The 5 Ferries route

The 5 Ferries is a cycle ride starting in Brodick on the Isle of Arran and using 5 ferries to do a clockwise circular tour of the Kyles of Bute, and the Firth of Clyde. It works well starting in Brodick because the ferry schedules enable you to complete the 74 miles (118 Kms) of cycling in one day. 

Total Distance travelled : 100 miles

All the ferries are operated by Caledonian MacBrayne, whose ships seem omnipresent in the Western Isles of Scotland.  Having also done  a lot of sailing in the Western Isles over the last few years, I have seen so many different types of CalMac ferry, with their smart blue and white hulls, and distinct red funnels.  There are 29 in the fleet, and I have enjoyed coming across new ones as I have sailed and cycled in the area.   

There is a schoolboy saying (I read):

"The Lord owns the earth
In all it contains
except the Western Isles
and that is MacBraynes"

The route and schedule we followed:
Cycle 1: Brodick to Lochranza (Isle of Arran) - 15 miles/24Kms
Ferry 1: 08:15 Lochranza to Claonig (across Kilbrannan Sound) "Loch Tarbert"
Cycle 2:  Claonig to Tarbert (on the Mull of Kintyre) - 11.5 miles/18 Kms
Ferry 2: 10:15 Tarbert to Portavadie (across Loch Fyne) "Isle of Cumbrae"
Cycle 3: Portavadie to Colintraive (on the Cowal Peninsula) 19.15 miles/31 Kms
Ferry 3: 13:00 Colintraive to Rhubodach (across the Kyles of Bute) "Loch Dunvegan"
Cycle 4: Rhubodach to Rothesay 8.5 miles/14 Kms (on the Isle of Bute)
Ferry 4: 14:00 Rothesay to Weymss Bay (across the Firth of Clyde) "MV Bute"
Cycle 5: Weymss Bay to Ardrossan 19 miles / 30 Kms along the Ayrshire coast; 
Ferry 5: 18:00 Ardrossan to Brodick (across the Firth of Clyde) "Caledonian Isles"