pessimist
Well-Known Member
Seriously tempted to move the boat here from the South West next season. Anything known against?
Thanks,
Colin
Thanks,
Colin
Tarbert, Loch Fyne
- Thread starter pessimist
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AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
Where do you live? It's takes a long time to get to by road
pessimist
Well-Known Member
We live in Somerset but try to spend most of each 'summer' on the boat. Wouldn't plan on doing the journey too often
rotrax
Well-Known Member
A bit chancy IMHO-we spent 7 weeks in and around the Clyde last year. Midday tempreture in mid July was 7 degrees C, and it pissed down a lot.
The previous year it was lovely.
Big decision-and only you can make it.
Good Luck.
The previous year it was lovely.
Big decision-and only you can make it.
Good Luck.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
True, though you can save time by crossing the Clyde with Western Ferries and then Loch Fyne with Cal-Mac.
OP, I think it would be worth considering Portavadie as well.
AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
We live in Somerset but try to spend most of each 'summer' on the boat. Wouldn't plan on doing the journey too often
Where do you intend going sailing? While the Clyde is bonza there's not enough to keep you entertained for a whole summer, in which case you are on the wrong side of Kintyre. It's only a day by canal to Crinan, or 2 days by sea, weather depending, but it's something to keep in mind. The marinas the other side of Kintyre like Craobh & Ardfern don't have this limitation. If you are there all summer it doesn't really matter though.
aquaplane
Well-Known Member
Yes but it's lack of easy access tends to keep the price down, for residents it's cheap for walk ashore.
Last summer didn't happen up there, but your average Scottish summer isn't the same as the west country.
I looked into using ferries to get there from Yorkshire. To drive takes me 6 to 8 hours and is about £80 in diesel. The ferries would cost lots and save no time and very little diesel.
Portavadie has nice showers, and no shops or pubs or eating houses if there is a wedding booked and a corporate event on as was the case on our only visit.
I concur. The marinas west of Kintyre are better placed for a wider sailing area.
I'm based in Tarbert and like it, but it does have it's limitations.
Sneaky Pete
Well-Known Member
There is nothing against it I go there often throughout the season, there are pubs, shops, restaurants in a very sheltered marina and close links to the crinan canal. Don’t worry about the Scottish summer we had it on a Thursday this year. Would you consider a mooring in a place like LochAline which is opposite Fishnish on the Isle of Mull, there is also a large pontoon there with water, lecy and washing facilities all excellent.
AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
I don't think they have permanent berths other than a few local day boats. Seems to be visitors only.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
The Clyde ferries are due to move to road-equivalent pricing soon, which will cut the costs enormously. I think they generally fall by about 2/3 when RET comes in. It's worth considering as alternative route, I think.
True, but if you have a car then Tighnabruiach is only a few minutes away.
aquaplane
Well-Known Member
The bloke who does my MoTs had a swinging mooring at Loch Aline until he gave it up some years ago.
If you think Tarbert is hard to get to Loch Aline is a whole new level, especially if you are too late to get the Corran ferry.
This may only be relevant for folk still working but the Friday night dash after work is a non starter.
If you think Tarbert is hard to get to Loch Aline is a whole new level, especially if you are too late to get the Corran ferry.
This may only be relevant for folk still working but the Friday night dash after work is a non starter.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
I believe - and the AA route planner agrees with me - that from Carlisle and therefore points south you can get to Dunstaffnage in about the same time as Tarbert.
aquaplane
Well-Known Member
Yes my First Mate was happy to meet me at Dunstaffnage a week after we saw you in Campbeltown. But I have to admit that when I have driven to Tarbert, Tayvallich or Dunstaffnage I'm glad to get there, after work it was typically 22:00-23:00 hrs. The extra to Loch Aline on top would mean a post midnight arrival, not a happy prospect.
Anyway, driving to Tarbert tomorrow so I should go bounce some ZZZZZZZZZ
lpdsn
Well-Known Member
A few years ago I was looking at flying back home after the Scottish Series. The Tarbert Loch Fyne website included a section on rail transport. It said, there are currently no rail services operating to Tarbert and it had a photo of a train on the Canadian Pacific Railroad. They live in hope.
mrming
Well-Known Member
A few years ago I was looking at flying back home after the Scottish Series. The Tarbert Loch Fyne website included a section on rail transport. It said, there are currently no rail services operating to Tarbert and it had a photo of a train on the Canadian Pacific Railroad. They live in hope.
I've done the Scottish Series journey from the South every which way over the last 15 years including combinations of car, plane, train, sleeper train, rib, ferry and bus. The rib from Largs used to be good (if wet) but the guy stopped doing it. These days we've settled on a flight to Glasgow, hire car and ferries over the isles as mentioned above. No way I'd keep a boat there when based down South. It'd be easier to charter.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Agreed. The slow grind post-midnight is the killer.
A few years ago I was looking at flying back home after the Scottish Series. The Tarbert Loch Fyne website included a section on rail transport. It said, there are currently no rail services operating to Tarbert and it had a photo of a train on the Canadian Pacific Railroad. They live in hope.
There was at one time a proposal for a standard gauge line down Kintyre, in part for coal traffic from Machrihanish. It's never got funding, though, so all that happened was the Campbeltown & Machrihanish Light Railway built along the former canal route.
There is a ferry from Ardrossan to Campbeltown now, which like the plane is a good option for southern bits, like Gigha. Tarbert is just a bit too far north to be easily reached that way and too far south to be easily reached via Inverary. I expect that's why they introduced the Portavadie to Tarbert ferry.
For future Scottish Series it might be worth finding out if the rib operators at Portavadie (they have those big Red Bay things with cabins) would do a run to civilisation.
Romeo
Well-Known Member
Bit confused here. Why run a RIB service to Edinburgh?
Quandary
Well-Known Member
I was in Largs on Wed. , queues of Chinese with roll along suitcases waiting for the Kintyre Express (rib service run by local bus company serving Clyde, Ballycastle, C'town) to take them to Campbeltown to play golf.
The OP might consider the Crinan Canal giving options of Clyde or West, for - cheap and can exit either end, fast(ish) bus service to Glasgow, against - in fresh water, limited sea access and egress (office hours) primitive berthing and shore facilities, rain, midges and the continuous fight against the onset of green mould.
I can see nothing wrong with Tarbert, friendly village with a choice of pubs and restaurants, the West coast is still only a day away via Campbeltown and the Mull for a longer cruise and plenty of places to explore in the sheltered waters of the Clyde. A season there, then perhaps a season at Dunstaffnage?
The OP might consider the Crinan Canal giving options of Clyde or West, for - cheap and can exit either end, fast(ish) bus service to Glasgow, against - in fresh water, limited sea access and egress (office hours) primitive berthing and shore facilities, rain, midges and the continuous fight against the onset of green mould.
I can see nothing wrong with Tarbert, friendly village with a choice of pubs and restaurants, the West coast is still only a day away via Campbeltown and the Mull for a longer cruise and plenty of places to explore in the sheltered waters of the Clyde. A season there, then perhaps a season at Dunstaffnage?
Lulabelle
New Member
As mentioned before Portavadie might be easier to get to (I'm berthed over in Holy Loch).
If you have a good motorway cruiser of a car. Head up the M5, M6, M74 to Glasgow during late evening which takes me around 6-7 hours... Then head over to Gourock via M8 and catch the Western ferry to Dunoon (first ferry around 6:30am I think)... Warning; do not buy your ticket on the ferry, buy the ticket from Paul's Grocery shop in Gourock or online (£32 for 2 journey on boat, only £17.70 at Paul's shop). From Dunoon I think it takes me less than hour to Portavadie.
Other option is maybe a swing mooring around Kames (Kyles of Bute... an amazing mostly sheltered place)
If you have a good motorway cruiser of a car. Head up the M5, M6, M74 to Glasgow during late evening which takes me around 6-7 hours... Then head over to Gourock via M8 and catch the Western ferry to Dunoon (first ferry around 6:30am I think)... Warning; do not buy your ticket on the ferry, buy the ticket from Paul's Grocery shop in Gourock or online (£32 for 2 journey on boat, only £17.70 at Paul's shop). From Dunoon I think it takes me less than hour to Portavadie.
Other option is maybe a swing mooring around Kames (Kyles of Bute... an amazing mostly sheltered place)
pessimist
Well-Known Member
Ta muchly to everybody. Much food for thought.