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Belfast – Cairnryan

Ferries to Scotland

Belfast – Cairnryan

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Belfast Cairnryan Ferry

The Belfast Cairnryan ferry route connects Northern Ireland with Scotland. Currently there is just the 1 ferry company operating this ferry service, Stena Line. The crossing operates up to 42 times each week with sailing durations from around 2 hours 22 minutes.

Belfast Cairnryan sailing durations and frequency may vary from season to season so we’d advise doing a live check to get the most up to date information.

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Belfast - Cairnryan Route summary
Departure Country UK
Destination Country UK
No. of Operators 1
Operators Stena Line
Average Price $450*
Average Daily Sailings 5
Average Weekly Sailings 37
Average Sailing Duration 2h 22m
First Ferry 03:30
Last Ferry 23:30
Distance 57 nautical miles

* Prices subject to change, pricing is taken from last 30 days, last updated 2024-11-05.

Belfast to Cairnryan Ferry Most Popular Questions

Belfast Guide

Belfast Harbour is a main hub in the importation and exportation of goods and for passenger ferry services. Operated by Stena Line, Belfast ferry port provides regular passenger ferry crossings to Cairnryan in Scotland and Liverpool Birkenhead in England. Run by Steam Packet, there are also seasonal services to Douglas on the Isle of Man, across the Irish Sea.

The city of Belfast, in Northern Ireland, is the capital city located in County Antrim, although parts of the city spread over to County Down. The city has a long tradition in the production of Irish linen, tobacco, rope and shipbuilding. In fact, the city's main shipbuilder, Harland and Wolf, is known for building the RMS Titanic in the early 20th Century. Today, Belfast is an important centre for commerce, the arts, higher education, law, business and of course, tourism.


Cairnryan Guide

Cairnryan is a small Scottish port village sitting on the eastern shore of Loch Ryan in Dumfries and Galloway. The harbour has two ferry terminals providing services to and from Larne and Belfast: the Larne terminal, opened in 1973 and now operated by P&O Ferries, and the second is run by Stena Line, taking ferries from Belfast.

The village can trace its origins back to 1701 when it was established to house the workers on the Lochryan Estate, which has a deer park and bowling green. The village has a long and important seafaring history and today is home to one of the most popular ferry routes in the United Kingdom.

There isn't a great deal of things to do and see in the village and its facilities include a hotel, some bed and breakfast guest houses, a caravan site which has been built on the site of an old war camp area, a village shop and the Merchant's House Restaurant.

Belfast to Cairnryan
Ferry Timetables

Timetables between 3/24/2025 and 3/30/2025

Operator Departure Time Arrival Time Duration Sailing Days
Stena Line 03:30 05:52 2 hours 22 minutes Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
Stena Line 07:30 09:52 2 hours 22 minutes Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
Stena Line 09:00 11:22 2 hours 22 minutes Mon
Stena Line 11:30 13:52 2 hours 22 minutes Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
Stena Line 15:30 17:52 2 hours 22 minutes Everyday
Stena Line 19:30 21:52 2 hours 22 minutes Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat
Stena Line 20:30 22:52 2 hours 22 minutes Sun
Stena Line 23:30 01:52 2 hours 22 minutes Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat

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