Emma Roddick welcomes expansion of free youth ferry travel scheme

Scheme to allow young islanders to use the ferry for free expanded to 19 to 21-year-olds

A scheme allowing young islanders to travel to the mainland for free has been expanded to include 19- and 21-year-olds. This comes after months of hard work from campaigners, such as Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament and Roddick herself.

From the 23^rd of June 19- to 21-year-old young people will be able to make four single or two return journeys a year from their home island to the mainland for free.

The vouchers will be open to young islanders, including those in Orkney, Shetland, the Outer Hebrides, islands in North Ayrshire, Argyll and Bute and Highland Council areas. The scheme currently supports young people aged 16-18 and full-time volunteers up to 25.

This bill follows the introduction of free bus travel for all Scots under 22, and free inter-island ferry travel for all Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides residents under 22, the latter project being a successful campaign Roddick supported and worked on.

Roddick celebrates this success:

“I have consistently argued that young islanders should be able to access the same benefits of those living on the mainland.”

“I am delighted to see that the SNP has listened to voices of young people, both those from the Highlands and Islands and in the Scottish Youth Parliament.”

Notes

• The scheme was expanded to inter-island ferry travel as of 23^rd June 2025.  A Scottish Government release is available at: Free inter-island ferry travel introduced for young people in Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides | Transport Scotland
• Emma Roddick has long called for this change, arguing that an extension was required to achieve parity and fairness for young islanders, who often rely on daily inter-island ferries for school, work, or meeting friends, initially hoping the Islands Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) would agree.
  • When the ICIA did not identify this requirement, Ms Roddick continued to press the government, and welcomed that this was given further consideration in March 2024.