Car ferries almost all look the same. There’s a straight platform for cars to park on, a place for the captain to sail it along the side, and ramps at both ends so that cars can drive on and off without ever having to back up. Simple, right?
The problem for the Glenachulish ferry that connects Glenelg on Scotland‘s west coast to the isle of Skye was the tide. With waters that rise and fall dramatically, the ferry needs a long slipway to always give cars a gradual ramp to drive up and onto the land.
The bigger issue, though, is that the same tide that makes the waters rise and fall means that the waters the Glenachulish operates on have a quick current. Long slipways require a ferry to line up straight to let cars off but fast waters make that difficult. Without stability, the cars could fall off.
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Cleverly, the ferry anchors itself alongside the slipway, much like a passenger ferry, to protect itself from the current. That means, though, that the cars are never lined up properly to disembark.
The solution, then, is another reasonably simple Victorian technology, a turntable. Inspired by the railways of the day, the turntable is so well balanced that it can be turned by a single person, though it’s normally turned by two, just to be safe.
Although there’s a bridge nearby, the ferry is still used by locals and tourists and, apparently, people with good taste in sports cars. Footage from this video reveals that while host Tom Scott was filming there were two Morgans and an MGA, as well as a gaggle of motorcycle, used the ferry. Indeed, the isle is a popular destination for motorcyclists.