 50 minutes between Small Isles rotations.

Table 22.10(a): Mallaig – Eigg summer timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure 10:10 09:55 Not Applicable 10:20 08:00 13:20 14:45
Last arrival 18:50 15:45 Not Applicable 17:55 12:25 19:55 19:10
No. of sailings 1 1 0 1 1 1 1
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Time on island Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Table 22.10(b): Eigg - Mallaig summer timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure 11:50 13:00 Not Applicable 13:00 11:05 15:00 16:25
Last arrival 17:10 12:40 Not Applicable 12:40 10:45 14:40 16:05
No. of sailings 1 1 0 1 1 1 1
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Time on island 06:00 00:20 Nil 02:20 00:20 00:20 00:20

Eigg has six sailings per week in the summer, two more than in the winter timetable period. On a Monday and Thusrday, MV Lochnevis calls at Eigg first and last on its circuit. This provides circa six hours of meaningful time on-island on a Monday and 2h20m on a Thursday.

Table 22.11(a): Mallaig – Muck summer timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure N/A 09:55 Not Applicable 10:20 08:00 Not Applicable 14:45
Last arrival N/A 15:45 Not Applicable 15:20 12:25 Not Applicable 19:10
No. of sailings 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Time on island Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Table 22.11(b): Muck - Mallaig summer timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure N/A 12:00 Not Applicable 13:00 10:05 Not Applicable 17:05
Last arrival N/A 13:40 Not Applicable 12:40 09:45 Not Applicable 17:25
No. of sailings 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Time on island Nil 02:20 Nil 00:20 00:20 Nil 00:20

As per the winter timetable, Muck has four sailings per week in the summer. The key difference in summer however is that, on a Tuesday, there is a small amount of meaningful time on-island available, 2h 20m.

Table 22.12(a): Mallaig – Rum summer timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure 10:10 Not Applicable 09:55 Not Applicable 12:45 07:35 09:10
Last arrival 18:50 Not Applicable 17:55 Not Applicable 18:45 19:55 14:25
No. of sailings 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil 00:30 Nil
Time on island Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Table 22.12(b): Rum - Mallaig summer timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun
First departure 13:15 N/A 11:40 N/A 14:30 09:20 10:55
Last arrival 15:45 N/A 16:10 N/A 17:00 16:05 10:35
No. of sailings 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Time on mainland Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Time on island 03:10 Nil 05:10 Nil 02:50 07:25 00:20

Rum has six sailings per week in the summer months, two more than in the winter. The timetable however is much improved as there is meaningful time on-island four days per week - on a Monday (3h 10m), Wednesday (5h 10m), Friday (2h 50m) and Saturday (7h 25m) – compared to two days per week in winter.

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:

  • As there is no meaningful time on mainland for any of the islands across the week, all trips require at least one overnight stay, unless using a charter vessel to return to the Small Isles
  • From Monday to Thursday year-round (and a winter Friday and Saturday), 09:38 train arrival into Mallaig from Fort William meets with the Small Isles service (albeit this assumes a relaxation of the passenger check-in time on a winter Tuesday and Thursday and a summer Tuesday and Wednesday
  • All winter arrivals into Mallaig connect with the 16:04 train departure from Mallaig to Glasgow Queen Street, although the connection time is tight on several days (circa ten minutes). The ferry connects with the train well on some days in the summer, but the more intensive sailing schedule, including the double rotations on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday make this more difficult
  • Bus services to / from Fort William do not connect particularly well with the Small Isles ferry

The figure below shows onward connectivity (drive times) by car from Mallaig (and the Small Isles). 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):

As described in text, onward journey times by car from Mallaig and the Small Isles.
Figure 22.1: Onward journey times by car from Mallaig and the Small Isles

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. Note that the data will count individual legs separately, so Mallaig - Muck, Muck – Rum, Rum – Eigg and so forth.

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 onto the Mallaig – Small Isles route in October 2015. This led to the average passenger and car fares being reduced by 58% and 68% 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.

How have carryings changed over time?

  • It is important to note at the outset that both passenger and vehicle carryings on the Small Isles route are very low in absolute terms. In 2022, the route only carried circa 22,000 passengers, whilst car carryings were only circa 3,000 given the restrictions of taking a vehicle on the service
  • Passenger carryings had been steady prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing by 2% between 2014 and 2019. However, passenger numbers are well below their pre-pandemic level, standing at only 60% of their 2019 level in 2022. This is likely because CFL stopped operating non-landing cruises post-pandemic at the request of island residents, as this was having a negative impact on passenger capacity
  • Car carryings grew strongly following the introduction of RET in October 2015 and, by 2019, were 60% higher than in 2014. This was a very small increase in absolute terms, but the introduction of reduced fares provided island residents with increased opportunities to take their car on the ferry through reducing the cost of doing so
  • CV carryings are very low, with CFL acting as the ‘haulier’ for the island. There has been a gradual decline in CV movements since 2014 which may reflect the RET-related redefinition of the length at which a vehicle becomes a CV from five metres to six metres. It could though also just reflect background economic activity and project work in the islands

How has reliability and punctuality changed over time?

  • The Mallaig – Small Isles route is highly exposed to the weather and subject to cancellation. The number of cancellations therefore varies by year, but stood at around 10% in 2021 and 2022
  • Delays have also been growing steadily in number in recent years, with a particularly significant level of delay experienced in 2021 and 2022 – around a fifth of all sailing legs were late. It should be borne in mind however that the data covers each individual leg of a sailing, so this number is overstated for the route if taken as a whole

Why are sailings cancelled?

  • Adverse weather accounts for the vast majority of cancellations on the Mallaig – Small Isles route
  • There has been a small but steady increase in the number of cancellations due to mechanical problems in recent years. There is however a more general resilience risk on the Small Isles route as MV Lochnevis is the only vessel which can routinely operate it, albeit other vessels such as MV Loch Bhrusda can occasionally stand in. CFL does occasionally charter local passenger vessels to operate the service but these are not conventional ferry services (and it is unclear whether they are captured in the cancellation data)

Why are sailings delayed?

  • Prior to 2021, one of the main causes of delay on the route was a knock-on delay from a previous sailing. However, it should be borne in mind that the multi-leg nature of the route means that several sailings can be categorised as delayed due to a single late departure from e.g., Mallaig
  • Adverse weather is the other significant contributory factor to delay
  • In 2021 and 2022, there were a significant number of delays for “Other” and “Operational” reasons, although it is not entirely clear what these relate to

How many days per year do services operate to timetable?

  • The weather affected nature of the Mallaig – Small Isles route has meant that the number of sailing days that have operated to timetable (i.e., all sailings on that day arrived on time) is variable across the years, ranging from just 43% in 2022 to 74% in 2016
  • The number of individual sailings (or, more accurately, sailing legs) operated to time has followed a broadly similar pattern. This is to be expected given that there is only a single rotation on almost all sailing days. The overall numbers are however higher (e.g., 69% in 2019 and 88% in 2016), which suggests that it is only delays on one or two individual legs of the route that cause the sailing to be late overall

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

2014-2022

  • Vehicle deck capacity is not routinely an issue on the route, with only circa 10% of sailings with a vehicle deck utilisation of over 75% in most years. Around 5%-7% of sailings or fewer are effectively full each year, and this pattern has been broadly consistent over time
  • The above said, with a very low service frequency, the inability to secure a booking can lead to a significant delay to travel for anyone needing to take a car
  • It is our understanding that passenger capacity on this route was at times problematic in the summer following the introduction of RET due to tourists buying tickets for non-landing cruises. This practice was discontinued post-pandemic and passenger capacity is less of an issue

2022 by month

  • Capacity problems tend to be concentrated in the winter months, potentially because each island has fewer connections across the week