Bit part timetable revealed ahead of Ardrossan ferry return
Meanwhile, the troubled MV Caledonian Isles is edging closer to a return to dry dock for another overhaul. The vessel is currently at James Watt Dock in Greenock.
CalMac said work to resolve pitch control issues on the 32-year-old Caley Isles was progressing as a "priority" and confirmed the ferry may require to enter dry dock again to fix the problem.
Read More:
This week's announcement of the return of MV Isle of Arran to Ardrossan was warmly welcomed. The harbour hasn't had a ferry service to Arran since the same ship was deployed up north at the start of the year.
The vessel will be rerouted to Ardrossan while MV Alfred - currently operating from Troon - goes in for essential maintenance for a fortnight.
CalMac said the new MV Glen Sannox would continue to operate from Troon, with the Isle of Arran running from Ardrossan.
The vessel will return on Monday, July 7. But after 7am sailings to Arran and the return to Ardrossan departing Brodick at 8.20am on Wednesday morning, it will leave the Clyde "due to essential vessel repairs and deployment requirements elsewhere".
MV Isle of Arran will return to service from Ardrossan with the 6pm sailing to Brodick on Friday, July 11 and a return crossing leaving Arran at 7.20pm.
It will then be expected to continue service until the return of MV Alfred to Troon on Monday, July 21.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
5 days ago
- STV News
CalMac to re-draw winter plans as key ailing ferry out up to four more months
Scotland's west coast ferry operator has been forced to re-draw its winter plans after a ferry which has not sailed since January of last year could be out for four more months. The Caledonian Isles was forced out of action 18 months ago, leaving the route between Ardrossan in Ayrshire and Brodick on the Isle of Arran without a ferry. The newly-minted Glen Sannox – delivered vastly over budget and years late by the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow – is unable to dock at the Ayrshire port due to being too big. The Caledonian Isles was initially taken out of service for substantial work in January 2024, with costs expected to be around £5 million. However, a hull deformity was discovered after repairs at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Merseyside, which has had a knock-on effect on the ferry's return to service and prompted CalMac to seek to recover some of the almost £11 million in costs. But on Tuesday, the operator said the vessel would return to dry dock for further repairs which will likely take between eight weeks and four months, prompting a re-think of the winter timetable. CalMac chief executive Duncan Mackison said: 'Based on the current prognosis, we could be in a situation where MV Caledonian Isles returns in September in a best-case scenario or November in a worst-case scenario. 'However, we intend to publish winter timetables soon and aim to give communities and customers certainty about service levels and vessel deployment during that period. 'This is a complex process as we need to develop this plan whilst factoring in an annual overhaul schedule that will see a fleet, which is another year older, spend a record of number of days in planned maintenance. 'The return of MV Caledonian Isles, and the expected arrival of MV Isle of Islay, will provide relief and resilience.' The Isle of Islay is due to enter service later this year, after having recently completed its second set of sea trials successfully at the shipyard in Turkey where it is being built. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
STV News
5 days ago
- STV News
New Islay ferry being built in Turkey completes second sea trial months late
A new CalMac ferry being built in Turkey has completed a second set of sea trials after its delivery was delayed by 11 months. The MV Isle of Islay is one of four vessels being built at the Cemre shipyard to serve west coast routes. It was meant to be delivered in October 2024 but supply issues, labour shortages and bad weather has seen months of delay. On Tuesday, Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), the procurement body for Scotland's ferry operator CalMac, said the MV Isle of Islay was set to be delivered by the end of September. The second set of sea trials took place in the Sea of Marmara from July 16 to July 20, with staff from CMAL and CalMac in attendance. The trials tested the vessel's battery energy storage system, the 'optimisation' of the power management system, and the energy management system. It comes after shipbuilders at Cemre Marin Endustri in Yalova, Turkey, conducted the first set of sea trials in May. The ferry has since returned to the shipyard where it is undergoing further outfitting work. The MV Isley of Islay is to be able to carry up to 450 passengers and 100 cars. Jim Anderson, director of vessels at CMAL, said: 'The successful testing of the hybrid system marks a significant step forward in completing this new vessel for Islay and Jura. 'The team at Cemre have made good progress in the build programme for the vessel, and we continue to work closely with the shipyard as we move into the final stages of the build.' Three other ferries are being built at the Turkish shipyard. They are the MV Loch Indaal – also set to serve Islay – and the MV Claymore and MV Lochmor – which will serve the Little Minch routes. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Herald Scotland
17-07-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Ferguson Marine: Firm 'mitigating risks' affecting Glen Rosa delivery
But the summer timetable for tourists and islanders alike is usually valid from the end of March. And Graeme Thomson, the new chief executive of Ferguson Marine was unable to be clear on when the ferry would finally arrive for user by state-owed ferry operator CalMac although he said he remained "confident" of meeting the latest of what he called targets. He told MPs: "We have a target date of quarter 2 of 26 and I'm sticking with that. What I mean is we're working to schedule and still have risks that we have to manage. "So while that schedule is getting worked, I'm very conscious that we will need to mitigate the risks that will affect that schedule any further. "So although we'll keep driving the programme to be as early in quarter two, we have risks that may manifest despite the effort to mitigate them, and that has potential to move that delivery out to later in quarter 2." He also said he was committed to "refine" the delivery window by the end of this year and the costs "based on the success we have in mitigating the risks that we perceive at the moment that aren't yet sentenced and mitigated". Last year wellbeing economy secretary Màiri McAllan said nationalised Ferguson Marine considered the latest delays and costs forecasts - which had Glen Rosa ready to use in September - was the "final position" after the firing of chief executive David Tydeman. David Tydeman (Image: Ferguson Marine) Glen Rosa and its sister ship Glen Sannox were both due to be online within first seven months of 2018, to serve Arran. In the midst of the delays and soaring costs, Ferguson Marine, under the control of tycoon Jim McColl, fell into administration and was nationalised at the end of 2019 with state-owned ferry and port-owning agency Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and the yard's management blaming each other. Mr Thomson, appearing before the UK Parliament Scottish Affairs Committee repeated an "unreserved apology to the island communities". Read more from Martin Williams: He said: "It must be acutely frustrating for them to hear this and hear it again in May, given that we had said previously, September 25. "I'm confident in what we've done. We are confident we'll make it for quarter two of 2026, but we do need to mitigate some risk before we can actually narrow that down." A ferry user group official said that there was concern that the "goalposts appear to be being repositioned on delivery once again". "Nobody wants anything but to for Ferguson Marine to finally deliver on the last of the ferries," he said. "But what are these risks that could affect scheduling. "Most of us would want to see Glen Rosa after all the years of delay finally ready for the summer of next year, but if April is the earliest that it can be delivered, then it will, of course, miss the start of that and there are already signs that the timings are being pushed back and back, which has to affect CalMac planning." Graeme Thomson (Image: Ferguson Marine) Ferguson Marine said Mr Thomson had spent his first weeks studying the delivery plans, working with finance and project management teams to challenge the assumptions on key milestones, critical paths, resource hours and costs to ensure the assessments are robust and well-informed with an appropriate level of risk attached. In February, Ferguson Marine interim chief executive John Petticrew admitted to MSPs there was a risk of further delays to Glen Rosa and there were fears then of a six-month hold up. He expected a full update on a "bottom-up exercise" on Glen Rosa with a view to provide a new schedule including updated costs by the end of February - but it and any amended costs and delay information did not emerge until now. Glen Sannox finally entered service in January, some seven years behind schedule. But in March, the Inverclyde shipyard was dealt a major blow after losing out to a Polish yard on a contract to build seven CalMac electric ferries, raising concerns over its future viability. However, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said if the first phase of the small vessel replacement programme - responsible for building ferries capable of servicing short routes on the west coast of Scotland - had been awarded directly to Ferguson Marine, without any competition, it would have introduced 'substantial risk' and the prospect of court action. Four days earlier, Mr Petticrew had resigned as chief executive for "personal reasons". He initially took on the chief executive's role for six months after the firm's board dismissed his predecessor a year ago, but had agreed to stay on until Easter. Ferguson Marine declined to explain what the "risks" were.
