Scotland is a large and sparsely populated country in the UK. With a rich history and fantastic coastline, it is unsurprising that Scotland is an immensely popular destination, particularly during the summer months.

One of the busiest ports in Scotland is Aberdeen. Northlink Ferries provides routes from Aberdeen to the Shetlands which also make a stop at Orkney, during the summertime. There is only one crossing per day and the duration of the crossing is roughly 12 hours.

To the southwest of Scotland, you will find the port of Stranraer. There are frequent crossing from here to Belfast in Northern Irland, provided by Stena Line. Passengers should remember to check in at least half an hour before departure.

On the west coast, Troon is another important port. While much of the traffic here is involved with fishing, you will also find passenger ferries which cross to Belfast. The duration of this journey as about two hours and there are several departures daily.

Scrabster, located on the northern shores if Scotland, is connected to the Orkney Islands with services provided by Northlink Sea Ferries. The journey is complete in just 90 minutes and you will find regular services throughout the day.

Not far from the city of Glasgow, you will find Adrossan, a small seaside town with a busy ferry port. The terminal here is operated by P&O Irish Sea Ferries and they run services to various locations in the vicinity. Caledonian MacBrayne Ferries also operate from here and provide services to the Arron Islands. This service is only for foot passengers and takes roughly 55 minutes.

The Cairnryan port is located on the edge of Loch Ryan. P&O Irish Sea Ferries operates ferries to Larne, nine times daily at peek times of the year. It will take less than two hours to complete this crossing.

Tags: Aberdeen, Arron Islands, Belfast, Cairnryan port, Caledonian MacBrayne Ferries, Glasgow, Loch Ryan, Orkney Islands, P&O Irish Sea Ferries, Scotland, Troon, UK