OING ON a ferry is going on an adventure. Your voyage doesn’t simply get you somewhere, it immerses you in the location.
Take CalMac ferries in the west of Scotland which serve almost 30 islands and remote peninsular communities. Magical names such asMull, Arran and Skye, but lesser- known spots, too, such as Tiree with its big, white beaches, and wildMorvern and Ardnamurchan, two spots fringing Loch Sunart. Here the journey is an excursion as you zig- zag between rocky outcrops amid some of the world’s most spectacular scenery.
Equally enthralling is a Northlink voyage in the north of Scotland to the Orkney and Shetland Islands. There are up to three sailings a day from Scrabster, near Thurso, to Stromness in Orkney and nightly sailings from Aberdeen to Lerwick in Shetland. Ships look rugged and business- like on the outside yet inside there are restaurants serving fine Island and local Scottish mainland produce along with cosy bars, even cabins.
At the other end of the country, Condor Ferries heads into the sun as it connects Portsmouth and Poole with the Channel Islands Jersey and Guernsey, with calls at the French ports of StMalo and Cherbourg. Two sleek fast ferries, including Condor Liberation with its space- age looks, make the journey to Jersey in only four and a half hours, or there’s themore relaxed conventional ship, Commodore Clipper.
A truly magical experience is heading off the coast of Cornwall on the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group ship Scillonian III. The placid voyage from Penzance aboard the little ship that looks to come from the idyllic era of Swallows and Amazons is often enlivened by playful dolphins and you could even spot a whale or a huge sunfish. Travel at the right time of day and the world will be enveloped in a golden Atlantic sunset.
The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is the oldest continually operating passenger shipping company in the world, having started in 1830. Today the latest fast craft ( as well as conventional ferries) connect the island to Heysham in Lancashire with seasonal services to Liverpool ( sailing down theMersey and docking at the heart of the bustling city), Birkenhead, Belfast and Dublin. Liverpool is the shortest crossing at two hours 45 minutes.
Despite the variety, the biggest route of all is still Dover- Calais and P& O Ferries sails up to 23 times a day. Pride of Britain is one of Europe’s biggest and most modern ferries with restaurants such as the city- slick Brasserie serving grill fare including lobster and steak, and the premium Club Lounge with free champagne. P& O also sails from Hull to Zeebrugge ( the port for pretty Bruges) and Rotterdam; Liverpool to Dublin; and Cairnryan in Scotland to Larne in Ireland.
For the Isle of Wight, Wightlink has three routes, from Portsmouth and Lymington to Ryde and Fishbourne in the east and Yarmouth in the west. Perhaps the shortest ferry route of all is the 22- minute fastcat crossing from Portsmouth to Ryde – docking at the head of the pier, fromwhere you can hop on the re- imagined London Tube train that serves as the island’s rail service. Short, but an adventure in itself.