Tobermory – Kilchoan
Headline route information
- Mainland port: Kilchoan
- Island port: Tobermory
- Check-in-time: 10-minutes prior to departure for passengers and cars
- Crossing time: 35-minutes
- Vessel: MV Loch Tarbert
- Overnight berth: Tobermory
Introduction
The route between Kilchoan in the Ardnamurchan Peninsula and Tobermory on Mull fulfils an important role in conveying children to and from the peninsula to school in Tobermory. The timetable is built around this need. The key services in the timetable are the 08:00 ex Kilchoan and the 16:00 ex Tobermory.
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 Tobermory - Kilchoan 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 | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Summer | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Categorisation of waters
The Kilchoan - Tobermory 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 Amendment 1.
The Kilchoan - Tobermory route is operated by ships from the ‘Small Vessel’ fleet, with crew living ashore.
Length of Operating Day
Winter
The table below summarises the length of the operating day and week for the Kilchoan - Tobermory service:
| Day | Start-Up | Sailing-Day | Close Down | Length of operating day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 0:20 | 10:00 | 0:10 | 10:30 |
| Tuesday | 0:20 | 10:00 | 0:10 | 10:30 |
| Wednesday | 0:20 | 10:00 | 0:10 | 10:30 |
| Thursday | 0:20 | 10:00 | 0:10 | 10:30 |
| Friday | 0:20 | 10:00 | 0:10 | 10:30 |
| Saturday | 0:20 | 7:35 | 0:10 | 8:05 |
| Sunday | 0:00 | 0:00 | 0:00 | 0:00 |
| Total | 2:00 | 57:35 | 1:00 | 60:35 |
MV Loch Tarbert is operated by a single Mull-based crew and can deliver the weekly sailing hours within the regulatory maximum. The crew work on a one week-on, one-week off basis.
For ‘core’ (i.e. route) crew, it is their responsibility to find local accommodation. CFL provides an allowance for pool crew when they have to overnight away from home. There are very few ‘boatman’s houses’ remaining on the network, with crew generally booked into a hotel or B&B.
Summer
The table below summarises the length of the operating day and week in summer:
| Day | Start-Up | Sailing-Day | Close Down | Length of operating day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 0:20 | 11:55 | 0:10 | 12:25 |
| Tuesday | 0:20 | 11:55 | 0:10 | 12:25 |
| Wednesday | 0:20 | 11:55 | 0:10 | 12:25 |
| Thursday | 0:20 | 11:55 | 0:10 | 12:25 |
| Friday | 0:20 | 11:55 | 0:10 | 12:25 |
| Saturday | 0:20 | 11:55 | 0:10 | 12:25 |
| Sunday | 0:20 | 7:50 | 0:10 | 8:20 |
| Total | 2:20 | 79:20 | 1:10 | 82:50 |
The winter crewing arrangement is the same as the summer, although the operating day and week is extended, including the provision of a Sunday service.
Route specific characteristics
- A feature of this route is of the importance of the connection from the mainland to the island rather than vice versa. The key role of the route is the daily conveyance of children to Tobermory High School in Mull, although tourism on the route has grown strongly since the introduction of RET
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:
| Sailing Details | Mon, Wed & Fri | Tue & Thur | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First departure | 07:20 | 07:20 | 09:30 | Not applicable |
| Last arrival | 17:20 | 17:20 | 17:05 | Not applicable |
| No. of sailings | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Time on mainland | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Time on island | 07:25 | 07:25 | 04:55 | 0:00 |
| Sailing Details | Mon, Wed & Fri | Tue & Thur | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First departure | 08:00 | 08:00 | 10:15 | Not applicable |
| Last arrival | 16:35 | 16:35 | 10:05 | Not applicable |
| No. of sailings | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Time on mainland | 08:50 | 08:50 | 06:25 | 0:00 |
| Time on island | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
As can be seen from the above tables, an additional sailing is operated on a Tuesday and Thursday, although the operating day remains the same as the other weekdays.
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.
At three to four return crossings per day and no winter Sunday service, this is one of the less intensively operated routes on the network in winter.
Summer Connections
The Tobermory – Kilchoan route is operated more intensively in the summer months, likely catering for increased visitor demand to both Mull and the Ardnamurchan Peninsula (and beyond). The tables below summarise the first departure, last arrival, number of connections per day and time on mainland / island:
| Sailing Details | Mon-Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|
| First departure | 07:20 | 09:30 |
| Last arrival | 19:15 | 17:20 |
| No. of sailings | 7 | 5 |
| Time on mainland | Nil | Nil |
| Time on island | 09:25 | 05:10 |
| Sailing Details | Mon-Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|
| First departure | 08:00 | 10:15 |
| Last arrival | 18:35 | 16:35 |
| No. of sailings | 7 | 5 |
| Time on mainland | 10:45 | 06:40 |
| Time on island | Nil | Nil |
The summer timetable offers approximately twice as many daily connections as the winter timetable, plus five return sailings per day on a Sunday.
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:
- Tobermory is the main town on Mull, with bus services available to Craignure (with onward connections to Oban by ferry and Iona by bus and ferry) and Calgary
- There are likely to be very few passengers travelling from Mull to Ardnamurchan seeking an onward bus connection given the rurality of Kilchoan. The Oban route followed by the Lochaline route are the main passenger connections. There is one return bus service per day from Kilchoan to Fort William which leaves Kilchoan at 07:50 (just before the first ferry arrives) and Fort William at 13:50 (connecting with the last ferry from Kilchoan in winter only)
The figure below shows onward connectivity (drive times) by car from Kilchoan and Tobermory. 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?
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 Tobermory - Kilchoan route in October 2015. This led to the average passenger and car fares being reduced by 45% and 70% respectively, significant reductions in both proportional and absolute terms, as detailed on page 17 of Transport Scotland’s Evaluation of Road Equivalent Tariff on the Clyde and Hebridean Network.
2016
- In response to the significant RET-related growth, MV Loch Linnhe was displaced by the larger MV Loch Tarbert, now the primary vessel on the route
How have carryings changed over time?
- Passenger carryings grew strongly following the introduction of RET onto this route in 2015, increasing by 58% between 2014 and 2019. However, passenger numbers have not yet recovered from the pandemic, standing at only 80% of their 2019 level in 2022
- Car carryings grew exceptionally strongly over the same period, growing by 159% over the 2014-2019 period. As with passengers, car carryings have not yet recovered their pre-pandemic level, standing at 79% of their 2019 level in 2022 (although still well-up on their 2014 level)
- There are relatively few CVs and coaches carried on this route
How has reliability and punctuality changed over time?
- As this route is closer to the mouth of the Sound of Mull than Lochaline – Fishnish, it is more prone to disruption. The number of cancelled and delayed sailings varies by year but there has been a general upwards trend since 2018
- In 2022, around 5% of sailings were cancelled with a further circa 2% delayed
Why are sailings cancelled?
- Adverse weather is generally the main reason for cancelled services. However, tidal conditions also account a significant proportion of cancellations each year
- There were 34 sailings cancelled due to mechanical problems in 2022
- 18 sailings in 2021 and 38 sailings in 2022 were cancelled due to an “emergency”, which it is understood is due to COVID-19 related considerations
Why are sailings delayed?
- There is no single overriding cause of delay. Delays are caused by a range of factors including weather, knock-on delays from a previous sailing and loading related delays
How many days per year do services operate to timetable?
- There is some variability over time in the number of sailing days operated to timetable (i.e., all sailings on that day arrived on time). This has been as low as 74% in 2018 and as high as 86% in 2020
- As noted above, the Tobermory - Kilchoan route is operated quite frequently, and therefore a better measure here is the percentage of individual sailings operated to time. This has generally been around 95% over the period 2014-2022, so the route overall is very reliable
How often has the vehicle deck been full or nearly full?
2014-2022
- Despite operating with a relatively small vessel and with a strong growth in car traffic, vehicle deck capacity is rarely an issue on this route
- Only 3% of sailings in 2021 and 2022 had a vehicle deck utilisation of 90% or greater
2022 by month
- As would be expected given the high tourism volumes in Mull and the Ardnamurchan Peninsula, vehicle deck utilisation on the Tobermory - Kilchoan route is highest in the summer timetable period. Vehicle deck capacity is not though routinely a problem
Forthcoming Changes
It is understood that this route is part of the CMAL Small Vessels Replacement Programme (SVRP), a large-scale procurement and replacement programme for the existing Loch Class fleet. The timing of new vessels being introduced is unknown at present.