CalMac: What is Scottish ferry company CalMac? How big is CalMac's fleet? What are the main challenges?

CalMac has hit the headlines for ferry breakdowns and service problems - but how big is the fleet at the ferry firm’s disposal, what is its history and what are the major challenges to come?

CalMac is Britain’s biggest ferry operator with a network stretching 200 miles along Scotland’s west coast from Stornoway to Campbeltown.

The Scottish Government-owned firm is struggling with an ageing fleet that is increasingly prone to breakdown and requiring extended maintenance.

This has been caused by a hiatus in ordering new vessels and huge delays to the completion of its two of its second largest vessels, Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, for the main Arran route - CalMac’s busiest.

What is CalMac’s history?

CalMac - previously Caledonian MacBrayne - was established by a merger of the Caledonian Steam Packet Company and David MacBrayne in 1973. It can trace its roots back to steamer firm David Hutcheson & Co in 1851.

CalMac Ferries is a wholly-owned subsidiary of David MacBrayne, which is owned by ministers. In 2006, CalMac was split to meet European Union competition rules as it provided a monopoly service, with its ships and ports switched to a new Scottish Government firm, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, or Cmal.

Since then, CalMac has operated under a series of contracts from ministers, with the latest due to start in October 2026. Transport secretary Fiona Hyslop is considering whether to make a direct award or put the contract out to competitive tender.

CalMac employs some 1,700 people, including 1,000 aboard ferries and 200 at its headquarters in Gourock.

How large is CalMac’s fleet?

The company has 33 ferries which operate 29 routes covering more than 50 destinations, with some 136,000 sailings a year that range from five minutes to 7 hours duration.

Loch Seaforth, which links Ullapool with Stornoway, is its largest vessel. Built in 2014, it can carry up to 700 passengers and 143 cars or 20 lorries.

When in service, Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa will have space for some 850 passengers and 127 cars or 16 lorries. However, their completion dates at the Scottish Government-owned Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow have been repeatedly put back.

Glen Sannox is now due to be delivered to CalMac at the end of July and in service in October after trials, while Glen Rosa is scheduled to be finished in September next year.

CalMac’s oldest ferry is the 48-year-old Isle of Cumbrae, which operates to Portavadie-Tarbert route across Loch Fyne.

Its latest vessel is Loch Frisa, which was built in 2014 and bought from Norway in 2022 . It operates on the main Mull route between Oban and Craignure.

What are the main challenges affecting CalMac?

The age and shortage of vessels has stretched the fleet to the limit. Unlike in the past, it has no spare vessel, so when one is out of action, ferries have to be moved around the network to cover the gap.

This has led to reduced capacity on some routes where smaller ferries have acted as stand-ins or the frequency of sailings has had to be cut. It also led to the summer Ardrossan-Campbeltown service being suspended in 2024 for a second year.

A catamaran, Alfred, has been chartered from Orkney-based Pentland Ferries to temporarily bolster the fleet and is operating on the main Arran route via Troon.

Transport in Scotland is a key issue - get our specialist newsletter for the best updates

Ferries undergoing lengthy repairs include Caledonian Isles, the principal vessel on the main Arran route between Ardrossan and Brodick, which is not now expected to be back in service until August - seven months later than planned.

Sailings on the route, which carried 720,000 passengers in 2023, have been further disrupted by the poor state of Ardrossan harbour. One berth has been permanently closed since February and the other is unusable in strong easterly winds, with ferries being diverted to Troon, further down the Clyde.

Additional pressure has come from the success of fare reductions of up to 40 per cent under the Scottish Government’s road equivalent tariff scheme to bring ferry travel into line with the cost of going by road.

However, ministers are consulting on removing the discount for island visitors.

Why was CalMac chief executive Robbie Drummond sacked?

Mr Drummond is believed to have been ousted in April to improve the company’s chances of being awarded a new contract after it suffered a series of problems such as the botched launch of a new ticketing system. Chair Erik Østergaard is said to have wanted a change of culture by making top-level changes because he believed not all CalMac’s problems could be blamed on the ageing fleet. Duncan Mackison, a former chief executive of CalMac parent firm David MacBrayne, has been appointed interim chief executive.

What will be CalMac’s next new ferries?

Four ferries are being built at the Cemre Marin Endustri in Turkey for the Islay route between Kennacraig, Port Ellen and Port Askaig, and the Skye-Harris-North Uist triangle between Uig, Tarbert and Lochmaddy.

The first, Isle of Islay, is due to be completed in October, with Loch Indaal following in February next year. They will be able to carry 450 passengers and 100 cars or 14 lorries. Meanwhile, the Scottish Government is expected to launch a competition for up to ten smaller electric ferries because it is thought unlikely the contract could be legally awarded direct to Ferguson Marine.

The first ones, to be delivered in 2026-28 at the earliest, would be for the Mull-Iona route, and between Mull and Kilchoan and Lochaline on the mainland. Others will serve links such as Tayinloan-Gigha and Portavadie-Tarbert.