Arriving on Islay — and What to Do If You're Late, Delayed or Diverted

For general booking and timetable information, see Ferry to Islay and Flights to Islay. This page is about what to do when arrival doesn't go to plan.

Before you set off: check CalMac's live service status for any sailings flagged red or amber. If there's weather around, sign up for CalMac alerts — SMS, email, push, or X — so you hear about changes before they catch you out. Text "calmac subscribe 09" to 60030 for SMS alerts.

When Arrival Goes to Plan

Most of the time, you step off the ferry or plane and drive to Bruichladdich without fuss. You don't need to check in with us anywhere - head straight to the property. We send the door code and arrival notes the day before. For drive times from each port and airport, route detail, and what to expect on Islay's roads, see our Getting Around Islay guide. The rest of this page is about what to do when arrival doesn't go to plan.

Getting from Islay Airport Without a Car

Late flights are where this most often goes wrong: the last bus has gone, both taxi firms are out on distillery runs, and you didn't pre-book a hire car. If that's you, here are the recovery moves.

Bus: the last service that reaches Bruichladdich passes the airport at 16:37 (arriving Bruichladdich 17:31). If your flight lands after that, the bus isn't an option. The 18:11 from the airport heads north towards Port Askaig only - no use for Bruichladdich that evening.

Taxi: the two local firms cover the whole island, but they're often booked up on late-flight evenings. Call ahead from the plane if you can - capacity is the limiting factor, not goodwill.

Hire car: no walk-in office at the airport. If you haven't pre-arranged one, you can't sort it on arrival.

For full bus and taxi numbers, hire-car detail, and the request-stop landmarks near our properties, see Getting Around Islay. Get in touch with us if you're stuck - WhatsApp, email or call - and we'll do our best to help.

Diverted to the Wrong Port

In bad weather CalMac routinely swaps the route - your boat still sails, you just arrive at the other end of the island. They tend to confirm a few hours before sailing. The CalMac service status page is the single best place to check on the day; their phone line 0800 066 5000 is the second.

Diverted to Port Askaig: 25-minute drive to Bruichladdich along the A846. Taxi or bus from the terminal - the 450 stops at the slipway.

Diverted to Port Ellen: 45-minute drive across the island. If you've been swapped to Port Ellen on a late sailing, the last connecting bus to Bowmore may already have gone - book a taxi ahead.

Weather swaps happen, and the CalMac office staff at the terminal handle diverted arrivals every winter. Talk to them first - they'll help you sort a taxi, bus, or onward plan. Don't leave the port or the CalMac office without an onward plan in place. Get in touch with us at the same time so we can flex your check-in or advise on the route. We can't reach you physically from Jura, but we know the drill and can talk you through it.

Food If You Arrive Late

The two Co-ops are open until 22:00 every day. After that, hot food is harder.

Co-op Bowmore - Main Street, PA43 7JN. Daily 07:00–22:00. 01496 810201. 15-minute drive from Bruichladdich.

Port Ellen Co-op - 75 Frederick Crescent, PA42 7BE. Daily 07:00–22:00. 01496 302446. Two minutes from the ferry terminal.

If you're past 22:00 and want a hot meal, see our food and drink page for restaurants and pubs with later kitchens. Don't bank on it - Islay is an early-eating island.

Connecting on to Jura

We also have a property on Jura — Bothan Jura Retreat — so guests heading on across the Sound is something we plan around routinely.

The Jura ferry from Port Askaig is a five-minute crossing. The last scheduled sailing is 18:30. A late sailing at 21:30 runs but only if you book it before noon the day before - call 01496 840681. Don't show up at 21:00 hoping for the late one.

From Islay Airport: you'll make the 18:30 if your flight lands by around 17:30 and you taxi straight to Port Askaig (25 minutes). Tighter than that and you're calling the late ferry. Off the CalMac ferry at Port Askaig, the Jura ferry runs from the same slipway - usually a 20-30 minute wait.

If you're at risk of missing both, get in touch - we'd rather know early.

Worst Case: Stuck Overnight

If everything fails - last flight diverted to the mainland, ferries cancelled, taxis booked out - there are options near each port.

At Port Askaig there's one option: Port Askaig Hotel, right at the slipway (also the contact point for Port Askaig Stores - fuel, post office, general store). At Port Ellen there's more choice - several hotels and B&Bs within five minutes' walk of the terminal.

Don't leave the port or the CalMac office without an onward plan - the CalMac staff are happy to help you. Call us first too. We've talked guests through this many times. We may have a backup property free, know where still has a room at 9pm, or be able to flex your check-in to an earlier next-morning sailing. We'd rather sort it for you than have you booking blind at midnight.

Contact Us First

In 8+ years of hosting on Islay we've helped guests through every CalMac surprise the weather has thrown at us. The communication rating across 600+ guests is 5.0/5, and the recovery work shows up in 30+ reviews.

Whatever's happening with your arrival - late, diverted, missed the bus, stuck at Kennacraig - get in touch first. We'd rather know early than late, and we usually know what to do.

WhatsApp: +44 7300 493078

Email: info@portbahnislay.co.uk

Pi (direct): +44 7876 681165