Rail & Sail To The Isle of Bute | Glasgow Central - Rothesay

ROUTE: GLASGOW CENTRAL - ROTHESAY
OPERATOR: SCOTRAIL & CALEDONIAN MACBRAYNE
TRAIN: CLASS 380 EMU
FERRY mv ARGYLE
COST: £28.40 RETURN (with Two Together Railcard)

One of the best ways to see the Scottish islands is to use the ‘Rail & Sail’ method. All in one rail and ferry tickets can be purchased with Scotrail. In May 2024 myself and Mrs Tim’s Travels travelled the 26.1 mile Glasgow Central - Wemyss Bay section of the Inverclyde line. The journey would see us make our way westward through Paisley Gilmour Street and then run alongside the Clyde estuary. Just after Port Glasgow Station the Wemyss Bay section of the Inverclyde line branches. The main route heads through Greenock to Gourock, where it connects with ferry services to Dunoon in Cowal and Kilcreggan on the Rosneath peninsula. The branch to Wemyss Bay heads through the southern suburbs of Greenock where at its terminus it connects with ferry services to Rothesay on the island of Bute.
We took the 1047 service from Glasgow Central due to arrive in Wemyss Bay at 1145.
En route we spot MV Glen Rosa, a Calmac ferry due to be completed by Sept 2025 and take up service on the Arran route. We also see the volcanic plug, Dumbarton Rock. The Dumbarton FC badge features an elephant with a castle on its back, this represents Dumbarton Rock with Dumbarton Castle upon it, based on the historic town crest. Dumbarton Rock is said to resemble an elephant. The team's nickname 'The Sons' is derived from the phrase 'Sons of The Rock', a term used for those born in the town of Dumbarton.

Wemyss Bay station and pier in their current form were built in 1903, by the Caledonian Railway Company, The architect, James Miller, and Donald Matheson, Chief Engineer of the Railway Company, were responsible for its design. It was the first of the Clyde railway piers to be built, and is now the last one remaining. James Miller was the architect behind the distinctive "chalet style" stations on the West Highland line. He was also the architect for Stirling railway station.

The ferry sailing from Wemyss Bay - Rothesay takes just 35 minute. We took the 1215 sailing. Two ferries operate on this route, in addition to mv Argyle there’s the sister ship mv Bute. Check out calmac.co.uk for timetables.

MV ARGYLE is the 7th ship on the Clyde to bear the name. Built in Poland, she was launched on 12 September 2006 and entered service on 16 May 2007. She has a speed of 14 knots with capacity for 450 passengers and 60 cars.

Two lifts from the car deck to Deck 4 can accommodate wheelchairs. Passenger accommodation is on two levels: the first housing forward and aft lounges with a kiosk area and toilets between, while the second level is open deck space from the twin funnels to just forward of the bridge. The bridge sits on its own perch above the open deck. A single lift connects the car deck with the lounge.

As you may have guessed, I’m Tim and I live in the Scottish Highlands. I’ve always had a love of travel and thanks to the magical YouTube thing I can share my travels with you, the unsuspecting viewer. Thank you so much for watching this video and supporting my channel. All your likes, dislikes, comments and subs are greatly appreciated. If you like what you watched please hit that Subscribe button!
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