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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Arisaig
Àrasaig
Stay 1–2 nights if you want the Small Isles ferry and a quiet coast; otherwise day-trip by train from Fort William for about £15 return.
Arisaig is a 300-person village on the Road to the Isles, on a bypassed loop of the A830 west of Fort William. It is the mainland launch point for the Small Isles (Eigg, Muck) and a stop on the West Highland Line. Most people use it as one night between Fort William and Mallaig, or as a day trip by train. You need a car or a boat to do much beyond the village itself.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Local name
- Àrasaig
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (short days, many places shut); midge season Jul–Aug
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £60–90 excl. bed · Mid £90–140 excl. bed · High £140+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · Police non-urgent 101 · NHS non-urgent 111
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | £3–4.50 |
| Pub or hotel main course | £14–22 |
| Pint of beer | £5–6.50 |
| Train Fort William to Arisaig, adult day return | About £15 |
| Small Isles ferry day return | About £30 |
| Campsite pitch plus per-person fee | About £18 + £10 pp |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- INV · Inverness
- About 2 h 30 min by road to Arisaig; check onward bus and train links.
- GLA · Glasgow
- Rail to Arisaig via Fort William on the West Highland Line; check connections.
- EDI · Edinburgh
- Rail via Glasgow Queen Street; check connections.
Typical fares
- Train Fort William → Arisaig
- about £15 adult day return, about 1 h 20 min
- Small Isles ferry, day return
- about £30, April–September
- Taxi in the village
- limited local taxis; book ahead
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The village is walkable, but the coast, golf course and beaches need wheels. ScotRail trains stop at Arisaig and Beasdale (request stop); Shiel Buses run from Fort William three times Monday–Friday and once on Saturday, about an hour. Arisaig Marine runs a foot-passenger ferry to Eigg and Muck, April–September.
See and do
Known for
- Small Isles ferry to Eigg and Muck
- West Highland Line and the Jacobite steam train
- Prince's Cairn and Loch nan Uamh
- Sea kayaking and Traigh golf course
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mallaig | ScotRail from Arisaig, about 10 min; or the A830 by car | About 30 min |
| Glenfinnan | ScotRail from Arisaig, about 20 min | About 45 min |
| Eigg | Arisaig Marine foot-passenger ferry, April–September | About 1 h 30 min crossing |
| Fort William | ScotRail from Arisaig, about 1 h 20 min | About 1 h 30 min |
| Skye | Train or road to Mallaig, then the ferry to Armadale | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Arisaig village centre
- Hotel, bunkhouse and Old Library Lodge within a few minutes' walk of the shop, station and ferry point.
- Bunacaimb and Invercaimbe
- Camping and touring sites north and south of the village; you need a car or a long walk.
- Mallaig
- Larger base 20–30 min west by road or train, with more ferries and food; use it if Arisaig beds are full.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Halòha-LAW |
| Thank you | Tapadh leatTA-pa let |
| Where is the ferry? | Càite a bheil an t-aiseag?KAH-tcheh a vayl an TASH-ak |
| How much is it? | Dè a chosgas e?djeh a KHOS-kas e |
| Can I pay by card? | Am faod mi pàigheadh le cairt?am fu-ut mee PIE-ugh le karsht |
| Where is the toilet? | Càite a bheil an taigh-beag?KAH-tcheh a vayl an tie-BEK |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- Patchy 4G from EE, O2 and Vodafone; no Three coverage and no 5G. Download maps and tickets before you arrive.
- The station is an unstaffed halt: buy your ticket on board if you start your journey here.
- The Jacobite steam train stops at Arisaig only by request, and the excursion allows about two hours ashore.
- Midges are bad on still, damp evenings from June to August; bring repellent.
- Single-track and tight bends on the A830: allow more time than the map suggests.
Very safe. The real risks are weather, single-track roads, midges and patchy phone signal: tell someone your plan before walking or kayaking.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Arisaig yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Small Isles ferry to Eigg and Muck
- West Highland Line and the Jacobite steam train
- Prince's Cairn and Loch nan Uamh
- Sea kayaking and Traigh golf course
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- VisitScotland — Arisaig and the Road to the Isles: www.visitscotland.com/
- ScotRail — West Highland Line: www.scotrail.co.uk/
- Shiel Buses — timetables and fares: www.shielbuses.co.uk/timetables-and-fares
- Arisaig Marine — Small Isles ferry: arisaig.co.uk/
- Wikivoyage: Arisaig, revision 5283635 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5283635
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
ArisaigÀrasaig
Don seòladh seo, mas e do thoil e
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in the Highlands; US citizens use the consulate general in Edinburgh, other nationalities the embassies in London.
Scottish Gaelic is on signs but English is spoken everywhere.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/arisaig). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.