Think Scotland's ferry fiasco is bad? 'Harbourgate' is even worse!

The infamous ‘launch’ of the Glen Sannox ferry in November 2017 – with ridiculous, painted-on windows – helped cement its place in Scottish political history as an icon of SNP incompetence and failure to hit targets, pass legislation and, basically, get things done.

From the fight against climate change to the ill-fated deposit return recycling scheme and the long-delayed dualling of the A9, it seems that few things happen at any kind of pace when the SNP are in charge.

The Sannox’s inaugural passenger service tomorrow could have been a chance to begin a new chapter. Alas, it will not be. While it was supposed to sail to Arran from Ardrossan, the Sannox will instead – fingers crossed anyway – depart from Troon at 6.30am.

The long-delayed Glen Sannox ferry is finally ready but a harbour it was supposed to use is not (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell) | Getty Images

Ten years of talks

This creates a number of practical problems. What would have been a 55-minute journey will be 20 minutes longer. Car journeys from Glasgow to Troon take longer, while those travelling by train will discover the short journey to the ferry terminal at Ardrossan has been replaced by more than a mile at Troon. There will also be only three return sailings a day, instead of five.

The reason is that – astonishingly, given the long delays in Sannox’s construction – Ardrossan harbour has not been upgraded to the required standard to accommodate the ferry. Negotiations began in 2014. A decade ago.

And Kevin Hobbs, chief executive of the Scottish Government’s ferry-and-port-owning firm Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, has revealed that the talks are currently "in the middle of nowhere". It is thought it could take four years to make the harbour ready.

Ultimate responsibility

The situation is slightly complicated because Ardrossan harbour is owned by a private company, Peel Ports, but governments must necessarily deal with private companies all the time.

Ministers can try to blame Peel Ports or the state-owned transport quangos, which are supposed to be ‘arms-length’, not ‘out of reach’, all they like, but they are ultimately responsible.

It is a scandal worthy of the suffix, ‘gate’, that Ardrossan is not ready. Sannox’s first proper journey may be years late but, as it turns out, it’s actually too early.