Travelling to Scotland by ferry

There are no direct ferry links to Scotland at present.  However, the closest ferry port is Newcastle which is only 1.5 hours by car from the Scottish border and 2.5 hours from Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh.

DFDS (www.DFDSseaways.co.uk) operates the crossing from Amsterdam to Newcastle.  This North Sea route gives you a relaxing overnight crossing with restaurants, bars, and entertainment onboard, making it the perfect way to start a trip to Scotland.

P & O Ferries (www.POFerries.com) operate crossings from Rotterdam to Hull and from Zeebrugge to Hull. Hull is approximately 3 hours from the Scottish border and 4 hours from Edinburgh by car.

P & O Ferries also connect Scotland with Northern Ireland with a crossing from Larne to Cairnryan, just north of Stranraer, in the Dumfries and Galloway region of south west Scotland.

Stenaline (www.Stenaline.co.uk) offer a similar service between Belfast in Northern Ireland to Cairnryan.  This route takes about 2 hours 20 mins – check their website above for their up to date timetable.

Once you have reached Scotland, local ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne (www.Calmac.co.uk) offer many routes to some of the most beautiful islands on our west coast. Not only will you find some stunning golf courses but also breath taking scenery.  They also have a number of island hopping trips – check out their excellent website above.