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SCOTTISH TRANSPORT STATISTICS No 24: 2005 Edition

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Table 10.15 Traffic on some other major ferry routes

Route

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Passengers

thousands

Orkney Ferries 1

Houton - Lyness/Flotta

59.9

63.8

67.3

68.4

66.5

65.6

63.2

64.7

63.6

71.1

77.7

Tingwall - Rousay/Egilsay/Wyre

54.0

58.2

59.2

56.6

56.1

56.4

55.1

54.0

54.2

60.3

61.7

Kirkwall - Shapinsay

50.5

57.4

58.1

56.0

56.0

57.8

57.0

61.7

60.9

64.3

64.3

Kirkwall - Westray/Stronsay

75.8

78.5

78.7

82.4

80.2

84.9

86.0

87.5

94.4

96.2

97.6

Stromness-Hoy/Graemsay

..

..

..

..

..

16.8

16.5

16.8

17.5

18.3

20.4

Orkney Line (previously Orcargo)

Invergordon - Orkney 10

2.7

2.1

1.6

1.6

1.9

1.6

1.3

0.3

-

-

-

Western Ferries 2

Gourock-Dunoon

703.8

751.5

762.5

768.3

786.4|

1,062.6

1,076.6

1,129.3

1,163.7

1,259.6

1,254.7

Argyll & Bute Council

Appin-Lismore 13

..

..

..

28.5

26.2

28.1

26.2

27.5

32.5

43.5

56.1

Islay - Jura

..

..

55.9

50.0

54.5

57.1

58.6

63.6

62.9

62.7

66.2

Cuan-Luing 3,13

..

..

..

..

..

..

13.0

12.7

9.2

20.2

17.7

Seil-Easdale 13

..

..

..

..

..

..

19.1

22.2

17.3

18.2

12.2

Highland Council

Ardgour-Nether Lochaber

(Corran Ferry) 4

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

Camusnagaul - Fort William 5

13.2

13.9

14.5

13.3

11.1

13.9

8.9

8.1

7.5

5.8

6.0

Bruce Watt Cruises

Mallaig-Loch Nevis

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

2.3

2.1

2.4

2.5

Cromarty Ferry Company

Cromarty-Nigg

..

..

..

..

22.1

24.2

12.6

10.3

13.4

12.8

9.6

West Highland Seaways (12)

Gairloch (Wester Ross) - Portree (Skye)

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

2.7

Shetland Islands Council 1

Laxo or Vidlin - Symbister

..

96.3

137.9

145.7

125.7

120.4

136.8

138.1

146.2

141.2

154.1

Toft - Ulsta

..

183.7

211.7

227.7

206.3

204.6

211.0

216.1

229.7

221.9

232.1

Gutcher - Belmont

..

79.0

109.5

126.1

113.5

109.3

112.9

113.5

126.3

110.2

122.7

Lerwick - Bressay 6

..

155.1

211.3

213.5

189.2

205.3

185.8

180.7

206.3

194.5

213.0

Gutcher - Oddsta

..

14.3

18.6

21.5

19.1

20.6

20.4

20.2

23.5

19.3

23.4

Strathclyde Passenger Transport

Renfrew - Yoker 7

..

..

..

..

148.4

147.9

142.1

133.6

132.6

128.8

129.1

Gourock - Kilcreggan 8

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

74.4

72.5

78.9

69.5

P & O Scottish Ferries / Northlink Orkney & Shetland Ferries 9,14

Aberdeen - Stomness (11)

..

..

22.0

23.2

21.0

20.1

20.8

18.5

21.1

-

-

Aberdeen - Kirkwall (11)

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

22.8

33.7

Aberdeen - Lerwick

..

..

62.6

65.1

60.9

62.2

60.0

61.5

65.6

75.4

95.1

Scrabster - Stromness

..

..

151.8

156.9

156.9

159.9

157.8

128.0

113.2

128.2

142.8

Lerwick - Kirkwall

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

14.2

17.0

1. In addition to the routes shown in this table, there may be some other routes, which have less traffic, for which the number of passengers and vehicles are included in the totals for the operator which appear in table 10.13.
2. Passenger numbers prior to 1999 are based on paying passengers, but from 1999 numbers are based on a head count. There were 793,600 paying passengers in 1999.
3. Figures for 2000 and 2001 are estimates.
4. Although passengers are carried on the Corran Ferry, their numbers are not recorded because passenger travel is free.
5. Until 25 October 1999 this service carried pupils going to Lochaber High School. A bus service now operates to carry school pupils, which mainly accounts for the drop in passenger numbers from 1999 to 2000.
6. Passenger numbers in 1999 are high because of special events such as the Tall ships race.
7. Figures relate to financial years which start in the specified calendar year ( e.g. the "1998" figure is for 1998-99). Comparable figures prior to 1998-99 are not available, because before then the numbers of passengers were counted exclusive of zone card ticket holders (and therefore passengers who had a zone card were not counted).
8. Since 2001 the Gourock-Kilcreggan route has been tendered by Strathclyde Passenger Transport, and operated under contract by Clyde Motor Marine. It was a Caledonian MacBrayne route in previous years, so figures for 2000 and earlier years appear in table 10.14. Figures relate to financial years which start in the specified calendar year ( e.g. the "1998" figure is for 1998-99).
9. P & O Scottish Ferries stopped operating these services on 30 September 2002 and Northlink took over the operating of these services on 1 October 2002.
10. This service ceased to operate from May 2001.
11. The Aberdeen to Stromness route changed to Aberdeen to Kirkwall in October 2002 but the figures provided by the company for 2002 did not distinguish between the two.
12. The Gairloch to Portree service operated by West Highland Seaways was withdrawn from 22 August 2004 but is expected to resume by Spring 2006.
13. 2004 is the first full calender year of the electronic ticketing sytem and the statistics quoted for the Cuan, Easdale and Appin Services reflect the more accurate counting method.
14. Figures for 2003 onwards are on an October-to-September year e.g. 2003 figures are for Oct 02 - Sept 03.

Table 10.15 (continued) Traffic on some other major ferry routes

Route

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Cars 1

thousands

Orkney Ferries 2,3

Houton - Lyness/Flotta

13.6

16.0

15.7

17.3

18.3

18.4

18.2

18.8

19.0

21.0

21.4

Tingwall - Rousay/Egilsay/Wyre

9.1

10.2

10.6

9.7

9.1

10.9

9.5

10.7

9.9

10.1

10.2

Kirkwall - Shapinsay

4.8

5.0

5.0

5.3

6.2

7.6

7.4

7.5

7.7

7.4

7.5

Kirkwall - Westray/Stronsay

12.6

13.2

14.2

15.4

16.1

16.4

16.3

17.4

19.7

21.1

21.2

Orkney Line (previously Orcargo)

Invergordon - Orkney 6

1.5

1.3

1.1

1.1

1.2

1.1

0.9

0.2

-

-

-

Western Ferries

Gourock-Dunoon

387.5

415.0

422.2

408.8

419.5

438.1

451.1

482.1

504.1

549.2

553.4

Argyll & Bute Council

Islay - Jura

..

..

18.6

17.6

20.1

19.3

19.7

20.9

21.2

21.0

21.9

Cuan-Luing 4,8

..

..

..

..

..

..

25.0

21.0

9.2

14.3

8.8

Highland Council

Ardgour-Nether Lochaber

(Corran Ferry)

199.2

211.9

223.1

222.6

219.5

215.5

211.2

212.8

235.4

247.5

254.9

Cromarty Ferry Company

Cromarty-Nigg

..

..

..

..

4.4

3.9

3.8

3.4

3.7

3.8

3.3

Shetland Islands Council 2

Laxo or Vidlin - Symbister

..

36.8

56.4

57.5

52.3

49.1

55.9

58.5

61.9

62.6

68.4

Toft - Ulsta

..

80.7

94.7

101.9

90.5

88.4

94.3

99.4

106.5

104.1

107.7

Gutcher - Belmont

..

31.3

45.4

53.2

46.8

45.4

48.6

52.3

58.3

53.0

59.4

Lerwick - Bressay

..

43.6

59.8

60.5

53.3

58.6

55.1

54.3

65.0

64.9

65.8

Gutcher - Oddsta

..

5.6

7.5

9.0

8.1

8.3

8.7

8.7

10.2

8.8

11.2

P & O Scottish Ferries/ Northlink Orkney & Shetland Ferries 5,9

Aberdeen-Stromness 7

..

..

3.4

3.3

3.2

3.2

3.1

2.9

3.6

-

-

Aberdeen - Kirkwall 7

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

3.9

4.9

Aberdeen-Lerwick

..

..

12.0

11.5

11.3

11.5

11.7

11.4

12.6

14.5

16.4

Scrabster-Stromness

..

..

42.3

44.8

45.4

47.0

47.1

37.5

33.6

38.1

40.5

Lerwick - Kirkwall

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

2.4

2.6

1. Routes which do not carry cars are not shown in this table.
2. In addition to the routes shown in this table, there are some other routes, which have less traffic, for which the number of passengers and vehicles are included in the totals for the operator which appear in table 10.13.
3. Separate figures for cars/buses and commercial vehicles are only available for some Orkney Ferries services for recent years. Prior to that, only the total number of vehicles carried is available.
4. Figures for 2000 and 2001 are estimates.
5. P & O Scottish Ferries stopped operating this service on 30 September 2002. and North Link took over the operating of this service on 1 October 2002.
6. This service ceased to operate from May 2001.
7. The Aberdeen to Stromness route changed to Aberdeen to Kirkwall in October 2002 but the figures provided by the company for 2002 did not distinguish between the two.
8. 2004 is the first full calender year of the electronic ticketing sytem and the statistics quoted for the Cuan service reflects the more accurate counting method.
9. Figures for 2003 onwards are on an October-to-September year e.g. 2003 figures are for Oct 02 - Sept 03.

Table 10.15 (continued) Traffic on some other major ferry routes

Route

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Commercial Vehicles and Buses 1

thousands

Orkney Ferries 2,3

Houton - Lyness/Flotta

4.8

3.2

3.6

2.7

2.4

2.6

2.5

2.8

2.7

2.7

3.2

Tingwall - Rousay/Egilsay/Wyre

5.3

4.9

4.1

4.5

4.3

4.3

4.3

4.3

4.5

5.5

5.7

Kirkwall - Shapinsay

3.6

4.1

3.8

3.4

3.3

2.7

2.3

2.6

2.1

2.9

3.3

Kirkwall - Westray/Stronsay

8.4

7.3

7.9

7.9

9.9

10.2

9.9

10.3

9.3

9.1

10.1

Orkney Line (previously Orcargo)

Invergordon - Orkney 6

4.3

4.3

4.4

4.7

5.4

5.1

4.0

1.0

-

-

-

Western Ferries

Gourock-Dunoon

11.6

11.9

11.7

12.9

12.7

13.2

11.8

10.9|

17.3 4|

29.1 4

32.8

Argyll & Bute Council 9

Islay - Jura

..

..

3.8

3.5

2.3

2.1

3.0

5.7

4.5

3.6

3.8

Cuan-Luing 9

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

0.5

Highland Council

Ardgour-Nether Lochaber

(Corran Ferry)

7.0

7.5

7.9

7.8

7.7

7.6

5.9

7.6

8.8

9.1

11.3

Shetland Islands Council 2

Laxo or Vidlin - Symbister

..

2.7

4.3

4.7

3.5

3.3

4.2

3.6

4.2

3.0

3.5

Toft - Ulsta

..

7.7

8.2

9.2

8.1

9.6

10.9

11.2

11.5

11.0

11.5

Gutcher - Belmont

..

4.2

4.8

5.0

4.8

4.9

5.9

5.2

4.9

3.8

4.5

Lerwick - Bressay

..

2.9

3.9

3.5

3.9

6.5

4.2

3.5

4.1

2.8

4.3

Gutcher - Oddsta

..

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.5

0.4

0.4

0.4

1.2

P & O Scottish Ferries / Northlink Orkney & Shetland Ferries 5,8,10

Aberdeen - Stomness 7

..

..

..

..

..

0.7

..

2.4

2.1|

-

-

Aberdeen - Kirkwall 7

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-|

0.0

0.1

Aberdeen - Lerwick

..

..

..

..

..

9.7

..

12.0

10.3|

0.2

0.2

Scrabster - Stromness

..

..

..

..

..

7.0

..

7.6

4.8|

0.2

0.3

Lerwick - Kirkwall

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..|

0.1

0.0

1. Routes which do not carry commercial vehicles or buses are not shown in this table.
2. In addition to the routes shown in this table, there are some other routes, which have less traffic, for which the number of passengers and vehicles are included in the totals for the operator which appear in table 10.13.
3. Separate figures for cars/buses and commercial vehicles are only available for some Orkney Ferries services for recent years. Prior to that, only the total number of vehicles carried is available.
4. The operator indicated that this figure may not be directly comparable with previous years.
5. P & O Scottish Ferries stopped operating this service on 30 September 2002 and North Link took over the operating of this service on 1 October 2002.
6. This service ceased to operate from May 2001.
7. The Aberdeen to Stromness route changed to Aberedeen to Kirkwall in October 2002 but the figures provided by the company for 2002 did not distinguish between the two.
8. Only coaches and mini-buses are included under this heading for 2003.
9. 2004 is the first full calender year of the electronic ticketing sytem and the statistics quoted for the Cuan service reflects the more accurate counting method.
10. The figures for 2003 and 2004 are on a calendar year basis.

10.4 Orkney and Shetland Islands selected ferry routes.

Fig. 10.4 Orkney and Shetland Islands selected ferry routes

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Page updated: Thursday, August 25, 2005