OBAN FERRY to MULL with Autistic Kids: All you need to know about taking the CalMac car ferry
- sunshinelayla
- Nov 19, 2025
- 9 min read
Updated: Dec 29, 2025
A comprehensive guide on travelling from Oban to Mull with autistic children, with a focus on the sensory experience.
Our Scottish holiday included a 5 night stay on the Isle of Mull in October half term. It was a remote cottage near the tiny village of Ulva Ferry and we would definitely need a car on the island.
Read on and discover everything you need to travel with a car from Oban to Mull on the CalMac ferry.
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Quick Links
Booking tickets / Timetables / Turn Up and Go routes / Taking a car / Boarding the Ferry / On Board Experience / Disembarking / Top Tips
Visiting Scotland's Inner Hebrides
Over 20 years ago I spent a month travelling Scotland with a backpack, staying in youth hostels and stretching my budget by mainly eating beans on toast! In Oban I boarded a ferry to Mull at the crack of dawn and then took a bus across the island on an all too fleeting day trip to the Isle of Iona. My brief journey across Mull's stunning mountain scenery left a strong impression, and I vowed that one day I would return to spend more time in this mystical place.
The years passed, as they do, and it wasn't until my mum expressed a wish to visit Scotland for her 75th birthday that I remembered the promise I'd made myself, staring across Oban's harbour all those years ago.
A trip started to take shape in my mind, and enthusiastically supported by J who had always wanted to visit the Inner Hebridean Isles of Skye and Mull, our 10 day road trip in Western Scotland was born. The first challenge was getting my head around travelling by car to the islands, and I hope this article can save you some of the leg work I had to do!
Booking tickets for the Oban - Mull - Oban CalMac car ferry
Book in advance
Like many of the Scottish islands, Mull is an extremely popular tourist destination all year round. People flock to see the colourful houses of Tobermory, sample the island's famous chocolate and spot wildlife such as sea otters, dolphins and eagles.
For this reason it is important to book your ferry crossing tickets in advance (where this is required - see below for info on the turn up and go routes). Not all the ferries take cars, and those that do have limited amounts of space, much of which is regularly booked by companies taking goods between the island and the mainland.
Popular holiday routes can sell out quickly - I was surprised to see that when I checked the CalMac website in late August and some of the ferry crossings during the October half term were already fully booked! I imagine it is even busy during the May and August school holidays!
Timetables
The Isle of Mull is part of the Inner Hebrides Timetable group.
Caledonian Macbrayne operates a Winter and Summer timetable and tickets generally come on sale 2 - 3 months before the timetable starts. Obviously it is important to know when the tickets will be on sale, and make a note in your diary to go online as soon as possible after that date.
For example, in 2025 the winter timetable ran from 20 Oct - 26 March 2026, with booking opening in July. The summer timetable for 2026 will run from 27 March - 19 October. Tickets are due to be released for booking on either the 17 Dec 2025 or 27 Jan 2026.
The latest information on the timetable for Oban - Craignure (Mull) visit the CalMac website (opens in new tab)
Turn Up and Go Routes
Some CalMac routes are turn up and go, which means you don't book a specific ferry but a pass that entitles travel during a set period or season. This might be useful if you are unsure of your travel plans, and need some flexibility. The downside is you may have to wait for a space, as they cannot guarantee you will sail on arrival. The following routes are Turn Up and Go:
Lochaline - Fishnish (Mull)
Tobermory (Mull) - Kilchoan
Because we had locked in accommodation dates, we opted for the Oban to Craignure Ferry. These tickets were for set sail times and were non-refundable.
To ensure we could get to the ferry port by 9am (our ferry departure was 9:45am) we opted to stay overnight in Oban, rather than drive up from Glasgow in the morning - the fastest estimated journey time was about 2 hrs 20 mins and we didn't fancy packing the car up in the dark at 6am!
Taking a vehicle on the ferry
During the ticket booking process you will be asked to provide accurate vehicle dimensions, including tow bars and overhanging items, as they allocate tickets on the basis of parking space available. This was tricky for us as we hadn't, at the point of buying the tickets actually booked a hire car.
I have also found that you can turn up to collect your car and find you have been provided with a totally different one to the one you had booked.
When adding the vehicle to your ferry booking click the more options button and then check the two boxes that say "I dont know" / "I'm hiring a car" and have a best guess at the vehicle size. You can go back and change this later.
Having looked at the vehicle category we booked with the hire company I erred on the side of caution and opted for the largest car size dimensions I could find. This turned out to be a good decision, as when we arrived at the car hire firm to find we had been given a 9 seater multi passenger vehicle - definitely bigger than the one we had booked!
If the length of the vehicle differs from that reserved, a surcharge may apply, and we cannot guarantee travel.
To book tickets visit the CalMac website. (opens in a new tab).
Boarding the Oban - Mull - Oban CalMac car ferry
Travellers are informed that check in for the ferry closes 30 minutes before departure, after which time travel cannot be guaranteed. On arrival vehicles are directed into different lanes based on size and their loading plan. Boarding took place quickly and was very efficient. Vehicles are packed extremely tightly so it pays to be prepared in advance.
There is not really the time or physical space to be taking items out of the car / van boot once you have driven onto the ferry. Know what you want to take with you on deck and have it ready, this include essential medications, coats, gloves and hats if you plan on spending any time outdoors. It may only be a short trip but it was very cold on the open water!
Once you reach the ferry port in Oban there is nothing to do but sit in your vehicle and wait, so come prepared with lots of things to keep the kids amused. However the Craignure port on Mull is much smaller, and we were waiting to board for the return journey we able to leave the car, use the toilets and have a look around a couple of gift shops / cafes nearby which really helped pass the time.
The autistic experience of boarding
Unfortunately our youngest autistic son had taken off his shoes and socks in the car when we had been waiting in the queue to board the ferry to Mull and was refusing to put them on, in fact he started refusing to get out of the car at all. This was extremely stressful for us as parents, as the ferry cant sail until the vehicle hold is secure and all passengers have gone up on deck (you cannot wait with your vehicle). We had a similar problem on the way back. When you have burly Scottish men shouting at you to hurry up it is not fun!
If we were to sail again I would contact the assistance team and ask if it was possible to board him as a foot passenger, rather than go through the transitions of getting into and out of the car on the vehicle deck - it was clearly just very overwhelming for him, the noise, the pace of action and the sounds.
What did our autistic kids think of the Oban - Mull - Oban ferry trip?
Despite the tricky start of actually getting out the car(!) once they were up on the deck the boys were really excited and couldn't wait to run around and explore. Once we'd settled my mum comfortably in one of the warm cafe areas (there are a number of places to eat and drink on board) we headed outside into the cold October weather!
The ferry crossing is pretty quick - only 50 minutes and there were multiple outdoor spaces to explore; the boys enjoyed the largest one at the top of the ferry the most. It was cold, windy and very exciting for them to stand and look back at Oban harbour as the ferry pulled away. Later in the journey we spent time on some of the side decks where they could lean over the rails and feel the sea spray on their faces.
As the boys like to keep active (it also helps with regulation) we ended up spending most of the 50 minutes completing multiple laps of the ferry, up and down steps, inside to outside and back in again! The second ferry crossing back to Oban was a little calmer as they were now familiar with the experience and general layout so J and I actually got to enjoy a coffee while the boys sat and had their morning snack!
Onboard Facilities
Every ferry configuration is different. We sailed on the Lord of the Seas and it had a canteen for hot food and a smaller café / bar for hot beverages and alcoholic drinks and as well as a mini gift shop. There were plenty of spaces for sitting down, with a dedicated area for pet owners which we kept well clear of given our youngest son's fear of dogs!
The toilets were pretty clean and were scattered throughout the ferry, I didnt have to queue.
It is by no means a luxury experience but on such a short journey when all the fun is to be had outside, that really didn't matter.
Accessibility
From an accessibility point of view my mum struggled with the number of quite steep steps required to reach the passenger deck from the car. They ask that passengers who will require assistance e.g. if mobility is an issue, you are travelling with a wheelchair or have other access needs to let them know at the time of booking and if possible at least 48 hours in advance. For further information visit their dedicated passenger assistance page or click here for contact details.
Amazing scenery
While the boys loved the sensory experience of the wind and water spray on their faces J and I really enjoyed the stunning island and ocean scenery. in the short time on board we saw a lighthouse and castle as well as some lovely sea-birds. Unfortunately despite my best efforts I failed to spot any marine life - I had been hoping for seals or dolphins as sightings had been reported just a couple of days before.
If you are keen to spot local marine mammals check out the website of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust - their sea life sightings map is updated daily (just make sure you change the date filters).
Disembarking the Oban - Mull - Oban CalMac car ferry
Getting off the ferry was definitely less stressful than getting on, although there was still a time pressure as we were parked near the front and didn't want to be the ones holding other people up. Its tricky because they don't allow you below deck to get back to your car until the very last minute and our youngest does not cope well with that sort of time pressure.
While the route off the ferry and out onto the roads was straightforward in Craignure on Mull, it was felt more complicated on the Oban side. We did manage to get ourselves a little lost leaving the ferry in Oban trying to follow google around windy roads as well as looking for a supermarket in the pouring rain!
Top Tips for Autistic Families:
Book as early as possible - popular routes sell out quickly
CalMac Ferries offers a 25% discount on vehicle tickets for customers with a valid Blue Badge issued by gov.uk. This blue badge discount is applied to the vehicle ticket, not the passenger/driver ticket.
Have a special bag ready in advance with fidget toys, snacks, medications etc for taking on board
It can be quite loud on board, remember the ear defenders if your child uses them
Take coats and hats up to the passenger deck with you, even on sunny days as the wind can be very cold
Speak to the passenger assistance team 48 hours in advance - consider how the quick transitions from car deck to passenger deck may affect your child - consider options for boarding as foot passengers
Pack a ferry themed 'i-spy' list to keep them entertained and keep a look out for dolphins
FINAL COMMENTS
J, the boys and I all loved our trip on the ferry between Oban and the Isle of Mull. We made sure to do it in daylight hours and were rewarded with a hugely fun, exciting sensory experience and some stunning scenery as well. For the boys it was their first time on board a large car ferry and every stage of it was an adventure, it really was a real highlight of the whole holiday for them.
