It is a ferry that carries everything from cars to former military vehicles, but with a twist - there’s only space for two and drivers have to reverse off at journey’s end. The summer-only route between Cromarty and Nigg has the honour of being the only one on Scotland’s east coast. Advertisement Advertisement Sign up for the latest news and analysis about Scottish transport Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.
It also provides travellers, for four months of the year, with a direct link from the northern tip of the Black Isle across the Cromarty Firth to the Easter Ross peninsula - avoiding a large detour via the Cromarty Bridge near Dingwall to the west. That helps swell the influx of visitors to the thriving but otherwise isolated community of Cromarty, whose elegant 18th century buildings comprise the best preserved town in the Highlands. Despite being at the end of road during its ferry-less months, 24 miles and 40 minutes’ drive from Inverness, Cromarty’s attractions include a purpose-built, volunteer-run cinema situated yards from the ferry slipway.
Just along the waterfront, a new campsite was opened last year by the Cromarty Community Development Trust to solve the problem of wild camping and unauthorised overnight parking by motorhomes on Cromarty Links, beside the historic town’s residential heart. The trust also spearheaded the rebuilding of the ferry slipways in 2020 to ensure its future. The ferry is operated between June and September by Dougie Robertson on behalf of Highland Council.
Since 2016, the Renfrew Rose, a former Renfrew-Yoker ferry boat on the Clyde, has been used for the service. Unlike previous vessels, the ferry does not have a turntable or sufficient deck space for vehicles to turn round before driving off. Instead, drivers of the two vehicles which the boat can accommodate are faced with having to reverse back down the ramp onto the slipway.
Mr Robertson said that could be a challenge for some, but staff talked them through the manoeuvre. Advertisement Advertisement He told The Scotsman: “It can be a wee bit different from other ferries - the fact that you’re driving on and you have to reverse off. “You get directed by the staff on the deck, who will keep you right.
“We haven’t had any accidents. A lot of people panic, but they listen to instructions. It’s no different from reversing up your driveway.
” Mr Robertson said the ferry opened up a range of travel opportunities, such as an eastern alternative to a section of the North Coast 500 which avoided part of the A9 . He said: “We’re really popular in the summer months with a lot of tourists, and locals travelling to and from work - everything from the [ Nigg energy industry ] yard to holidaymakers doing the North Coast 500. “A lot of people are using it on the way to travel further, up to Shetland and places like that, and to connect to other ferries.
“We get all sorts, a good mix of folk, from motorbikes to converted military vehicles, and there’s an older lady that comes up every year and travels the Highlands - we’ve had her coming across with her horse, complete with her dogs in panniers. Transport in Scotland is a key issue - get our specialist newsletter for the best updates Advertisement Advertisement “For most people, it’s a novelty coming across the water. If you were travelling from Cromarty round to Nigg, that would take you a good 45 minutes, when you’re only seven or eight minutes across on the boat.
So there’s definitely a time saving there. “For a lot of folk, especially on the north side around Nigg and Tain, they quite like to come down and park up and come across as a foot passenger just to have a day out in Cromarty - lunch and drinks or whatever. “For a wee place, it’s got a lot going for it.
In the summer time, it can be a busy place.” Among those enjoying the trip was classic car owner Hendrik-Jan Teekens from the Netherlands, who had brought his 1971 Citroen DS for a holiday in the Highlands inspired by his nephew, who lives in Lairg. He has driven it 230,000 miles across Europe over the last 32 years.
Mr Teekens said: “We are doing a tour through Scotland with this car. We found it a great idea because in Holland you don't have these kind of ferries anymore. “We would like to do this for the tourist attraction and pictures, and we thought it can't be a problem with a car which can get in a higher position [because of its suspension suspension] to drive on the ferry.
“To me this ferry looks old fashioned and rare. Some passengers found it a bit scary to drive on to the ferry and off backwards off. Advertisement Advertisement “But the ferry crew helped everyone very well.
They know what they're doing.” Mr Robertson said the popularity of the crossing had led to sailings being increased. He said: “We used to run a timetable every half hour and just shuttled when we were busy, but we found we were getting quite busy, especially in July and August, so it was easiest just to shuttle.
“We used to do 42 crossings in the timetable, but now we do over 50 as we shuttle over and back. So it’s now one every 20 minutes rather than every 30 minutes.” However, the ferry operator said the small size of the boat restricted its operating season.
He said: “We are very weather dependent. Even come the end of September, the weather can turn and you get quite a large easterly swell coming in that can affect us. “We also don’t have much protection on the slipways - we’re open to the elements - so it would definitely be difficult in this craft, not to say a bigger boat wouldn’t be able to do it for a bit longer.
” Although rare, reverse-off ferries also operate on at least two other Scottish routes. CalMac’s smallest vessel, Carvoria, can take one car or van between Gallanach to the island of Kerrera , near Oban, which must reverse off. The same manoeuvre is also required aboard Orkney Ferries’ vessel Shapinsay on its route to the island of the same name from Kirkwall.
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