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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
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.