CalMac has now introduced its Essential Lifeline Timetable which will run for an initial three-week period as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

CalMac were due to transfer from their winter timetable to their normal summer timetable but this revised timetable will come into effect instead. In a press statement on their website, the ferry company said that passengers on the entire service were down by almost 85% in the last week and are expected to drop further.

These further restrictions to the service follow action by the government to limit people with second homes or those with campervans and caravans travelling to rural areas and islands as increasing quarantine measure took place around the UK. It was announced that ferry companies such as Caledonian MacBrayne would be restricting all travel to the islands to only residents or essential travel for business or supplies.

On Raasay, the ferry will now only run three times per day Monday-Saturday with a morning, lunchtime and afternoon sailing. The service on Sundays will be limited to just two runs. For more information visit the Calmac website, or view the updated sailing times on our travel page.