CalMac Ferries of Scotland - Trip Report from MV Clansman

CORRECTION: The Observation Lounge is at the Forward End of Deck 5, not Deck 4 as per the narration. MAY 2023: Caledonian MacBrayne Ferries of Scotland, more commonly known as CalMac Ferries, has had more than its share of bad press recently. Struggling to maintain lifeline island connections with an aging and partly life-expired fleet, the West of Scotland's Ferry Operator has suffered multiple breakdowns as it waits for mis-procured new tonnage, some of which is now FIVE YEARS behind schedule. But is it all that bad? As an Islander myself who lives in North Uist, I've had my fair share of cancelled, re-routed, retimed, and unavailable ferries. But I also travel with other ferry operators throughout the UK, and compared to some of the big names, there is a LOT to love about CalMac. In this video I take a trip aboard the MV Clansman from Lochmaddy in North Uist to Uig in the Isle of Skye. Normally this route is served by the CalMac Ferries MV Hebrides, sister ship to the Clansman, but she was on her annual overhaul at the time of sailing. The Clansman normally plies the routes between Oban, Coll, Tiree, and Colonsay, and on Summer Wednesdays her Coll and Tiree sailings are extended to Castlebay in the Isle of Barra to maintain a direct connection between the Inner and Outer Hebrides. 00:00 - Introduction 00:53 - Fares and ticket flexibility 01:15 - CalMac's new ticketing and reservation system 01:58 - Vehicle marshalling area at Lochmaddy 02:06 - About the MV Clansman, and driving aboard with a vehicle 03:43 - A tour of the passenger facilities aboard the MV Clansman 04:45 - Travelling with a dog with CalMac 05:17 - Continuing the tour of the passenger facilities aboard the MV Clansman 08:28 - Arrival in Uig, and the drive to Uig Bay Campsite 09:00 - Outtakes 09:22 - Outro Please also check out my Ferry Playlist:    • Ferries   To see my video from 2016 about the Clansman's Sister ship the MV Hebrides, please see:    • Onboard CalMac Ferry 'Hebrides' Uig to Tar...   If you like Ferry Reviews, check out Steve Marsh's Channel @steve-marsh    / @steve-marsh   =========================================================== DID YOU ENJOY THIS VIDEO? IF SO, PLEASE SUPPORT US AND HELP US MAKE MORE! Please Like, Subscribe, and use the Share arrow to share with your friends. If you are in a position to do so, then you may if you wish BUY ME A COFFEE using this link: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/andrewdi... Many thanks for your support. ============================================================ OPERATOR WEBSITE CalMac Ferries: https://calmac.co.uk/ =========================================================== GEEKY TECH STUFF This video was filmed mostly on a DJI Action 3 and an iPhone 11 Pro Max. Outro on a Sony A7C. ======================================================== FOLLOW US! Please check out my newsletter, Streamlining: https://andrewditton.substack.com/ If you'd like to know more about touring with an Electric Vehicle, please check my newsletter Electric Touring: https://electrictouring.substack.com/ Join us on Instagram at   / andrewjditton