CalMac booking

[Ivory55]

1961, wasn’t that the year of the bad snow

 

[busby]

1961, wasn’t that the year of the bad snow

No,the bad winter was 62/63,,Minus temps from Boxingday to mid March.. My very first winter working outside,,BUSBY.

 

[glenn2926]

For a 5.99m van for a week Uig to Harris inc return for 2 people in June 22 - £95.10
>6m, <8m, £196.70
>8m, <10m, £230.50

Aye that’s what I paid this year £196.70 for a 7.3m van that was June too. Can anyone clarify what it is likely to be next June?

 

[deleted79651]

1961, wasn’t that the year of the bad snow

I think it was 1962/63

Steve

 

[deleted79651]

You may be right. Same in parts of Scandinavia I believe. I wonder if bike racks also count or are disregarded.

Elaine has checked. You have to admit to a Bike Rack [Mull crossing], but there is no additional charge. But there may be variations on other crossings because for Colonsay, you had to provide passenger details before you can get a price. So Brunhilde's pert 5.99m was a good purchase, and we'll have the roads all to ourselves ...

Steve

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[dunnah01]

Was not long ago petrol was under a pound a litre, it’s now £1.50

About 3 weeks ago when we were in Spain

 

[Gellyneck]

I think it was 1962/63

Steve

1929 in Devon! Over 6 feet in less than 24 hours in Dartmoor!

Think the heaviest I've seen in Glasgow was around 2 feet overnight in mid 80's.

 

[deleted79651]

1929 in Devon! Over 6 feet in less than 24 hours in Dartmoor!

Think the heaviest I've seen in Glasgow was around 2 feet overnight in mid 80's.

Elaine's parents decided to emigrate after the 62/63 Winter and they pitched up in South Africa in December 1963

Steve

 

[IRHP]

Aye that’s what I paid this year £196.70 for a 7.3m van that was June too. Can anyone clarify what it is likely to be next June?

One good thing about Calmac pricing is it doesn't matter which month, day of the week or time of sailing, all prices are the same. You can go on Calmac website and select buy tickets. Put in your details and you will get an exact price. You don't need to commit or pay.

 

[Gellyneck]

Elaine's parents decided to emigrate after the 62/63 Winter and they pitched up in South Africa in December 1963

Steve

Bet she wished she'd gone with them \ stayed there!

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[Coolcats]

We won't be going back to the Western Isles whatever the price. We obviously didn't see what others rave about. Some things, e.g. Luskentyre Beach, were lovely, but too much seemed quite ordinary compared to other places. The Isles, to us, lacked a sense of wildness and I would think that is even more so with so many more tourists going. Mind we think the same of the North Scottish coast and have done so since our first visit years ago.
We do however love going to other parts of Scotland. Ferry prices, whatever they are, will not stop us going to Orkney and Shetland.

My a wife took me to the western isles it has a beautiful wildness about it, it is her family home, go in the winter when the storms come and you may have a different view of the place. With many single track and narrow roads it just might not be suitable for large numbers of MoHo’s particularly the larger ones

 

[deleted79651]

Bet she wished she'd gone with them \ stayed there!

Elaine did emigrate, and she has often said she would have liked to stay there ... We managed to visit in 2007 & 2008 and had a wonderful time

Steve

 

[EuroTrotters]

Hi all
Just booked return ferry from mainland to Islay for April next year. 2 adults, 1 x 6.4 metre PVC £212!!
I'd read that prices had risen but this seems very steep! I rang to query it and was told the price was correct. It didn't help to be told that if the van was only a 6 metre one it'd only be £76!!
That's pretty discriminatory I'd say ☹

We used to pay £120 for 7.5m . Last one was august.

We are lucky as we have friends on Islay we can stay with. If we take the motorhome, we don’t need a campsite.

Even if we don’t take the motorhome , we can stay in their annex

 

[Kayak Kid]

I have just booked a Calmac Hopscotch ticket to allow travel from Ullapool to Stornoway and down to Barra followed by crossing to Oban for my 7.4m Motorhome and 2 adults. The identical journey last summer cost £360. This year it is 580!

 

[glenn2926]

I have just booked a Calmac Hopscotch ticket to allow travel from Ullapool to Stornoway and down to Barra followed by crossing to Oban for my 7.4m Motorhome and 2 adults. The identical journey last summer cost £360. This year it is 580!

Wow, that’s some increase. I think our 7.3 m motorhome has had its last trip to the Hebrides. Shame really as I like it there. I can get it to Ireland and back for less than that. Or 2 trips under the channel.

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[BouncyBoatFolk]

Elaine has checked. You have to admit to a Bike Rack [Mull crossing], but there is no additional charge. But there may be variations on other crossings because for Colonsay, you had to provide passenger details before you can get a price. So Brunhilde's pert 5.99m was a good purchase, and we'll have the roads all to ourselves ...

Steve

"and we'll have the roads all to ourselves ... " Here's hoping, we did two laps of Mull, one forwards and the other in reverse!! .

I was a ankle biter still in 63, we were then living on Dartmoor, but do remember we had to clamber out of the 1st floor bedroom windows to get out of the house due to snow drifts.
We also moved during that cold spell, migrating to the South East . Not a bed of roses there either, no cold water as the pies were all frozen, and even the cast iron outside downpipes all froze up, as did the Thames.
Mike.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Looks like Skye will be busy then, and the NC 500 even busier.
Mike.

 

[dunnah01]

no cold water as the pies were all frozen,

What about the chips

 

[WillH]

For info, residents of the Scottish Isles get free travel on the ferries, two tickets a year I understand. The Northlink ferries to Shetland and Orkney have received £350M over 8 years to provide services, just under £1m/week of taxpayers money. I am uncertain how much the CalMac grant is, it's actually very difficult to work it out the subsidy system is so complex.

 

[TheAleMan]

I have just booked a Calmac Hopscotch ticket to allow travel from Ullapool to Stornoway and down to Barra followed by crossing to Oban for my 7.4m Motorhome and 2 adults. The identical journey last summer cost £360. This year it is 580!

Wow. On the strength of that then, we won’t be doing outer hebs this year, as we are 9.5m with a toad out back + 2 adults. Got to be £700 or more surely Was looking forward to going but, not that much.

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[Beltie]

I have just booked a Calmac Hopscotch ticket to allow travel from Ullapool to Stornoway and down to Barra followed by crossing to Oban for my 7.4m Motorhome and 2 adults. The identical journey last summer cost £360. This year it is 580!

I've just priced the reverse journey at £301.20, 7.7m 'van and two adults. What am I doing wrong?!

 

[gerry mcg]

I've just priced the reverse journey at £301.20, 7.7m 'van and two adults. What am I doing wrong?!

I don't think you have priced it right. Unless hopscotch ticket is cheaper than singles. Can't price check hopscotch online.
Singles prices For a >6m, <8m van, are
Something like
Mainland (Ullapool) to Lewis (Stornoway)£159.90
Harris (Leverbourgh) to north Uist (Bernarey) £44.95
South Uist / Eraskay to Ardmhor (Barra) £35 ish?
Barra (Castlebay) to oban £217.55

£460 give or take
Price is same both directions

 

[Beltie]

I priced it from the 'Hopscotch' link on the website, but I can now see that you have to book each segment separately. I presume this also means that you have to book specific dates for each one, thus losing any flexibility.

 

[Otter Spotter]

The subsidy was previously applied to all non-commercial vehicles; commercial vehicles paid the full tariff. They have now introduced a new criteria ‘motorhomes’ as a means of increasing revenue. The previous MH rates were pretty much pro-rata based on length such that both cars and MHs paid a price based on how much space the took up.



They’ve never had the subsidy which rather undermines the cries for parity from those targeting MHs in the west of Scotland.



Agreed.



Agreed.

Ian

Cannot speak about Orkney, but Shetland residents and a small number of Family and friends can get a discount on Northlink Ferries. The resident have to nominate in advance who is on their list so that every Tom dick and Harry don’t say they are entitled. I think it’s around 20% discount.

 

[gerry mcg]

I priced it from the 'Hopscotch' link on the website, but I can now see that you have to book each segment separately. I presume this also means that you have to book specific dates for each one, thus losing any flexibility.

I think the hopscotch ticket is stillness available and is probably cheaper than singles but y would need to call and check.
Re losing flexibility.... The prohibition od MH from getting standby tickets has somewhat forced that requirements to book ahead already

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[Beltie]

The website is a confusing mess. There is a section headed 'Island Hopping' which comes up with the fare that I quoted. It also then goes on to say that there is no saving over the price of individual tickets in which case I agree that the figures you quoted are correct.
Is there a difference between 'Island Hopping' and 'Hopscotch' ?

 

[bigtwin]

Cannot speak about Orkney, but Shetland residents and a small number of Family and friends can get a discount on Northlink Ferries. The resident have to nominate in advance who is on their list so that every Tom dick and Harry don’t say they are entitled. I think it’s around 20% discount.

They do, but, I believe, that all journeys have to originate within the Islands.

Ian

 

[alex n]

Cannot speak about Orkney, but Shetland residents and a small number of Family and friends can get a discount on Northlink Ferries. The resident have to nominate in advance who is on their list so that every Tom dick and Harry don’t say they are entitled. I think it’s around 20% discount.

We were there with Family and Friends discount couple of months ago which is now 30 per cent....good deal

 

[IRHP]

The website is a confusing mess. There is a section headed 'Island Hopping' which comes up with the fare that I quoted. It also then goes on to say that there is no saving over the price of individual tickets in which case I agree that the figures you quoted are correct.
Is there a difference between 'Island Hopping' and 'Hopscotch' ?

When I looked into the last time we went there was no advantage buying a hopscotch ticket. I'm pretty sure sometime in the past it was cheaper than booking individual ferries and you could use it at any time. Now you have to book and there's no financial advantage I don't see why they still have it.

 

[gerry mcg]

When I looked into the last time we went there was no advantage buying a hopscotch ticket. I'm pretty sure sometime in the past it was cheaper than booking individual ferries and you could use it at any time. Now you have to book and there's no financial advantage I don't see why they still have it.

it looks like the Hopscotch version is valid for a month albeit at the same price as the individual legs... so perhaps the benefit is you can buy it and book a slot on a boat for a leg at short notice if there is a space, rather than have a non-refundable ticket that you can't change?

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