Booked · Wednesday's crossing
Mallaig ↔ Knoydart: private charter
No road in — it's a crossing of Loch Nevis on foot. Brad has booked the Big Dipper RIB privately for both legs, which buys the two things the scheduled ferry couldn't: a 09:00 departure instead of a 04:50 alarm, and a 20:00 return instead of bolting from the dinner table at 18:15. The three ferry legs below are now superseded — cancel them for the refund.
Booked ✓ · this is the plan
wic private rib · paid
Big Dipper — private charter
WIC's fast 10-seat open RIB, hired privately for both legs. Out 09:00 from Mallaig, back 20:00 from Inverie — roughly a 15-minute crossing each way, at a time of your choosing rather than the timetable's. Paid in full by BACS on 29 Jul.
It's an open boat — waterproofs on for the crossing even if the hill is dry. Still weather-dependent: the skipper's call, so check the day before.
Order #GAXRQD · £450.00 paid
09:00 out — booking #367285815 · £225
20:00 back — booking #367286141 · £225
01687 462 233 · info@westernislescruises.co.uk
superseded · cancel for refund
WIC scheduled ferry
The regular Knoydart ferry — 84-seat wooden boat with a bar aboard. This was the plan (07:30 out, 18:30 back) until the private charter replaced it. All three legs are still paid and still cancellable.
WIC refunds in full with 24h notice, so ring the office before Tuesday to claw back the £87.48. Worth keeping in mind as a fallback if the RIB gets weathered off.
01687 462 233 · info@westernislescruises.co.uk
#364507911 · #364514849 · #364422367
fallback · independent charters
Minch Adventures / Calanna
Only relevant now if the Big Dipper is weathered off and the ferry isn't running either. Minch Adventures — independent charter from Mallaig Yachting Marina (~8–12 pax). Calanna — Knoydart's own 12-seat charter (skipper Iain Wilson), based on the Inverie side, so the one to ring if you're stuck on Knoydart.
Heads-up: "Sea Bridge Knoydart" in old listings is the same phone as WIC — not a separate operator.
Minch: 07437 670 212 · minchadventures.co.uk
Calanna: 01687 462 844 · calannaboat@knoydart.org
| Mallaig dept | Inverie arr | Inverie dept | Mallaig arr | Notes · Mon–Fri, May–Sept |
|---|
| 09:00 | ~09:20 | 20:00 | ~20:20 | ★ THE PLAN · PRIVATE RIB ✓ Big Dipper · #367285815 + #367286141 · pier by 08:45 |
| 07:30 | 08:00 | 08:00 | 08:30 | superseded · #364507911 paid — cancel for refund |
| 10:15 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:45 | superseded · #364514849 paid — cancel for refund |
| 14:15 | 15:00 | 16:15 | 17:00 | afternoon sailing (return via Tarbet) |
| 18:00 | 18:30 | 18:30 | 19:00 | superseded · #364422367 paid — cancel for refund |
Action: £87.48 to reclaim. The private charter (Order #GAXRQD, £450 paid) replaces all three WIC ferry legs, but those are still booked and still paid — £29.16 × 3. WIC refunds in full with 24h notice, so ring 01687 462 233 and cancel #364507911, #364514849 and #364422367. Don't leave it to the day: cancel by Monday and it's clean.
Wednesday, as it now runs: leave Kingshouse ~06:00, on the Mallaig pier by 08:45, RIB away at 09:00 and ashore at Inverie ~09:20. Hill all day, Old Forge at 17:00, and the boat doesn't leave until 20:00 — back in Mallaig ~20:20, checked into the Marine by half past. Weather is still the skipper's call, so confirm Tuesday; the ferry (if you've not yet cancelled) and the independent charters are the fallbacks.