Largs to Millport Ferry

Catching the Largs to Millport ferry is a popular weekend activity for many people on the Ayrshire Coast and Glasgow area.

Millport is the town on the island of Great Cumbrae, just 8 minutes by ferry from the town of Largs. So, though you’re catching the ferry to the Cumbrae slip and not Millport itself, people still refer to it as catching the Largs to Millport ferry.

On Cumbrae, you’ll find some fun activities to easily fill a day, as well as some beautiful stretches of coastline that are perfect for a beach day, picnics and just hanging out.

If you’re planning a day trip to Millport and are wondering how to get there, this guide to the Largs to Millport ferry has you covered with the Millport ferry times and prices included.

I’ve also included the best things to do in Millport too, as well as how to get from the ferry terminal on Cumbrae to Millport so you’ll know what to expect.

Catching the Largs to Millport ferry

As part of our year in travel where we’re figuring out whether we want to live in Europe or Canada long-term, we found ourselves staying in Largs for a month.

Was it our first choice? No. The town itself is in a fairly picturesque setting but personally, I don’t think the town has a huge amount to offer.

Either way, Largs was where we ended up and our evening walk along the coastline showed there was an island not far away with regular ferries going back and forth which turned out to be Great Cumbrae.

On our first weekend in Largs, we decided to make the most of the sunshine and caught the ferry from Largs to Millport on Cumbrae.

It’s easy to do, reservations aren’t needed and, if you’re going as a foot passenger which I’d recommend, then it’s cheap too.

The Millport ferry goes from Largs to Cumbrae Slip (Millport ferry terminal). From there you’ll need to drive, get the bus, cycle or walk to Millport.

The ferries are operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac ferries) and in peak season there are two ferries running during the weekends. One ferry is slightly larger and has a place where you can get some drinks and snacks onboard, the other does not have these facilities.

Can you book the Largs to Millport ferry?

You can reserve the ferry online in advance, but for the Largs to Millport ferry, I didn’t find this necessary as a foot passenger. If you’re taking your car across on a summer weekend then it’s probably a good idea.

However, the ferries run so often that even if you miss one, you don’t have long to wait.

If you book online for the Millport to Largs ferry you don’t need to select your sailing time; the ticket is valid all day.

Largs to Millport ferry prices

Below you’ll find the Millport ferry car prices, passenger prices and more information for your trip.

Passenger Type	Price
Driver/Passenger	£3.60
Child 5-15	£1.80
Car or 4×4 (excl. driver)	£13.90
Motorhome (excl. driver) up to 6 m long	£13.90
Motorhome (excl. driver) up to 8 m long	£34.75
Motorhome (excl. driver) up to 10 m long	£41.70
Caravan, boat/baggage trailer up to 2.5 m	£6.95
Caravan, boat/baggage trailer up to 6 m	£13.90
Caravan, boat/baggage trailer up to 8 m	£20.85
Motorcycle	£6.95
Bicycles (numbers restricted)	£6.95

Largs to Millport ferry times

Peak service: 28th April to 26th June on Friday-Sunday. Every day from June 26 to August 14 and Friday – Sunday from August 18 to August 27.

Day	Largs Depart	Cumbrae ferry Slip Arrive	Cumbrae Slip Depart	Largs Arrive
Monday-Saturday	6.45	6.55	7.00	7.10
	7.15	7.25	7.30	7.40
	7.45	7.55	8.00	8.10
	8.15	8.25	8.30	8.40
	9.15	9.25	9.30	9.40
	then every 15 minutes until	then every 15 minutes until	then every 15 minutes until	then every 15 minutes until
	20.15	20.25	20.30	20.40
	20.45A	20.55A	21.00A	21.10A
	22.15B	22.25B	22.30B	22.40B
Sunday	8.15	8.25	8.30	8.40
	9.15	9.25	9.30	9.40
	9.45	9.55	10.00	10.10
	10.00	10.10	10.15	10.25
	then every 15 minutes until	then every 15 minutes until	then every 15 minutes until	then every 15 minutes until
	20.15	20.25	20.30	20.40

Millport ferry winter timetable – Off-peak Service: Runs from 31st March – April 27th every day. May – 27th June and 15th August to the 24th August, it runs to this timetable from Monday – Thursdays. Then from August 28 to October 22, it follows this schedule every day.

Day	Largs Depart	Cumbrae Slip Arrive	Cumbrae Slip Depart	Largs Arrive
Monday-Saturday	6.45	6.55	7.00	7.10
	7.15	7.25	7.30	7.40
	7.45	7.55	8.00	8.10
	8.15	8.25	8.30	8.40
	9.15	9.25	9.30	9.40
	then every 30 minutes until	then every 30 minutes until	then every 30 minutes until	then every 30 minutes until
	20.15	20.25	20.30	20.40
	20.45 A	20.55 A	21.00 A	21.10 A
	22.15 B	22.25 B	22.30 B	22.40 B
Sundays	8.15	8.25	8.30	8.40
	9.15	9.25	9.30	9.40
	9.45	9.55	10.00	10.10
	10.15	10.25	10.30	10.40
	then every 30 minutes until	then every 30 minutes until	then every 30 minutes until	then every 30minutes until
	20.15	20.25	20.30	20.40

Cumbrae slip to Millport

When you’ve arrived in Cumbrae, you’ll then need to get to Millport.

Since we arrived and took the Largs Millport ferry as foot passengers and were planning to cycle around the island, we took the bus to the town of Millport instead of walking or driving.

The bus service is pretty well scheduled in line with the ferry and they ran quite regularly.

The Cumbrae Slip to Millport bus costs £3.50 for an adult return, £2.00 for a single ticket, and £1.70 for a child return or £1.00 for a child single. You can pay for bus tickets with a card that has contactless-enabled, or with cash.

The journey takes about 10-15 minutes depending on the traffic at the time and buses run roughly every 30 minutes. I say roughly because when we were catching the bus back to Cumbrae Slip from Millport, we saw 3 buses go past in 5 minutes, and then had to wait another 20 for the next one – it seemed the schedule had gone wrong somewhere!

You can see the (planned) timetables for Millport buses here.

The most direct Cumbrae Slip to Millport distance is a short 4.2 miles if you’re taking the outer road along the coast. There is one slightly shorter route that goes away from the coast slightly which is 3 miles long.

Driving from the Cumbrae slip to Millport takes about 10 minutes and walking would be roughly an hour. For cyclists, expect this to take around 15-20 minutes.

What to do on Cumbrae

One of the best things to do in Millport on Cumbrae is to hire a bike (or bring your bike on the Millport ferry) and cycle around the island.

There are 10 miles worth of paved roads around the perimeter of Cumbrae which is perfect for cycling. It’s the most popular thing to do here and it’s what the majority of visitors come here for.

This isn’t a biking race track, it’s more for leisurely cycling with friends and family. It’s scenic, basically flat and there is a cafe (Fintry Bay Patio and Restaurant) partway around where you can get a drink and something to eat.

Another great activity in Cumbrae is going kayaking. You can rent both kayaks and paddleboards and then kayak out to The Eileans two small islands (rocks) where seals are known to live. The water is super clear here and they’re pretty to kayak out to.

You can also take a swim or walk some of the hiking trails on Cumbrae.

Isle of Cumbrae Distillers offers tastings and tours of their unique gins, including “NostalGin” with lavender and island bramble flavours.

For golfers, you’ll find a super scenic golf course and there’s crazy golf for kids.

I’ve got a more detailed guide on what to do in Millport if you want some more ideas.

FAQs about the Largs to Cumbrae ferry

Final thoughts on this guide to the Largs to Millport ferry

Catching the Largs Cumbrae ferry is easy and offers a great weekend or day trip from the mainland on the Ayrshire Coast of Scotland.

From cycling around the island to kayaking, trying the local gins, or enjoying a scenic walk, there are plenty of things to do on Millport that make getting the Great Cumbrae ferry worthwhile.

If you’re looking for more things to do on the Ayrshire Coast, check out this guide to the best things to do on Arran (there are no Largs to Arran ferry, you have to go from Ardrossan Harbour), and how to get the ferry to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute from Weymss Bay.

Last Updated on August 8, 2024 by Hannah