OK, I've gotten ferry tickets for our group (and 2 cars) for the following trips.

Scrabster to Stromness (and back) - I wanted to get these because we had to be on a particular time ferry, and there's a festival going on at that time.

Ullapool to Stornoway - we can only get there by the late ferry, so wanted to make sure we weren't stranded in Ullapool overnight.

I haven't yet gotten tix for the following:

Tarbert to Uig
Lochaline to Fishnish
Craignure to Oban

I figure these are journeys that either have several trips a day (so missing one isn't a big deal) or that we have no time constraints (we'll be there early in the morning, with little travel required beyond).

We are traveling in late June/early July, and have 6 adults and 2 cars.

Do you think we need to pre-order these tickets at all, or can we wait until we are there? Or should we purchase them before we leave for the trip? I don't like committing us to a particular time if I don't have to, but I don't want to miss out on any chance of the ferry.

Advice greatly appreciated!

I would pre-book them - mainly because you have 2 cars, and especially if any of your trips are on weekends. You aren't there during school holidays or a REALLY busy time.

But I wouldn't necessarily book them from home. You can book ferries by phone, or on-line, or through the TICs as you travel around. You will have a better hand on how long the driving is taking you and which sailings you'll want.

Of course, you can book them now if your schedule is that firmed up.

I personally would try to book them 3-5 days ahead though . . . . .

janisj is right, these ferries will be busy/full. Prebook but wait until 3-4 days before the journey to give you flexibility.

I don't know how much internet access we'll have 3-4 days ahead (staying in the isles, after all)

I'll probably go ahead and get it all done before we leave then. Thanks for the tips!!! Always greatly appreciated.

You'll be surprised - Libraries, internet cafes, and even often your B&B hosts will let you log on for something like making a ferry booking, You will find internet access in most every area you'll be traveling.

Agree. I've found that even small villages usually have internet options available, and I haven't stayed in a B&B in the last few years that didn't have internet access.

Booking now might be easier, and you'll still have the ability to change plans if need be.

My B&B on Skye specifically says no internet access, and the other two in the isles are silent about it on their website. My main concern is mail - if we book when we are traveling, how do they send us tickets? Northlink uses e-tickets, but CalMac sent us paper tickets. The rest of the ferry rides are all CalMac, so I better get them before I leave.

When they say they have no internet access, it means they do not offer it to guests as a regular service or feature of their establishment.

However as janisj said they will probably be willing to book reservations for you on their personal computers.

GreenDragon - You have my admiration for forward planning!
We will be 'up North' in May and have the ferry timetable from Caledonian MacBrayne called "Explore 2008", sent to me free of charge.
I'm booking nothing unless I hear the ferries are full. I do note however that the later in the day/night one travels the more expensive it is. Guess we'll be taking the first ferry out!

This is a blurb I got from our place in Skye:

"But be warned - your sanctuary comes without a telephone nor is there any mobile reception…….your highland hideaway is a genuine escape from the rat race."

Yes, a bit of puffery We are bringing a laptop, so will likely hit any hotspots in Portree we can find.

Thanks, Tod - with 2 cars and a festival going on during our trip, I figured pre-planning was a good idea. Even making reservations in November in Orkney was iffy - the place I wanted had a couple rooms already rented out.

I booked a Cal-Mac ferry (Mallaig to Armadale) several months in advance. We showed up little early, and were put on the ferry before the one we were scheduled to take with no hassle. Now, those ferries were only scheduled 2 hours apart, and farily large, so I can't say whether they are as flexible on some of the smaller, less frequent ferries, but I would imagine that an early arrival (as opposed to a late one) would probably not be a problem.

That's good to know, twk - It helps mightily with planning

The Scottish schools break up at the end of June so I'd book all of them asap.