Travel and Tourism

General information

about all public transport services in Scotland, including changes and contitions related to Covid-19, can be found on the Traveline Scotland website.

If you have mobility problems either short or long term, local charity Shopmobility Highland   provide mobility scooters, power chairs, wheelchairs and rollators for persons of all ages with long or short term mobility problems, in Inverness and Dingwall.  There is also a minibus at each location offering daily shopping trips for members.  There is a membership fee and a small charge per trip or hire.

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Travel news

June 2021

Ferintosh Community bus starts 28 June

Bruce Morrison, Secretary of Ferintosh Community Council, writes

Our very own Ferintosh Community Bus starts on Monday. I've attached a press release that is about to go out together with the final leaflet explaining the details of this new way of delivering public bus transport to our area. 

Press release 23 June 2021 (part)

New flexible community bus service introduced on Black Isle 

A new flexible bus service in the Ferintosh Community Council area of the Black Isle is being introduced from Monday 28 June, making it easier for local residents to use public transport. The demand responsive service will operate between 9.30 am – 4.15 pm, Monday to Friday, and complement the scheduled peak services on Service 22 to Inverness that will continue to be operated by Stagecoach. 

It will take residents to and from Tore Service Station where passengers can join any of Stagecoach’s mainline A9 buses. Passengers can also book journeys between any two points within the Ferintosh Community Council area.  Just like an ordinary bus, it is available to all residents in (and visitors to) the Ferintosh Community Council area, which includes Culbokie in the east to Mulbuie in the west, Mulbuie Ridge in the south down to the Cromarty Firth in the north).

All journeys, including concessionary travel, will be no more costly than current fixed route journeys, even although the journey to /from Inverness is a two bus journey The National Entitlement Card can be used with this service.  The cost of a bus journey is very much lower than the fuel and parking costs of a private vehicle or a taxi fare. 

Read the full press release

Download the leaflet

Congratulations are due to Bruce and those who have helped him in getting this innovative service set up.  Now it is up to the people of the Ferintosh CC area to use it.

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June 2021

Cromarty Ferry running from 1 June

The Cromarty - Nigg ferry service run by Highland Ferries resumed on 1 June.  Times and fares information.

June 2021

Ferintosh Community bus in service soon

Bruce Morrison, Secretaryof Ferintosh Community Council, writes that a small electric vehicle will be coming into service as the Ferintosh Community Bus in August.  Local people have been invited to design a distinctive livery for the bus.

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Ferintosh Community Bus proposal

From the minutes of Ferintosh Community Council  17 August 2020

Community Transport
The latest meeting was the first to involve all the potential partners for this project (working title of Ferintosh Community Bus) and included FCC /CCT /RVA /THC/Stagecoach /HITRANS.  The basic principle is to provide a small bus (8 or 16 seater) for the use of FCC residents 24/7.  During the working weekdays, the bus would be primarily used to link at Tore with the plethora of buses moving to and from Inverness through Tore.  In the evenings and weekends, the bus would be available primarily for community use.  The Tore trans-linkage point has not yet been agreed but the moment that is achieved is the moment that FCC will consult first with all current bus passengers and residents on the general principle followed by a further consultation on the details (timing, frequency) of fixed line services.  A recent letter from a resident concerned about the sight of virtually empty large buses going through Culbokie highlights the need for a project like the Ferintosh Community Bus.   .   .   Introduction of a phone app would not substitute for all current methods of communication.

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Common Weal / InverYESs is urging the introduction of a Park and Ride scheme for Inverness as an important and necessary practical response to the Climate Emergengy declared by Highland Council.

A quality PARK and RlDE scheme  for the City of lnverness.

"We maintain  that the above has become an essential  part of a package of transport measures that needs  to happen  as soon as possible  if our CLIMATE EMERGENCY  is to be effectively  tackled.  The most desirable forms of transport both into and out of our city of lnverness must become buses and trains powered  by renewables, and of course active travel.  Transport 'experts' must now be found  to design a quality scheme to operate daily over the period  including and between  the morning and evening  commutes.

"Some aspects  that must be considered are as follows...

• Parking at PARK and RIDE car parks and bus travel should be free
• Waiting  time for a bus should not exceed 10 minutes
• Access and passage for buses must now be prioritised  before other motors, leading  to increased  provision of bus lanes
• Car parking  charges should be expanded  and  increased within the city (excepting for the disabled),  including a workplace  parking levy  to help  fund the PARK and RIDE scheme."

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The Black Isle

People travel more than ever before.  Getting to work, the school run, shopping, going out, practically everything we do can seem to involve getting behind the wheel.

From being a relative backwater just a couple of decades ago, the Black Isle has become a busy through route and commuter zone.  

Traffic jams, pollution and growing vulnerability to fuel price hikes are among the pressures taking their toll on local motorists.

We're working to boost more sociable, savvy ways of travelling on the Black Isle.

Contact  info@transitionblackisle.org  to share your ideas and find out more.

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NC 500 - An Alternative View

The view expressed below appeared on the Facebook page of Cromarty Community Development Trust  in 2019, with this comment from the Trust - 

"This is not the formal opinion of the Development Trust, but it is an interesting 'alternative view' about the NorthCoast500, presented here to stimulate discussion. Interestingly, it says that Iceland banned camper van camping outwith official sites following rapid expansion of their camper van tourism.  We're building a site in Cromarty, and it's obvious the pressures of tourism need to be managed in many countries. Cromarty welcomes tourism, and tourists support our local businesses; but communities should be able to choose how much tourism and what kind brings most benefits to our communities."

Read the full article

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