Ferries Scotland: SNP under 'second class' fire for 10,000 cancellations due to technical faults

The Scottish Government has been accused of treating islanders as “second-class citizens” after thousands of ferry cancellations due to technical faults was revealed.

SNP ministers have been accused of “causing chaos” for islanders after it was revealed more than 10,000 ferry journeys have been cancelled due to technical failures since 2023.

The Scottish Government has been warned that islanders face the “depressing reality” of “losing business, missing events and hospital appointments” over the saga. It comes amid accusations people are being treated as “second-class citizens” compared to Scots who live on the mainland.

Caledonian Isles in Ardrossan harbour during sea trials on June 19

The building of the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa is now years behind schedule and multiple times over budget. The two ships, which were meant to be delivered in 2018, will now cost an estimated £460 million – up from the original price tag of £97m.

Statistics, revealed through Freedom of Information legislation, found that between January 2023 and April this year, a total of 10,809 sailings were cancelled due to technical faults with ferries.

READ MORE: Ferries Scotland: SNP told to hand Ferguson Marine 'distinguished future' with urgent investment

The data also found that ferries were cancelled, classed as having “performed below schedule”, on 548 days out of 851.

The revelation comes after Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee this week called for urgent investment to be put into the publicly-owned Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow to hand it a “distinguished and positive future”.

Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Jamie Greene said the cancellation figures “reveal just how much chaos the SNP are causing island communities”.

Liberal Democrat MSP Jamie Greene

He said: “Our island communities are being treated as second-class citizens, lacking the basic right to access the same public services as mainland Scots.

“The SNP’s failure to deliver new lifeline ferries has anchored islanders with an ageing fleet that is in constant need of repair, at constant risk of cancellation and costing millions in repair bills.”

Mr Greene added: “My constituents on the west coast are suffering the depressing reality of losing business, missing events and hospital appointments and, frankly, they have lost faith in the Scottish Government’s ability to fix those problems.

READ MORE: Ferries Scotland: The £4.4m fund for suffering island businesses as Caledonian Isles still out of action

“Scottish Liberal Democrats would get the basics right and stand up for island communities. That starts by making sure islanders have access to the ferries they need and rebuilding our country’s rural and island economic reputation, which has been sorely undermined by the SNP.”

Statistics show that total cancellations in 2023 and last year were just over 12,000 each year, while 4,540 scheduled journeys were cancelled in the five four months of 2025. Technical issues account for around 40 per cent of all cancelled sailings.

CalMac, which operates the island ferries, stressed that when sailings were diverted to other ports due to weather or sea conditions - as can be common on Islay where there are two ports - that would count as a day “below schedule”.

The ferry operator said on 294 days across the same period, the operator ran more than the number of scheduled sailings.

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A CalMac spokeswoman said: “The figures clearly show that CalMac operated more than 95 per cent of all planned sailings since 2023.

“In a typical day, we operate over 450 sailings and our staff work hard to provide a good service in challenging circumstances. In fact, poor weather remains the most common cause of disruption.”

The spokeswoman added: “In terms of technical problems, these do happen with an aging fleet and in increasingly challenging weather. However, the arrival of 13 new vessels by 2029, which started with MV Glen Sannox in January this year, will reduce these [problems] and modern vessels will improve the reliability and resilience of services across the whole network."

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “Between 1 January 2023 and 30 April 2025, over 95 per cent of the 391,139 scheduled sailings operated.

“We are investing in six new major vessels to serve Scotland’s ferry network from early 2025, alleviating the need for extensive repairs on older vessels and improving reliability. Contracts have also been signed for a further seven new smaller vessels to serve the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network.

“CalMac are delivering services in increasingly challenging weather and the arrival of 13 new vessels by 2029, which started with MV Glen Sannox in January this year, will reduce technical issues and these modern vessels should also be able to operate in more challenging weather and sea conditions.

“To improve service in the short term, we have also purchased the MV Loch Frisa and chartered the MV Alfred. We continue to work with operators and CMAL to improve resilience across our networks.”