Oban - Colonsay
Headline route information
- Mainland port: Oban
- Island port: Scalasaig, Colonsay
- Check-in-time: 30-minutes prior to departure for passengers and cars
- Crossing time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Vessels:
- MV Clansman (primary year-round vessel shared with Oban – Coll / Tiree)
- MV Finlaggan (winter)
- MV Hebridean Isles (summer)
- Overnight berth: Oban, for the primary vessel serving the route, MV Clansman
Introduction
The Oban – Colonsay route is complex, served as it is by two shared vessels, MV Clansman, which also operates to Coll and Tiree and MV Finlaggan (winter) and MV Hebridean Isles (summer), which operate the Kennacraig – Islay run. The timetable is therefore a compromise between the needs of several different islands and is irregular across the week and year.
It should be noted that the versatility of MV Clansman means that she is routinely used around the network in winter for drydock cover. When she is not operating the Colonsay, Coll and Tiree routes, several other vessels such as MV Isle of Arran, MV Lord of the Isles and MV Isle of Mull step in.
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 |
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 Oban - Colonsay route to its relevant Route Service Level for both the winter and summer timetables, with commentary provided in the following sections.
| 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 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
In both winter and summer, Colonsay is served by shared vessels. As will be described below, the route becomes a ‘Level B’ in summer because the primary vessel which operates the route, MV Clansman, operates with additional crew to provide the long operating day required to meet the collective needs of Colonsay, Coll and Tiree.
Categorisation of waters
The Oban - Colonsay 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 noted in the Merchant Shipping Notice, (MSN) 1877 (M) Amendment 1.
The Oban - Colonsay 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.
Length of operating day
Winter
The tables below summarise the length of the operating day and week on the Oban – Colonsay route. As previously noted, the service is operated by vessels shared with other routes - for the avoidance of doubt, the table reflects the total hours of the vessel across the week over the different routes it operates, rather than just Colonsay alone.
| Day | Start-Up | Sailing-Day | Close Down | Length of operating day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 1:00 | 11:40 | 1:00 | 13:40 |
| Tuesday | 1:00 | 8:45 | 1:00 | 10:45 |
| Wednesday | 1:00 | 4:45 | 1:00 | 6:45 |
| Thursday | 1:00 | 8:45 | 1:00 | 10:45 |
| Friday | 1:00 | 5:15 | 1:00 | 7:15 |
| Saturday | 1:00 | 16:20 | 1:00 | 18:20 |
| Sunday | 1:00 | 8:45 | 1:00 | 10:45 |
| Total | 7:00 | 64:15 | 7:00 | 78:15 |
| Day | Start-Up | Sailing-Day | Close Down | Length of operating day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 1:00 | 14:40 | 1:00 | 16:40 |
| Tuesday | 1:00 | 14:40 | 1:00 | 16:40 |
| Wednesday | 1:00 | 14:40 | 1:00 | 16:40 |
| Thursday | 1:00 | 14:40 | 1:00 | 16:40 |
| Friday | 1:00 | 14:40 | 1:00 | 16:40 |
| Saturday | 1:00 | 9:40 | 1:00 | 11:40 |
| Sunday | 1:00 | 11:55 | 1:00 | 13:55 |
| Total | 7:00 | 94:55 | 7:00 | 108:55 |
MV Clansman and substitute vessels operate with a single live aboard crew that can deliver the winter Coll, Tiree and Colonsay services within the maximum permitted hours.
Whilst overall hours are comfortably within the weekly maximum, it can be seen from the table above that the Saturday hours exceed those which a single crew can deliver in a day and rest therefore needs to be managed. This is done through rolling rest periods across the day or, in the case of the Deck team, most will be resting for a couple of hours on passage, whilst ensuring sufficient lookouts and watchkeepers are on duty.
MV Finlaggan operates well beyond the 91-hour week. This is managed through a core vessel-based crew supplemented by shore-based crew who are either local or make use of ‘Bunkabin’ (shore-based) accommodation.
Summer
The tables below summarise the length of the operating day and week on the Oban – Colonsay route. As previously noted, the service is operated by vessels shared with other routes - for the avoidance of doubt, the table reflects the total hours of the vessel across the week over the different routes it operates, rather than just Colonsay alone.
| Day | Start-Up | Sailing-Day | Close Down | Length of operating day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 1:00 | 13:50 | 1:00 | 15:50 |
| Tuesday | 1:00 | 13:40 | 1:00 | 15:40 |
| Wednesday | 1:00 | 14:15 | 1:00 | 16:15 |
| Thursday | 1:00 | 14:05 | 1:00 | 16:05 |
| Friday | 1:00 | 14:55 | 1:00 | 16:55 |
| Saturday | 1:00 | 16:25 | 1:00 | 18:25 |
| Sunday | 1:00 | 14:15 | 1:00 | 16:15 |
| Total | 7:00 | 101:25 | 7:00 | 115:25 |
| Day | Start-Up | Sailing-Day | Close Down | Length of operating day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 1:00 | 12:55 | 1:00 | 14:55 |
| Tuesday | 1:00 | 12:55 | 1:00 | 14:55 |
| Wednesday | 1:00 | 13:10 | 1:00 | 15:10 |
| Thursday | 1:00 | 12:55 | 1:00 | 14:55 |
| Friday | 1:00 | 15:10 | 1:00 | 17:10 |
| Saturday | 1:00 | 15:10 | 1:00 | 17:10 |
| Sunday | 1:00 | 9:55 | 1:00 | 11:55 |
| Total | 7:00 | 92:10 | 7:00 | 106:10 |
MV Clansman operates a much longer and more intense timetable in the summer than she does in the winter, with her hours above those that can be delivered by a single crew. Like her quasi-sister MV Hebrides, MV Clansman has some additional cabins onboard to accommodate additional crew.
In the summer, deck ratings increase from eight to nine, which can be accommodated within the available cabins, and all stay onboard. Retail ratings increase from ten to twelve, with one additional rating accommodated onboard and the other ashore in Oban. The Oban retail rating works a part-day as their hours of rest could not otherwise be accommodated onboard.
As per the winter, crew breaks are staggered across the day to ensure that all crew have the necessary breaks. However, one key difference is that the last sailing on a Friday does not arrive into Oban from Colonsay until 21:05, compared to 15:45 in the winter – this makes delivering rest more challenging in the context of the long Saturday operating day. The majority of crew are available until the close of the day on the Friday (21:05 plus close down), which will see them finished and off-duty by 21:30, although slightly later for the Deck and Engine Room teams. To facilitate the 06:20 start on a Saturday, crew will turn to shortly after 05:00, meaning overnight rest is short of the typical ten hours. Crew therefore need a minimum of three hours off on the Saturday, and this is managed through rolling rest periods across the day, as previously described.
On MV Hebridean Isles, the core vessel-based crew is supplemented by shore-based crew who are either local or make use of ‘Bunkabin’ (shore-based) accommodation.
Route specific characteristics
- The Colonsay route is one of the few on the network which does not benefit from a dedicated vessel. For this reason, most services operate to the island on an ‘out and back’ basis, and it is only on a summer Wednesday and Saturday that meaningful time is provided on island. It is not possible to make a meaningful day-return trip to the Scottish mainland on any day of the week, as will be described in the next section
- Colonsay is one of the few remaining islands without seven-day ferry services, with no connections on a winter Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday
- Hebridean Air Services also provide connections between Colonsay and Oban, under contract to Argyll & Bute Council. This is an important service in filling gaps in connectivity, with two rotations on a Thursday and Saturday, facilitating a meaningful day return trip
- Differing ferry fares apply depending on whether the passenger is travelling to Oban, Kennacraig or Port Askaig
- The Islay connection allows certain bulk goods to travel to Colonsay more readily and cheaply and is an important route for Council refuse and recycling services
Step 2: Analysis for 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. As noted, Colonsay services operate to a combination of Oban and Kennacraig on Saturdays in the winter timetable period, and the table below reflects this. There is however some variation in Colonsay timetables over the winter period. It should be noted that 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.
| Sailing Details | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First departure | 15:00 | Not applicable | 12:45 | Not applicable | 13:15 | 11:25 | Not applicable |
| Last arrival | 14:45 | Not applicable | 12:30 | Not applicable | 13:00 | 11:10 | 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 | 00:15 | Nil | 00:15 | Nil | 00:15 | 00:15 | Nil |
| Sailing Details | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat (Kennacraig) | Sun (Colonsay) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First departure | 12:05 | Not applicable | 10:00 | Not applicable | 10:30 | 08:00 | Not applicable |
| Last arrival | 17:40 | Not applicable | 15:15 | Not applicable | 15:45 | 14:55 | 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 |
The key points of note from the above tables are as follows:
- All services to Colonsay are operated on an ‘out and back’ basis, meaning that they do not allow for a day-return trip to the mainland, or any meaningful time on Colonsay
- On a Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the Colonsay service is operated from Oban. There is no service to Coll and Tiree on a winter Wednesday, allowing MV Clansman (or any vessel standing in when she is covering refit around the network) to operate to Colonsay
- On a Saturday, the Colonsay service operates from Kennacraig
- There is no winter service on a Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday
Summer Connections
The tables below summarise the first departure, last arrival, number of connections per day and time on mainland / island. Colonsay services operate to a combination of Oban, Kennacraig and Port Askaig in the summer timetable period, and the table below reflects this:
| Sailing Details | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First departure | 18:50 | 11:40 | 13:40 | 18:50 | 18:50 | 13:45 | 19:00 |
| Last arrival | 18:35 | 11:25 | 19:00 | 18:35 | 18:35 | 19:20 | 18:45 |
| No. of sailings | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Time on mainland | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Time on island | 00:15 | 00:15 | 05:50 | 00:15 | 00:15 | 06:10 | 00:15 |
| Sailing Details | Mon (Oban) | Tue (Oban) | Wed (Kennacraig) | Thur (Oban) | Fri (Oban) | Sat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Port Askaig) | Sun (Oban) | ||||||
| First departure | 16:20 | 09:00 | 09:45 | 16:20 | 16:20 | 12:15 | 16:30 |
| Last arrival | 21:05 | 14:05 | 22:50 | 21:05 | 21:05 | 20:45 | 21:15 |
| No. of sailings | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Time on mainland | Nil | Nil | 00:20 | Nil | Nil | 00:25 | Nil |
| 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, Colonsay has seven-day sailings in the summer. However, all of the services from Oban continue to operate on an ‘out and back’ basis, with only the Kennacraig starting services affording some meaningful time on-island
- On a Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, the Colonsay service operates following an Oban – Coll / Tiree rotation, hence the relatively late 16:20 departure from Oban (16:30 on a Sunday)
- The sailing order is reversed on a Tuesday, when a Colonsay return sailing is operated first, followed by an Oban – Coll / Tiree rotation
- On a Wednesday, the 09:45 departure from Kennacraig undertakes a round trip to Oban via Colonsay, providing around six hours of meaningful time on the island. The same happens on a Saturday, the key difference being that the vessel returning from Oban terminates at Port Askaig and overnights there
- There are fewer crossings on a Sunday, with both vessels operating two return crossings
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:
- Despite the low frequency of the Colonsay service, it is reasonably well integrated with the rail service at Oban on a winter Wednesday and Friday. It is also possible to connect with the train in both directions on a winter Monday, but wait times are longer
- The same is also true in the summer, where even the late arrivals into Oban at 21:05 (Monday, Thursday and Friday) connect with the 21:31 train, albeit arrival into Glasgow is not until 00:33
- Scottish Citylink operates six coach connections per day between Glasgow and Oban. The journey time is approximately three hours. These serve afternoon arrivals from Colonsay but the last coach leaves Oban at 18:15, so they do not meet later arrivals
- The winter Saturday arrival into Kennacraig is met with a connecting bus service to Glasgow, but there is no public transport connection with the 08:00 departure to Colonsay, via Kennacraig
- Conversely, on a summer Wednesday and Saturday, there is a bus from Glasgow which connects with the outbound sailing from Kennacraig. However, the return arrival time at Kennacraig on a Wednesday is 22:50 and there is no connection at this time, albeit Colonsay residents will likely travel via Oban on that day. The Saturday service terminates at Port Askaig
- There is no public transport in Colonsay
- Colonsay has flights operated by Hebridean Air Services under contract to Argyll & Bute Council from and to Oban on a Thursday and Saturday, which allows two days per week of meaningful time on mainland and island. The Thursday flights operate via Tiree in both directions, which puts pressure on seat capacity, but the Saturday flights are direct
- West Coast Motors operate a regular bus service via Oban Airport (service 005/405) which connects with some, but not all, flights
The figure below shows onward connectivity (drive times) by car from Oban and Colonsay, up to a 120-minute journey time. 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?
2012
- Whilst outwith the stated time horizon, it is worth noting that Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) was introduced onto the Colonsay routes in October 2012. This led to the average passenger and car fares being reduced by 47% and 43% respectively, significant reductions in both proportional and absolute terms. This can be seen on page 16 of Transport Scotland’s Evaluation of Road Equivalent Tariff on the Clyde and Hebridean Network.
- The introduction of RET led to an 11% increase in passenger carryings and a modest 9% increase in car carryings. Despite the significant reduction in fares, it is likely that the limited service to Colonsay and small resident population suppressed the increase in demand
- CV carryings were largely unchanged, although this is one of the less CV intensive routes on the network. This can be seen on page 25 of Transport Scotland’s Evaluation of Road Equivalent Tariff on the Clyde and Hebridean Network.
2016
- MV Clansman is introduced as the primary vessel on the route, following the permanent transfer of MV Lord of the Isles to the Lochboisdale – Mallaig route.
How have carryings changed over time?
- It is worth noting at outset that carryings on the Colonsay run are low in absolute terms (and also relative to most other ‘Major Vessel’ routes), circa 12,000 passengers and 5,000 cars per annum
- There has been no clear trend in passenger carryings in recent years. They reduced between 2014 and 2015, grew strongly to 2018, fell away slightly in 2019 and have gradually recovered post-COVID-19. Passenger carryings in 2019 were 7% fewer than in 2014 but the absolute difference was relatively small
- Passenger numbers have however recovered from the pandemic, standing at 102% of their 2019 level in 2022
- Car carryings have been broadly steady – whilst 12% more cars were carried in 2019 relative to 2014, the absolute difference was relatively small. Car carryings have also fully recovered their 2019 level, standing at 108% of their 2019 level in 2022
- CV carryings on the route are relatively small (circa 200 per annum) and coach carryings are negligible
How has reliability and punctuality changed over time?
- The Oban – Colonsay route is exposed to the weather and thus can be prone to cancellations in inclement conditions. There has been no obvious trend with respect to cancellations in recent years, with on average 5%-10% of sailings cancelled per annum
- A further 10%-15% of sailings are typically delayed each year, although there is again no clear trend in this outwith a general growth in delays from 2017 onwards
Why are sailings cancelled?
- As is common across most routes, the primary cause of cancellations is adverse weather, a particular issue in 2015 and 2018
- Mechanical problems are seemingly becoming more prevalent, with a spike in cancellations for this reason in 2021, potentially related to MV Hebridean Isles, which operates the run via Islay in the summer
- There was a proportionally large number of “Scottish Government approved” cancellations in 2022. This may be related to the late return of MV Clansman from drydock, when extensive steelwork repairs delayed her return to service
Why are sailings delayed?
- There is a plethora of reasons for delay on this route. Adverse weather is the primary cause of delays in most years, although is by no means the cause of the majority of delays
- Knock-on delays from a previous sailing are also common, which is unsurprising given that this route shares MV Clansman with the long Oban – Coll / Tiree route
- As per cancellations, there has been a growth in delays due to mechanical problems and for “Scottish Government approved” reasons
How many days per year do services operate to timetable?
- As a route where there is only one return sailing in any given day, the proportion of sailing days and all sailings operated to time are closely related. Since 2020, around three quarters of sailing days have typically operated to timetable (i.e., all sailings on that day arrived on time), with the figure for sailings around 80%
How often has the vehicle deck been full or nearly full?
- Vehicle deck capacity (and indeed passenger capacity) on the primary Oban – Colonsay route is rarely if ever a problem. The seakeeping requirements of the route require the deployment of a major vessel – MV Clansman – which is comfortably large enough to accommodate the requirements of the circa 125 residents of Colonsay as well as visitors to the island
Forthcoming Changes
Whilst Colonsay is primarily served from Oban, the island will benefit from new and larger vessels on Kennacraig days when the two forthcoming new Islay vessels, MV Isle of Islay and MV Loch Indaal, are introduced onto the route.
Colonsay harbour is scheduled to be upgraded between 2031-2036 as per the Vessels and Ports Plan. Enabling works at Colonsay are being undertaken to accommodate the new Islay vessels in terms of port infrastructure fit only.