Ferries from the English mainland to the Isle of Wight, population 141 000, take between 40 minutes and 1 hour. Foot passenger return tickets cost between £18.80 (day) and £27.70.
Wightlink, the source of the above prices seem very cagey about publishing precise charges for cars so I searched for 4 people in an average family car sailing 30 November and returning 23 December and was quoted between £120 and £133.
Local MP Bob Seeley of the governing party (Con) has described them as ‘some of the most expensive on earth’ but has/can do nothing about them.
Ferries from the Scottish mainland to the Isle of Arran, population 5 000, take around 1 hour. A foot passenger return (day or longer) costs £8.40, between a half and just over a quarter of the Isle of Wight cost. For a car with 4 inside, it would £34.20 plus £8.40 for each passenger – £67.80 in total, around a half of the Isle of Wight cost.
How is this possible? Scottish Government subsidies not available in England, not available, as regular readers will know, in Canada, the US or New Zealand.
Sources:
https://www.wightlink.co.uk/tickets/vehicle-tickets
https://www.calmac.co.uk/ardrossan-brodick-arran-ferry-winter-timetable
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Great comparison. A similar one between UK and Isle of Man would be interesting, too.
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Ah, but Wightlink don’t have a ” fiasco “on their hands ” being rewarded is lunacy ” for ” failing our island communities “, have not ” failed on this for years “, nor are ” being built in Turkey “, failing ” a country so proud of its maritime industries”, as Reg from the Peoples Front of S.Uist will be along shortly to remind us….
What have the Scottish Government ever done for us….
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