CalMac announces date veteran Arran ferry will return after unprecedented repairs

A major CalMac ferry which has been under repair for an unprecedented 17 months is to return to one of the operator’s busiest routes next week.

The completion of extensive work on 32-year-old Caledonian Isles expected to cost nearly £11 million will also mean sailings to Brodick in Arran will resume from Ardrossan after a gap of months, restoring faster crossings and a direct rail connection with Glasgow.

Caledonian Isles in dry dock in Greenock in November | John Devlin/The Scotsman

The ferry is due to re-enter passenger service on Thursday, June 12 after the final stages of repairs are completed this week, which have continued since January last year. They will be followed by sea trials from Sunday.

CalMac said the vessel would make a “phased return” and reach its full service of five daily return sailings from Saturday, June 14, followed by four on Sundays and six on Fridays.

Glen Sannox will continue operating the Troon-Brodick route as it is too big for Ardrossan harbour, which has still to be upgraded to accommodate CalMac’s newest ferry.

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The catamaran Alfred, which has run alongside it, will be switched to another route yet to be announced by CalMac with its charter from Orkney-based Pentland Ferries being extended to the end of October.

CalMac interim fleet management director Louis de Wolff said: “We are now in the final stages of the repair plan for Caledonian Isles.

“She’ll significantly increase capacity and frequency of service for Arran, operating from Ardrossan.”

He said the sea trials would be “thorough” because of the time the ferry had been out of service, and include berthing checks at Ardrossan and Brodick.

Mr de Wolff added: “The extension to Alfred’s charter will give the network much-needed resilience until the end of the summer timetable.

“Plans for her deployment are being finalised and will be announced soon.”