Turkish-built CalMac ferry Isle of Islay to be launched days after long-delayed Ferguson Marine ferry Glen Rosa ordered years before

Vessel to go down slipway in March ahead of October completion

A CalMac ferry ordered two years ago is to be launched at a Turkish shipyard in March, four days after the launch of one of the ferries being built at Ferguson Marine on the Clyde which were ordered in 2015.

Isle of Islay is due to be finished at Cemre Marin Endustri in Yalova in October and be in service by the end of this year. This is in stark contrast to Glen Rosa, the second of the two Ferguson Marine vessels, whose completion has been delayed until at least May next year.

Scottish Government ferry-buying firm Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (Cmal) announced on Friday that Isle of Islay would be launched on March 16. Ferguson Marine plans to launch Glen Rosa on March 12.

Isle of Islay is due to be completed in October. (Photo by Cmal)

Cmal said Isle of Islay was “on time and budget” and would be 85 per cent complete by launch. Glen Rosa and sister vessel Glen Sannox are running six years late and more than three times over budget.

Will Turkish-built CalMac ferries Isle of Islay and Loch Indaal be completed before Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa at Ferguson Marine?

It said Isle of Islay’s hull was “structurally complete”, with the installation of pipework, equipment, machinery, electrical works and outfitting continuing until the launch, along with underwater hull coatings and propulsors being installed.

Cmal said work would continue on board when the ferry is in the water after launch, and will undergo crew familiarisation and local operational trials after delivery in October.

Isle of Islay, right, under construction with sister vessel Loch Indaal, at the Cemre shipyard in Turkey last week. (Photo by Cmal)

It said the vessel, which will serve Islay along with sister ship Loch Indaal as part of a £91 million contract, will be named at a ceremony on the island towards the end of the year. The second ferry is due to be completed at the same yard in February next year.

Cmal director of vessel Jim Anderson said: "Work at the Cemre shipyard continues to progress well, with the project coming in on time and on budget. We look forward to witnessing the launch, which is a major milestone in the vessel's construction.”

Inside Glen Sannox as hugely-delayed CalMac ferry nears completion at Ferguson Marine

Transport minister Fiona Hyslop said: “I’m pleased Isle of Islay will be launched at the Cemre Shipyard in March. Delivering six new major vessels to serve Scotland’s ferry network by 2026 is a priority for this Government and this is an important milestone as part of that commitment.”

Glen Rosa clad in scaffolding with Glen Sannox moored behind, at the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow last Friday. (Photo by Jane Barlow/PA Wire)

The ferries can carry 450 passengers and 100 cars or 14 commercial vehicles, a 40 per cent increase to accommodate whisky traffic. The Turkish yard is building a further two similar ferries for the Little Minch routes between Skye, Harris and North Uist.

Scottish Conservatives transport spokesperson Graham Simpson said: "While this is great news for islanders, it is an astonishing humiliation for the SNP’s original ferries strategy, which still hasn’t delivered two vessels that are six years’ late and hugely over budget.”

Alex Rowley, his Scottish Labour counterpart, said: “I am pleased to see these four ferries are on schedule and that news will provide relief to our island communities especially given so much negative coverage of the Scottish Government mishandling over Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa.

“We now need a firm commitment from the Scottish Government on what the future of our ferry replacement programme looks like so that this Government’s mistakes are not repeated.”