Caledonian MacBrayne or Cal Mac as they are better known operate ferry services to the Islands and Peninsulas on the West Coast of Scotland under public service contracts with the Scottish Government.
Caledonian MacBrayne feature one of the largest fleet of car and passenger ferries in the UK, each decorated in their trademark white with a black hull, red funnel with black caps displaying the Lion Rampant badge with masts in buff. The ferries transport nearly five million passengers and around one million cars on an annual basis.
The Caledonian MacBrayne route network takes you to over twenty destinations off Scotland’s west coast through some of the most spectacular coastlines and landscapes in the British Isles.
Each Calmac destination offers its own distinct beauty and at the same time providing you with a true taste of the Scottish Isles.
Whilst pre-booking is not essential with this ferry company, If you are travelling with a vehicle it is strongly recommended to book in advance to guarantee availability.
"Pet friendly journey"
Our first ferry journey with our dog went without a hitch. We arrived early for our booking and were put on an earlier ferry. The pet friendly accommodation was spacious & comfortable & the coffee was good. The lady who answered my telephone query was friendly & helpful.
'Harry' travelled with Caledonian MacBrayne
Read More Read Less"Ferry to arran"
Excellent service, both on land and on the ferry, very organised, comfy seating. Never used the catering bar coffees. Late leaving port but no problem to us but possibly others.
'David clark' travelled with Caledonian MacBrayne
Read More Read Less"Excellent trip"
Excellent journey. Very efficient loading and unloading of our car. Lovely rest before our long drive home. We had a beautiful day for our journey and we could see for miles and enjoyed all the lovely scenery. Would definitely recommend.
'Carol' travelled with Caledonian MacBrayne
Read More Read Less"Booking"
I found booking with Direct Ferries extremely easy and simple. Unfortunately I had to change my return booking and did this online. When I received no further confirmation that my request had been successful and my departure date was imminent I tried phoning Direct Ferries. This was very dispiriting. I tried 3 times and each time was held in a queue with the frequently repeated message 'we are dealing with other customers'. No doubt true but in this case it would show more consideration to employ more telesales staff. At the very least the company might invest in the software to tell customers where they are in the queue. On my first 2 attempts I gave up after 10 minutes. On the third occasion I hung on and was answered after 20 minutes. The person I spoke to was extremely courteous and helpful and dealt with me most efficiently. I was charged £10.50 for the change of booking. When I reported to the Caledonian McBrayne terminal at Oban, I was told they would have changed the booking without a fee. I think in view of this I will in future try to deal with the ferry company direct although I recognise you offer a good service when there are no problems.
'Andrew' travelled with Caledonian MacBrayne
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