10+ Best Boat Trips from Arisaig and Mallaig 2024

This post was first published on 13/7/22 and last updated on 23/3/24.

There’s a great variety of boat trips from Arisaig and Mallaig and I’ve done most of them. It can be a bit confusing trying to find all the trips and compare them so I’ve compiled them into one handy post.

There’s also a list of links to reviews that might help you too. Open the table of contents to jump straight to a specific boat trip from Mallaig and Arisaig.

Given that the weather in Scotland can be quite unpredictable and rough at times, boat trips from Arisaig and Mallaig are always dependent on the weather conditions.

Some trips require a minimum number of passengers to operate and have a maximum number of bicycles and dogs allowed on the boat. Check their websites for details and updates. Social media is handy for the latest updates and available slots.

It can get cold out at sea and if the boat is moving fast, so an extra layer to wear might be good if you want to stay on deck.

Disclaimer: Everything Arisaig takes no responsibility for anything resulting from errors in fares, routes, timings, etc. Please check official websites for up to date and verified information.

Boat trips from Arisaig

Arisaig Ferry

The Arisaig ferry from Arisaig Marina sails to Eigg and Muck on specific days of the week and between the months of April and September. The ferry, MV Sheerwater, is a passenger ferry but can take a certain number of bicycles for a charge of £5 each way.

All tickets are one way so be sure to book your return ticket also. The boat to Muck stops off at Eigg first and again on the way back so you could plan a stay on the island. If you don’t want to stay a whole week, you can take an earlier ferry back to Mallaig.

Dogs are allowed on the ferry on a leash and should be pre-booked. You can find all information and book your tickets at the Arisaig Marina website here. You can also get guides on walks, etc. on the isles at the marina gift shop.

You can often see wildlife on boat trips from Arisaig to the Small Isles, including whales, seals, porpoises, dolphins and if you’re lucky, an orca.

whales appearing out of still sea on a cloudy day

Arisaig Ferry to Eigg

The Arisaig to Eigg ferry sails at 10am every Wednesday and Saturday, with an extra sailing on Tuesday and Friday in May and also Monday from June to August. The journey takes around one hour and costs £12.50 each way for adults and £7.50 for children aged 3 to 15.

The return journey leaves at 4pm on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The peak season Tuesday and Friday sailings return from Eigg at 2pm. . You can see more from my own experience on a day trip to Eigg here.

Arisaig Ferry to Muck

The Arisaig to Muck ferry sails at 10am every Wednesday and Saturday from April to September and also on Monday. from June to August. The journey takes around an hour and a half to two hours and costs £15.00 each way for adults and £7.50 for children aged 3 to 15. The return journey leaves at 3pm.

Arisaig 3 Hour Boat Trip

The Arisaig cruise is a great option amongst the Arisaig boat trips to admire the coastal scenery and hopefully some wildlife too. It sails at 11am every Thursday from May to August. The trip takes three hours and costs £40 for adults and £20 for children aged 3 to 15.

Arisaig day trip to Rum and Canna

Spend five hours on Rum, two hours on Canna or continue with puffin excursion near Canna. Departs Arisaig 9am, arrives back at 5:45pm. Sails on Sundays, 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd June, 7th July. The puffin-watching trip takes around an hour and a half to two hours.

isle of canna scotland - arriving in the bay

The cost for the full puffin excursions is £50.00 for adults and £30 for children aged 3 to 15. Options to join the puffin tour from Rum and Canna are also available for £30 or adults. Check the website for fares to the islands only.

If you plan to stay on Canna, see my post on our stay on the Isle of Canna for lots of info and tips.

Arisaig day trip to Rum and Eigg

Spend six and a half hours on Eigg or 4 hours on Rum. Departs Arisaig 10am, arrives back at 6:30pm. Sails on Sundays, 21st July, 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th August. The trip takes seven hours and a one-way ticket to Rum costs £17:50 for adults and £15 for children aged 3 to 15 and to Eigg, £12:50 for adults and £7:50 for children.

Arisaig day trip to Loch Coruisk and the Black Cuillins (Isle of Skye)

Spend three hours at Loch Coruisk. Departs Arisaig 10am, arrives back at 5pm. Sails on Sundays, 30th June, 14th and 28th July. The trip takes seven hours and costs £35 for adults and £20 for children aged 3 to 15.

Arisaig Special Sailings

Occasionally extra sailings may sometimes be scheduled, for example for special events. You can find information on these on their social media and on the notice board at the Boathouse Cafe at the Marina.

Arisaig Chartered Boat Trips

You can also charter any of the three boats of different sizes and capacities for your own private tour. This is a great option to tailor your own boat trips from Arisaig.

Visit the Arisaig Marine Website to book tours or get more information.

Boat trips from Mallaig

Western Isles Cruises

The Western Isles Cruises boats are fitted out with toilets, indoor and outdoor seating and coffee, snacks, etc and the MV Western Isles has a bar.

Ferry from Mallaig to Inverie, Knoydart and Tarbet

The boat to Inverie on the Knoydart peninsula is one of my favourite day trips from Mallaig. You can either just take the boat there and back if you’re short on time or take the first boat and come back with the last. See more on Knoydart and why to visit here.

The 2024 summer timetable (Apr-Oct) is at 7:30am, 10:15am, 2:15pm (May-Sep) and 6pm Monday to Friday. Saturday is the same but with the early boat going at 8:30am. The Sundays sailings are 9am, 2:15pm and 6pm.

The boat from Inverie to Mallaig sails Monday to Friday at 8am, 11am, 4:15pm (May-Sep) and 6:30pm. Saturday sailings are 9am, 11am, 3pm and 6:30pm. The Sundays sailings are 9:30am, 3:00pm and 6:30pm. The trip each way takes 30-45 minutes.

An adult return ticket costs £15 and a single is £7:50 and £7. Children aged 5-13 go half-price and under fives and dogs go free. If you have camping gear, baggage, etc, there may be an extra charge of £1 per piece. Bikes cost £5, e-bikes £8 and kayaks £10 each way. There is also a discount for Highland Member cardholders.

From May to September, the 2:15pm boat trip to Knoydart continues further down the loch and to Tarbet on the other side for a longer cruise. This is great to combine with a hike over to or from Loch Morar. Read more here.

The boat trip to Tarbet leaves Inverie at 3pm (or Mallaig at 2:15pm) Monday to Friday from May to September. It takes 30 minutes and the boat turns back to Inverie directly and on to Mallaig.

Make sure you book ahead if you’re planning to catch the boat from Tarbet after a hike from Morar. The trip between Inverie and Tarbet costs £6 each way and takes 30-45 mins. A one-way ticket from Mallaig to Tarbet is £18.

Wildlife Cruise

The Mallaig Wildlife Cruise sails daily from April to October at 12:45pm, 2:30pm(Jul-Aug) and 3:30pm with an extra sailing on Saturday at 5pm. This is one of the most popular Mallaig boat trips for day-trippers fitting in perfectly with the Jacobite Steam Train. Fares are £18 for adults and £9 for 5-13, under fives and dogs go free. (See the alternative to the steam train.)

On this trip look out for seals, porpoises, dolphins, and even sharks and whales. Of course, there are lots of birds to see too.

Canna Puffin Trip – NEW!

Western Isles are now running a trip to see the puffins on the sea stacks near Canna, including an hour to spend on the island. See more on what to see and do on the Isle of Canna.

The trip leaves at 10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays and takes three and a half hours and cost £55.

Mallaig Boat Hire

Western Isles Cruises also has a rib boat available for private tours, drop-offs, etc and their other boats can be hired for private tours and events. This is a great way to plan your own Mallaig boat trips.

Go to Western Isles Cruises website to book, check sailing timetables, fares, info on private hire, etc.

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CalMac (Caledonian MacBrayne) Ferries

Ferry from Mallaig to Skye

The boat from Mallaig to the Isle of Skye sails to Armadale several times a day and is for both cars and passengers. A single adult fare is £3.50, double for return and a child fare (5-15) is half-price. A car is £11.60 one way, bikes go free.

Check the website for timings, rates for mobile homes, etc. and conditions. The journey takes around 45 minutes.

The harbour is two minutes walk from Mallaig Railway Station. Book train tickets with Trainline here.

Skye is best explored with a car or a bike but there a few options for foot passengers. Take bus 52 from Armadale Pier to Broadford and Portree and also City Link 917 across the bridge to Kyle of Lochalsh.

If you go by car, it’s worth popping over the bridge to see Eilean Donan Castle which is right next to it.

If you plan to stay on Skye, check accommodation options here

If you are not holidaying in Arisaig, see organised tours to Skye from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.

Mallaig Ferry to the Small Isles

Cars are not allowed on the ferry from Mallaig to Canna, Rum, Muck and Eigg unless with a permit for necessary work on the island. Bikes are allowed. Apart from the timings below, you can also take longer routes on other days if necessary. See the CalMac timetables for all options.

Note: For all the below, an amended timetable will operate between the 2nd and 21st of September, 30 March, 11 August, 28 September, 5, 12 and 19 October. Check the website for the timings on these dates.

Ferry from Mallaig to Canna

The Mallaig to Canna ferry sails on Mon 10:10am, Weds 9:55am, Fri 12:50pm, Sat 7:30am and 3:15pm and Sun 9am. The journey takes 2.5 to 3.5 hours depending on the route and costs £6:45 for an adult single, double for return and half-price for children aged 5 to 15, under 5s are free but must have a ticket.

See more on the Isle of Canna.

Ferry from Mallaig to Rum

The Mallaig to Rum ferry sails on Mon 10:10am, Weds 9:55am, Fri 12:50pm, Sat 7:30am and 3:15pm, and Sun 9am. The journey takes between an hour and 20 minutes and 2.5 hours depending on the route and costs £5:15 for an adult single, double for return and half-price for children aged 5 to 15, under 5s are free but must have a ticket.

Ferry from Mallaig to Eigg

The Mallaig to Eigg ferry sails on Mon at 10:10am, Tues 9:55, and Thurs 10:30, Fri 8:00, Sat 7:30am and 3:15pm and Sun at 2:35pm. The journey takes an hour and 20 minutes and costs £4:75 for an adult single, double for return and half-price for children aged 5 to 15, under 5s are free but must have a ticket.

See more on Eigg

Ferry from Mallaig to Muck

The Mallaig to Muck ferry sails on Tues 9:55am, Thurs 10:30am, Fri 8:00am, Sat 7:30am and 3:15pm and Sun 2:35pm. The journey takes an hour 15 mins to two hours 15 mins depending on the route and costs £5.50 for an adult single, double for return and half-price for children aged 5 to 15, under 5s are free but must have a ticket.

Not a day trip, but for something longer, you can also take the ferry from Mallaig to Lochboisdale in South Uist. It takes 3.5 hours and fares start at £12.30 for adults and £68:55 for cars. Daily sailings leave at various times.

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Minch Adventures

For those looking for something more private, tailored or adventurous, look at Minch Adventures for some great trips combining sea, land, activities and food!

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I hope that’s given you lots of ideas for day trips from Arisaig to explore the surrounding area. What are your favourite boat trips from Arisaig or Mallaig? Drop it in the comments along with any handy tips.

If you like this post, you might also like Best things to do in Mallaig or Top 39 things to do in Arisaig.

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