Scotland: Driving time from Inverness to Islay
 

I am assuming I can drive from Inverness to Kennacraig and catch the 6:00 pm / 1800 ferry to Islay in one (longer) day. It looks like it's about a 6 hour drive and I obviously need to be to the ferry early to be sure I get on.

Am I missing something in my timing? Suggestions on the best route to take? How early should I plan on leaving?

How about the return to the mainland? I'm assuming (there's that word again) I can take the 09:45 morning ferry and still get to Edinburgh in a reasonable time that afternoon.

Much thanks for any advice or reaction you may have.

You have to be at the ferry by 5.30pm and you should book. You don't need to be earlier than that..If I were driving direct from Inverness to Kennacraig, no messing, I would go from Inverness to Fort William and straight down the coast. I would expect it to take not more than 4 hours. But it's a great route with masses of stopping places.

If you're on the 9.45 boat, you'll get into Kennacraig about 12 and you can expect, without stopping, to be in Edinburgh by 3.30pm

If you're going to stop, have lunch at the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar

We were in Islay at Whitsun and left on the 9.45 am ferry. We were back in Glasgow by about 4 and home in Anglesey at about 10.
We JUST missed the ferry from Tarbert and had to wait there another hour. We had to drive quite fast from Portavadie to Dunoon but did just catch that one.

Thank you Sheila and Frances. This is exactly the kind of response I've grown accustomed to on this site.