Hidden Scotland
Sign in
The ferry's ramp and the island across the sound.
Argyll and Bute

Kerrera Ferry

The little turn-up-and-go passenger ferry from Gallanach, south of Oban, across the Sound of Kerrera.

Welcome

The Kerrera ferry is one of the smallest crossings on the west coast: a little boat that shuttles across the Sound of Kerrera from Gallanach, two miles south of Oban, to the green island that shelters Oban Bay.

There is no pre-booking; you turn up at the slipway and take the next boat, and if more people are waiting than it can carry, it simply goes back and forth until everyone is across.

Only island residents may take vehicles over, so Kerrera is an island for walking and cycling, with a loop round it and a tea garden halfway. The first boat of the day is at 8.40am and the last at 6pm. To reach the slipway from Oban, head towards the CalMac terminal without turning in and follow the Kerrera Ferry signs: it is a walk of twenty to thirty minutes, or a few minutes by taxi, as no buses run on the road. Parking at Gallanach is limited. The route is run by CalMac.

The Daily

Arrives at 5am every day.

A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.

The Daily for 31 October, from Scotland with love. A ring of standing stones set among mist and autumn birch
A short drive awayThe Waterfront Fishouse, ObanA seafood restaurant on Oban's Railway Pier, cooking locally caught fish and shellfish as plates to share, with windows over the bay.5 min by roadSee itMussels and prawn cocktail with white wine on a restaurant table
Before you go

Turn up and go; there is no booking.

First ferry 8.40am, last 6pm; check CalMac for the timetable. Walk from Oban in 20 to 30 minutes; limited parking at Gallanach; no buses.

Times
First 08:40, last 18:00.
Where
Gallanach slipway, 2 miles south of Oban.

Been here? Tell others what you know, and the best go on this page with your name.

Add your review
Where it is

Gallanach, south of Oban.

Close byNear Oban.
  1. Blue wooden hut with bunting, flower baskets and open door, hills behindBalliemore Farm Shop, KerreraUnder a mile 1 min by road
  2. An old wooden boat wreck on the Kerrera shore.Dail RighThe King's Field on Kerrera, where Alexander II died in 1249 on his campaign for the Hebrides.1 mile 1 min by road
  3. The view across the Sound of Kerrera to Oban and the mainland.Kerrera Southern LoopThe favourite walk on Kerrera: round the Horseshoe bays to the tea garden and Gylen Castle, and back over the hill to the ferry.1 mile 1 min by road
  4. Kerrera Tea GardenKerrera Tea Garden1 mile 1 min by road
  5. Pulpit HillPulpit HillThe hill above the south side of Oban Bay, with a 1930 indicator naming the islands in the view.2 miles 5 min by road
Directions
Kerrera's green shore and small islands from above.AttractionsIsle of Kerrera1.0 miles
Gylen Castle on its headland above the Firth of Lorn.AttractionsGylen Castle1.8 miles
The Barn Bar, Argyll and ButeRestaurantsThe Barn at Cologin1.8 miles as the crow flies
Mussels and prawn cocktail with white wine on a restaurant tableRestaurantsThe Waterfront Fishouse, Oban2.1 miles
Alba the Artshop, Argyll and ButeShoppingAlba the Artshop, Oban2.1 miles
George Street Fish Restaurant & Chip Shop, Argyll and ButeRestaurantsGeorge Street Fish, Oban2.1 miles
The CalMac terminal on Oban's waterfront.AttractionsOban to Lismore Ferry2.2 miles
Whole lobsters on ice beside a chalkboard sign reading "lobsterRestaurantsOban Seafood Hut2.2 miles
Harbourfront buildings and a red-roofed pavilion along the bay.AttractionsOban Harbour2.2 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

Places to stay near the ferry, and when each is next free.

The Drury from the lawn below: a grey granite Victorian villa with sandstone bay windows, dormers in the slate roof and tall chimneys.The Drury
  • Sleeps 22
  • In Oban
  • 2 miles from the Kerrera ferry
Free 31 Oct – 2 NovGlencruitten House, Argyll and ButeGlencruitten House
  • To stay
  • In Oban
  • 3 miles from the Kerrera ferry
Check datesTimber cabin with copper roof beside a loch, shaded by oak treesUisge Bothy
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Oban
  • 6 miles from the Kerrera ferry
Check datesBlack timber-clad cabin with corrugated roof and stove flue, set among trees and long grassBeatha
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Oban
  • 6 miles from the Kerrera ferry
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in Argyll and ButeAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

Get Issue 13Read it here
Read on

What we have written about it and more in Argyll and Bute.

ArticleA Day Ashore in Oban
More in Argyll and Bute
Find out more

For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .