Port Ellen Ferry Terminal (closed until 2029)
You can't sail from here until 2029 — but Port Ellen village, and the coastal path to Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg, are still very much open.
Islay's southern ferry terminal, built around Loch Leòdamais at the edge of Port Ellen village. It closed on 2 June 2026 for a £107 million CMAL redevelopment — a new dedicated berth for the incoming Islay-class ferries, a bigger terminal building and a commercial quay roughly four times its current length — due to reopen in 2029. Until then, every CalMac sailing between the mainland and Islay runs via Port Askaig instead. Normally this is the arrival point for Islay's southern distilleries — Laphroaig and Lagavulin are a short walk away, Ardbeg a longer one at around 3.5 miles, just over an hour on foot — so it's one to bookmark for when the doors reopen.
- No toilets, shop or café on site during the closure — the terminal itself is not operational
- CalMac customer support van at the harbour entrance for ticketing queries (not travel)
- Starting point for the Three Distilleries Pathway to Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg — mostly off-road, though there's a short stretch near Lagavulin with no proper path, just the road verge
- Port Ellen village — shops, pubs, Port Ellen Distillery — is a short walk away