Calmac / Northlink Ferry discussion

[Russel]

I believe they're still physically present under the car deck, but I don't know what condition they're in or if they're even usable. Knowing CalMac, I'd expect that they've either been used for crew accommodation or for storage.

With the amount of over-sensitive car alarms you hear going off on the car deck these days, I doubt you'd get much sleep in them now!

 

[trei2k]

It looks like that Isle of Islay ferry has made it to Scotland: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g5e4z4d1ro

The first of four new CalMac ferries being built in Turkey has arrived in Scotland after a four-week voyage delayed by stormy weather.

MV Isle of Islay sailed up the Clyde and berthed at the Inchgreen quay in Greenock just before 10:00 on Sunday after crossing the Bay of Biscay in recent days.

Hopefully it won't be too long before seeing it in service.

 

[Transilien]

It looks like that Isle of Islay ferry has made it to Scotland: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g5e4z4d1ro



Hopefully it won't be too long before seeing it in service.

Once Isle of Islay has entered service will the mean that Isle of Arran will finally be withdrawn?

 

[Albaman]

I was pleased to learn that Isle of Islay arrived at Greenock on Sunday 22 February 2026.

Regarding Isle of Arran, the CalMac document " Improving every journey - Delivery plan - strategic vessel deployment , disposal and redelivery plan " dated 9 December 2025, indicates that when Loch Indaal enters service , Finlaggan will become the " resilience" vessel replacing Isle of Arran in this role resulting in Isle of Arran being redelivered to CMAL .

I hope this helps.

Meantime, I wonder if the MV Alfred will remain at Troon when Glen Sannox returns from Birkenhead , it is hoped at the end of this month.

 

[EYFanatic]

It looks like that Isle of Islay ferry has made it to Scotland: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g5e4z4d1ro



Hopefully it won't be too long before seeing it in service.

Always glad to see a ship safely make port... And she has had an interesting delivery voyage with her bunking in some unusual ports and even rescuing a man from the sea whilst in Moroccan waters after leaving Gib due to high winds.

 

[AndrewE]

It looks like that Isle of Islay ferry has made it to Scotland: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g5e4z4d1ro



Hopefully it won't be too long before seeing it in service.

That Beeb article says

A final fit-out of the ferry is now expected to take two weeks, followed by crew familiarisation and berthing trials before it enters service in late March.

 

[thejuggler]

Looks like an excuse for another visit to Islay. I haven't been for about ten years and there are a couple of new distilleries to visit!

 

[Morayshire]

Apparently Peel Ports have sold Ardrossan to the Scottish Government?

 

[Grinner]

Apparently Peel Ports have sold Ardrossan to the Scottish Government?

Looks like it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgl5835w8g8o

Ardrossan harbour is to be nationalised with the Scottish government's ferries and ports agency expected to finalise the deal this month, the transport secretary has announced

Fiona Hyslop said negotiations between Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) and owner Peel Ports have now concluded. The government has been forced to buy the harbour because new CalMac ferries ordered by CMAL for the Arran route are too big to berth safely at the existing facilities and it needs extensive redevelopment. Hyslop did not confirm how much the sale would cost but said negotiations had been "complex" but would bring "wider benefits" to ferry services in the long term.

CMAL is entirely owned by the Scottish government, and Hyslop revealed it had been necessary to make a "shareholder directive" to the CMAL board to conclude the deal.

Hyslop said the port would remain the main port for ferry services from the mainland to Arran. Speaking in Holyrood, Hyslop said: "This purchase will secure the port in public ownership to allow us to focus on the redevelopment of the facility as the primary mainland port for Arran.
"There is work to be done to move forward to tender for the port redevelopment, but CMAL are already considering short term work to ensure resilient operations whilst the MV Caledonian Isles continues to operate from Ardrossan and we are committed to funding a two port service until the major work starts."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpvlgvgk7wko
Since entering service last January, Glen Sannox, one of Scotland's new ferries has been forced to sail from Troon, about 15 miles further south.

The Save Ardrossan Harbour campaign has complained that the town has suffered economic damage due to a lack of footfall and fewer islanders travelling to use businesses such as dentists or garages.

Ardrossan offers the fastest and most direct route from the mainland to Arran, although the harbour's shallow depth and layout makes it tricky to navigate in high winds.

The new ship is 102.4m (335.9ft) long, while the main Arran Berth at Ardrossan is only 97m (318ft) long. Major redevelopment work, which according to some estimates could cost around £80m, is needed at Ardrossan to ensure the Glen Sannox, and its sister ship Glen Rosa when it arrives can berth at the port safely. The current owners, Peel Ports as well as the Scottish government and North Ayrshire council had disagreed on how this bill should be split.

 

[Gwr12345]

Looks like CMAL are also ordering another 4 vessels from Ferguson.

Ferguson shipyard to be given contracts to build four vessels

The Clyde yard is to be commissioned to construct two small ferries and two fisheries research and protection vessels.

www.bbc.co.uk

The publicly-owned Ferguson shipyard is to be directly awarded contracts to build four new vessels under plans announced by the Scottish government.
Ministers have proposed that the Clyde yard be commissioned to build two small ferries as well as a marine research vessel and a marine protection ship.
The decision, announced in the Scottish Parliament, is subject to a due diligence process.

 

[Morayshire]

Looks like it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgl5835w8g8o

Thanks. Was out and about when I overheard something about Ardrossan being sold

 

[richard1976]

Any ideas what will happen the Railway station at Ardrossen Harbour, (it currently belongs to peel ports). Will the ownership pass to CMAL or will they pass it on to network rail

 

[Cloud Strife]

Any ideas what will happen the Railway station at Ardrossen Harbour, (it currently belongs to peel ports). Will the ownership pass to CMAL or will they pass it on to network rail

Hard to say, because it might not have been included in the sale. I suspect that Peel will just sell it to Network Rail if it hasn't been included though.

I wonder what they mean by short term work to ensure resiliency. Are they considering replacing the Irish Berth's linkspan to ensure that Ardrossan can be used by Caley Isles during certain wind conditions? I also wonder if they intend to ensure that both berths will be available with the redevelopment, despite the plans appearing to only show one berth?

 

[Buzby]

I wonder what they mean by short term work to ensure resiliency. Are they considering replacing the Irish Berth's linkspan

Before they get to the linkspan, I do recall divers did an inspection and berth walls required serious and urgent work to prevent their collapse. I still don’t believe anything has been done to remedy this. Due to Peel Ports lack of investment there is a large bucket list of repairs/upgrades and ‘wouldn’t it be nice if…’ to be undertaken, but ensuring the quay itself doesn’t collapse first is surely the top priority?

 

[Cloud Strife]

Before they get to the linkspan, I do recall divers did an inspection and berth walls required serious and urgent work to prevent their collapse. I still don’t believe anything has been done to remedy this. Due to Peel Ports lack of investment there is a large bucket list of repairs/upgrades and ‘wouldn’t it be nice if…’ to be undertaken, but ensuring the quay itself doesn’t collapse first is surely the top priority?

True, I forgot all about that! I suspect that the priority is probably in making sure that it'll be safe to use for the next couple of years until Glen Sannox / Rosa are safely in service. Glen Rosa is supposed to be delivered at the end of the year, but I'll be shocked if she actually turns up before the winter timetable in 2027.

On related news, Caledonian Isles is broken yet again. Her pitch propeller issues are still going on, so she's gone to Greenock for a potential dry dock.

At this point, I really do wonder if Caley Isles will ever see a full season again.

 

[Bishops]

Are these ferrys cursed?

Glen Sannox ferry needs £3.2m repairs after one year in service

MSPs have been told the troubled CalMac vessel needs new propellors as part of multi-million pound repairs.

www.bbc.co.uk

A troubled Scottish ferry needs new propellers as part of multi-million pound repairs after just over a year in service, MSPs have heard.
Shipyard bosses told a Holyrood committee that repair costs for the Glen Sannox could hit £3.2m after a small crack was discovered in the hull.
Ferguson Marine chief executive, Graeme Thomson, said that extra steel had been added to strengthen the CalMac vessel, but only new propellers would tackle "the root cause" of the crack.
"There is an opportunity to improve the design of the propellers," he told Holyrood's net zero, energy and transport committee on Tuesday.
Glen Sannox began serving the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde in January 2025, seven years late and four times over budget.
The 336ft (102m) vessel, with space for 127 cars and 852 passengers, was the first major new ferry to join the fleet off the west of Scotland in a decade.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Perhaps they should rename it Glen Lummox...?

 

[Southsider]

On the up side, the Isle of Islay has made it to Islay.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Are these ferrys cursed?

I wouldn't say cursed, just very badly designed and built. The whole thing illustrates perfectly why CMAL should never have gone near a local shipyard that didn't have the knowledge or experience, even if it was politically desirable to have large ships built on the Clyde again. With my crystal ball, I'm going to be surprised if Glen Sannox survives more than 10 years without major and long term repairs.

The incredible thing is that Alfred, built on a shoestring in Vietnam, has been reliable and solid for CalMac for several years now. It really does make you wonder what would have happened if CMAL approached Andrew Banks to build a fleet of catamarans with his knowledge, doesn't it?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The whole thing illustrates perfectly why CMAL should never have gone near a local shipyard that didn't have the knowledge or experience, even if it was politically desirable to have large ships built on the Clyde again.

Haven't they just ordered four more from the same shipyard...? Could have sworn I saw something on the news a couple of weeks ago?

 

[mpthomson]

Haven't they just ordered four more from the same shipyard...? Could have sworn I saw something on the news a couple of weeks ago?

A fisheries protection vessel, a marine research vessel and two much smaller ferries. All awarded via direct award, rather than competitive tender. What could possibly go wrong?

Of course, if you were being far more cynical than anyone has a right to be, you might link this announcement with the upcoming Holyrood elections in early May...

 

[Cloud Strife]

Haven't they just ordered four more from the same shipyard...? Could have sworn I saw something on the news a couple of weeks ago?

They have, but in general, the shipyard does have a good reputation with small / simple vessels. It was just that the Glens were way beyond their capabilities, both financial and in terms of know-how. I don't think there'll be any drama with this order.

 

[HighlandStorm]

The incredible thing is that Alfred, built on a shoestring in Vietnam, has been reliable and solid for CalMac for several years now. It really does make you wonder what would have happened if CMAL approached Andrew Banks to build a fleet of catamarans with his knowledge, doesn't it?

The two operations are not really in any way comparable. Pentland Ferries does one fixed route, the crews therefore are local and based at home. Cal Mac operates on the basis that crews live onboard the larger vessels, so they can if necessary move around, or if there are delays or cancellations, or a ship ends up at a completely different port at 2am, it basically doesn't matter. Wherever the boat goes, the crew go with it, so there is no issue of trying to find somewhere to put up staff, or find staff who are familiar with vessel x.

If CalMac didn't have that operational flexibility, things would completely fall apart, there would inevitably be more cancellations and service disruption as it would be more difficult to move ferries around and there would be a reluctance to sail one way when a return might not be possible, leaving crews stranded.

Yes a fleet of Alfreds would cost a LOT less in terms of capital expenditure on the ferries, but the entire CalMac network and operation would need to be redrawn from scratch. What would all the other associated costs and reorganisations and contingency plans add up to and what would be the potential economic impacts as well?

 

[BayPaul]

The two operations are not really in any way comparable. Pentland Ferries does one fixed route, the crews therefore are local and based at home. Cal Mac operates on the basis that crews live onboard the larger vessels, so they can if necessary move around, or if there are delays or cancellations, or a ship ends up at a completely different port at 2am, it basically doesn't matter. Wherever the boat goes, the crew go with it, so there is no issue of trying to find somewhere to put up staff, or find staff who are familiar with vessel x.

If CalMac didn't have that operational flexibility, things would completely fall apart, there would inevitably be more cancellations and service disruption as it would be more difficult to move ferries around and there would be a reluctance to sail one way when a return might not be possible, leaving crews stranded.

Yes a fleet of Alfreds would cost a LOT less in terms of capital expenditure on the ferries, but the entire CalMac network and operation would need to be redrawn from scratch. What would all the other associated costs and reorganisations and contingency plans add up to and what would be the potential economic impacts as well?

It's an interesting question. With a large class of identical vessels, it could be practical to base crews on a route rather than attached to a specific ship. If the ship moves to a different route, then it picks up the crew from that route. I believe that's how the loch class work.

It would involve ripping up a lot of the way calmac works, but it could be significantly more efficient. One significant advantage would be that crews would be based on their own island, increasing employment in the areas calmac serve.

 

[Arriva Fan]

The two operations are not really in any way comparable. Pentland Ferries does one fixed route, the crews therefore are local and based at home. Cal Mac operates on the basis that crews live onboard the larger vessels, so they can if necessary move around, or if there are delays or cancellations, or a ship ends up at a completely different port at 2am, it basically doesn't matter. Wherever the boat goes, the crew go with it, so there is no issue of trying to find somewhere to put up staff, or find staff who are familiar with vessel x.

If CalMac didn't have that operational flexibility, things would completely fall apart, there would inevitably be more cancellations and service disruption as it would be more difficult to move ferries around and there would be a reluctance to sail one way when a return might not be possible, leaving crews stranded.

Yes a fleet of Alfreds would cost a LOT less in terms of capital expenditure on the ferries, but the entire CalMac network and operation would need to be redrawn from scratch. What would all the other associated costs and reorganisations and contingency plans add up to and what would be the potential economic impacts as well?

Pentland Ferries Crew Alfred. She must have a Live On Board Crew. Pentalina certainly has Crew Accommodation.

It would be possible to have a Common Fleet of Alfreds. However, the fact she fits only Two Routes, I'm not sure it'd be a great investment.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Cal Mac operates on the basis that crews live onboard the larger vessels, so they can if necessary move around, or if there are delays or cancellations, or a ship ends up at a completely different port at 2am, it basically doesn't matter. Wherever the boat goes, the crew go with it, so there is no issue of trying to find somewhere to put up staff, or find staff who are familiar with vessel x.

Hang on, doesn't Alfred have crew cabins already? I seem to remember that they do, though I can't remember where they're located.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Mar 2026 ==

It would be possible to have a Common Fleet of Alfreds. However, the fact she fits only Two Routes, I'm not sure it'd be a great investment.

I don't think a common fleet is needed, rather just the idea that CMAL could have obtained a fleet of Alfred-type vessels for cheap. People on Arran are quite happy with Alfred, and the entire design (barebones, basic facilities) is fine for anything up to an hour. You wouldn't want to use something like Alfred on a longer run, but there's certainly a strong argument that three cheap Vietnamese ships providing an intensive service to Arran would have been far more useful for locals.

 

[Morayshire]

Are these ferrys cursed?

Glen Sannox ferry needs £3.2m repairs after one year in service

MSPs have been told the troubled CalMac vessel needs new propellors as part of multi-million pound repairs.

www.bbc.co.uk

Arran ferry services suspended after MV Glen Sannox hit by new fault

Probably - BBC says Glen Sannox is out of service again with a new fault

Ferries on the main route to Arran are suspended due to a new technical problem with the CalMac ship MV Glen Sannox just days after it returned to service.
Sailings between Troon and Brodick have been cancelled since Monday afternoon due to a warning light issue with the ship's port main engine.
The ferry returned to the Troon to Brodick route at the weekend after a three month absence due to an extended annual overhaul and remedial work to tackle a vibration issue.
The other main Arran ferry MV Caledonian Isles is also out of action, and a chartered catamaran which provides back-up for the route is away for scheduled maintenance.
CalMac said the new fault on Glen Sannox followed the fitting of a spare part.
A spokesperson said the ship appeared to be running well, but as it approached Troon "the oil mist detector alarm for the port main engine came on again".
A review will take place at 14:00 on Tuesday to see if services can resume.

Glen Sannox, the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual fuel ferry to be built in the UK, entered service in January 2025 after years of delays and cost overruns.

The ship won praise from ferry users, but a few months later a small weld crack was detected in the hull at the aft end of the ship.

An investigation revealed this was caused by excessive vibration when the ship was manoeuvring.

Last week, MSPs were told the underlying cause of the vibration was the design of the propellers which suffer from excessive cavitation - a build up of air bubbles - when the ship is moving astern.

The Finnish firm Wartsila which designed and supplied the propellers is now working on a modified design which will be fitted later this year. In the meantime, extra steel has been fitted to Glen Sannox to strengthen the hull.

The total cost of the remedial work on the ship and its sister ship Glen Rosa could total up £3.2m, the MSPs were told. It is understood this will be met by the state owned Ferguson shipyard, which built the ship, under warranty.

The other large CalMac ferry that normally operates to Arran, MV Caledonian Isles, is also out of action until Wednesday, when it is expected to resume with the 12:30 sailing from Ardrossan to Brodick.

The 33-year-old ship has also been hit with technical faults, but has now been cleared to return to service with weather restrictions.

CalMac has also been chartering a catamaran, MV Alfred, for nearly three years to provide resilience on the Arran route, but the vessel is currently away for its own annual maintenance.

An alternative Arran route using a small ferry from Lochranza to Claonaig on the Kintyre peninsula has been running, but the last sailing will be at 13:00 on Tuesday due to poor weather conditions.

Glen Sannox had been due to head north this week for berthing trials to see if it could be used for Little Minch routes, but these were held back to cover cancelled Caledonian Isles sailings.

The vessel entered service in January last year, more than six years later than expected, after a long history of design challenges and disputes between the Ferguson shipyard's former owners and government-owned ferries agency CMAL.

The deadlock eventually led to shipyard being nationalised in 2019.

 

[Cloud Strife]

What an ongoing mess with Glen Sannox. She was back in service yesterday (Thursday), now she's got engine trouble yet again. I will be honestly surprised if she lasts 10 years at this rate.

The only saving grace is that Caledonian Isles is back on the Ardrossan-Brodick route.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Mar 2026 ==

Glen Sannox back in service, but now Caledonian Isles has a problem with her port engine. Seems that she broke down last night while sailing to Brodick, and she's been sat on the second berth in Brodick today. They will conduct a check tomorrow with a view to her coming back in service on Wednesday.

What a mess.

 

[richard1976]

Glen Sannox has broken down AGAIN !!
She is going to be out of service until at least Tuesday.
Not a very good start to the summer timetable.
https://www.calmac.co.uk/en-gb/service-status/#/service-status/301/sailings

 

[Morayshire]

8 Ferries out according to the BBC

CalMac warns of 'critical shortage' as eight ferries now out of action

Engine problems have put an eighth CalMac ferry out of action, as the operator apologised for a "critical" shortage of ships.

MV Lord of the Isles, which had been covering the Oban to Mull route, suspended all sailings on Saturday after a "technical issue" with its main engine.

Three other large ferries - including CalMac's troubled Glen Sannox vessel - are already unavailable, while four other ships are undergoing annual maintenance.

The state-owned firm told island communities that the situation was the "most pressing" it had faced and disruption would continue into next week.

CalMac said "virtually every island served by a major vessel" on its west of Scotland network was being affected by the shortage of ships.
The Glen Sannox docked at Brodick Harbour. Cars enter via the ferry ramp
Image caption,

Eight major vessels are now out of action on CalMac's ferry network

Chief executive Duncan Mackison said: "The critical situation we find ourselves in has worsened due to MV Lord of the Isles reporting an engine issue.

"A combination of weather, sea swell and technical issues means services are below planned levels on Arran, Barra, Coll, Colonsay, Harris, Islay, North Uist, South Uist and Tiree.

"We're urgently looking at deployment plans into next week to put services in place on islands facing disruption or cancellation due to vessel availability."
CalMac ferries out of action

Four vessels under annual maintenance.

MV Alfred (Due back 6 April)

MV Loch Frisa (Due back 9 April)

MV Hebrides (Due back 15 April)

MV Isle of Lewis (Due back late May)

Four vessels with technical problems.

MV Isle of Arran (Off since Wednesday)

MV Glen Sannox (Off since Thursday)

MV Isle of Islay (Was due to begin service on Friday)

MV Lord of the Isles (Off since Saturday)

It is understood there was a problem with the bow door on MV Lord of the Isles on the final sailing on Friday night, which required vehicles to reverse off.

CalMac then suspended sailings on Saturday after an engine problem. The timeline for a fix is unknown, with the vessel expected to move to a repair berth on Monday.

MV Glen Sannox, which sails to Arran from Troon, developed a problem with a flexible coupling in its exhaust system early on Thursday.
A quick repair allowed it to return for one sailing but the problem re-occurred so it has now been withdrawn until Tuesday.

CalMac's two newest ships MV Glen Sannox and MV Isle of Islay are both unavailable while faults are investigated

MV Isle of Islay, the first of four new ferries built in Turkey, was meant to enter service on the Islay to Kennacraig route on Friday, but that has been pushed back until at least Monday.

MV Isle of Arran has a problem with its fire suppression system.

Other faults have since been found with a coupling and a bow thruster, and it is likely to be out of action until early next week.
Four other vessels - MV Hebrides, MV Loch Frisa, MV Isle of Lewis and the chartered catamaran MV Alfred - are all away for scheduled maintenance or repairs.

Earlier this month, ferries on the main route to Arran were affected after a technical problem with Glen Sannox, just a week after it returned from its annual overhaul.

The vessel, which entered service over-budget and years late, also needs new redesigned propellers to fix a persistent vibration problem when manoeuvring.

Fixing the issue could add £3.2m of extra costs for Glen Sannox and its sister vessel Glen Rosa, managers from the Ferguson shipyard have told a committee of MSPs.

This week, it was also revealed that the two ships will not be able to dock at Ardrossan Harbour until at least 2029.

The ships, ordered by ferries agency CMAL in 2015, are too big to berth at the existing facilities.