How to Get from Glasgow to the Isle of Arran

Hotel in Blackwaterfoot on the Isle of Arran
Isle of Arran

To get from Glasgow to the Isle of Arran you need to take a train and a ferry.

Trains from Glasgow to Ardrossan Harbour, the ferry terminal for the Isle of Arran, run in tandem with the ferry schedule. Trains leave Glasgow Central Station daily.

Trains from Glasgow to Ardrossan Harbour run Monday through Saturday at 8:34am, 11:15am, 2:15pm, 4:50pm, and 7:15pm (Fridays between April and mid-October only). On Sundays they run at 8:40am, 11:15am, 2:05pm, and 4:54pm. The train journey time from Glasgow to Ardrossan Harbour is 54 minutes. Trains are operated by Scotrail.

Once at Ardrossan Harbour, follow the signs to the ferry terminal. The ferry time from Ardrossan Harbour to Brodick on the Isle of Arran is 55 minutes. Ferries are run by CalMac ferries.

Ferries from Ardrossan Harbour to Arran run every day at 7:00am (not Sundays), 9:45am, 12:30pm, 3:15pm, 6:00pm, and 8:30pm (Fridays between April and mid-October only). Additional sailings may take place during the summer months, but call ahead to confirm.

The ferry from Ardrossan Harbour to Arran costs 4.65 GBP for single saver tickets or 8.40 GBP for a saver return ticket (if you return within 5 days) between mid-October and March. In April, ticket prices rise to 6.35 GBP for singles and 10.75 GBP for 5-day return tickets.

The total trip from Glasgow to the Isle of Arran takes around 2.5 hours. This includes your train travel, transfer, and ferry crossing to Brodick.

Bus from Prestwick Airport to Glasgow

The bus from Prestwick Airport to Glasgow is an easy way to reach the city centre. It is quick and convenient for anyone travelling to Scotland on low-cost airlines like Ryanair and staying in a hotel or hostel the heart of the city.

Taking the bus is easy to do. From Prestwick Airport, take the Stagecoach Western X77 Express Bus Service to Glasgow Buchanan Street Station. You can get the bus outside Prestwick Airport on the A79. The trip takes 50 minutes each way.

From Monday through Saturday the bus from Prestwick Airport to Glasgow runs from 6:35am until 10:54pm. It also runs hourly on Friday and Saturday nights from 11:54pm to 2:54am. On Sunday the bus from Prestwick Airport runs from 8:10am until 8:10pm.

If your flight to Glasgow arrives late at night, the X99/X100 is another good bus from Prestwick Airport to Glasgow. It runs at 11:59pm and goes to both Glasgow and Edinburgh. It also goes from Glasgow Buchanan Street Station to the airport at 4:15am, arriving at 5:15am. Tickets cost 9 GBP if you pre-book online or 10 GBP if you purchase them on board the bus.

Train from Prestwick Airport to Glasgow

The train from Prestwick Airport to Glasgow runs every 30 minutes at 21 and 51 minutes past the hour (hourly on Sundays). The journey takes 50 minutes and the train terminates at Glasgow Central Station.

From Monday through Saturday the first train from Prestwick Airport is at 5:48am and the last train from Prestwick Airport to Glasgow is at 11:08pm.

On Sundays, the first train from Prestwick is at 8:50am and the last train from Prestwick Airport is at 11:07pm.

The train from Prestwick to Glasgow costs 3.55 GBP for a single if you show your boarding pass or flight confirmation. Otherwise it is 7.10 GBP. Tickets can be purchased aboard the train. For the first six months of any new flight route into Prestwick Airport you get free rail travel to and from the airport and Glasgow city center. To do this you will need to get a free voucher from the airport’s service desk by showing your original flight confirmation with the airline logo.