I am hoping to mate my bitch next spring. I will need to bring her to the mainland, and time when to book ferries/time of work etc.
I am thinking come her next season (this autumn) I will take some progesterone bloods to get a better of idea of when we need to aim for? What days are best to sample on to get the bigger picture? I want to take blood on (say) 4 different days, and send it all off at the end to find her overall pattern, since this time I don't need to mate her. She doesn't tend to flag her tail and flirt like her housemate does

One season can be very different from the next, so personally I'd just do bloods on the season you were planning to mate her.

I will struggle doing that as our bloods to idexx are not next day, and our next day post isn't guaranteed as next day. I need an idea of when I need to have her on the ferry as I am going to either need to book it off or swop shifts - I can't guarentee I can book her on the ferry for 2 days time or whatever, especially if I take my car so I need to get some sort of rough idea - even if its to know I have a week to get her over

Each season is likely to be different; I've known a single bitch ovulate on day 11 on one season and not till day 16 on another.

Although not as reliable, but would give you some idea, could you not get your own vet to do in-house premate tests (assuming they aren't on the mainland as well)?

I have used ovulation pads in the past which test the vaginal secretions, it was using these that identified that a bitch I had failed to get pregnant ovulated early, once you get a positive result you have 48hrs before the eggs are ripe for fertilization, they stay viable for approx. 4 or 5 days giving time for at least 2 matings.

Could you pay for the stud to visit you?

On both occasions when I took bitches abroad, I had to book the flight on the day she came in season.

So I aimed at day 12 (usually had bitches mated days 14 - 18) and a return after the season was likely to have finished and stayed for a week with one, and after having one very late bitch (mated days 18 - 22) most recently went for 10 days last time.

I am mating my maiden bitch in Scotland in the coming months and will go up on day 13 and return a week or so later, but only have to book train.

I agree no point each season very different my friends bitch ovulated day 23 on season and day 4 the next! She would have missed it by a mile if gone on last seasons results!