Scottish anchorages

Caledonian MacBrayne - CalMac for short - have the monopoly on almost all the routes, but to me as an outsider they seem a pretty good organisation. It is a characteristic of islanders that they always moan about the ferries, but then their livelihood does depend on them. So you do need a CalMac timetable on board to help you plan crew changes, or escapes back to work if you get marooned by bad weather.

The ferries are of course the lifeline between the mainland and the islands - they transport more or less everything from people to ponies, and from cars to cows.

CalMac will take you from Oban to Craignure on Mull (and then you need a bus to Tobermory), Coll, Tiree and Lismore. And from Kennacraig on Loch Tarbert to Islay (either Port Ellen or Port Askaig), and from Tayinloan in Kintyre to Gigha. There is a short ferry from Port Askaig on Islay across the Sound of Islay to Feolin on Jura but this is in the middle of nowhere and you need the bus to Craighouse. Better, at least for crew changes when you don't need a car, is the passenger only ferry from Tayvallich to Craighouse - a fast rib but the future for this route is uncertain. Also you do have to get yourself to Tayvallich which is not that easy.

There is a small passenger-only ferry between Port Appin and the north end of Lismore, run by Argyll and Bute Council but this is of no great help for crew changes. They also run the very short ferry across to Luing from Seil Island. And there is a short ferry across the Sound of Kerrera.

CalMac will also take you across the Sound of Mull from Fishnish to Lochaline, and across Loch Sunart between Tobermory and Kilchoan. And across the Sound of Iona.

There is another wee ferry  across the Sound of Mull from Tobermory to Drimnin and also to Laga bay on Ardnamurchan. But funding is under threat.

Across Loch Linnhe there are two small ferries. Crannog Cruises run the ferry between Fort William and Camusnagaul Bay, and the Highland Council run the Corran ferry further south across - not surprisingly - the Corran narrows.

Going further north, the small isles - Rum, Muck, Eigg and Canna - are served by the CalMac ferry from Mallaig. You can also get to Rum, Muck and Eigg from Arisaig on the passenger-only Sheerwater run by Arisaig Marine.