CalMac: The seven Scottish lochs chosen to name its new electric ferries
Result of public vote on shortlist of 17 options
The names of Scotland’s newest ferries have been unveiled after more than 1,000 people voted in a poll based on Scottish lochs.
The seven small electric vessels are being built in Poland and due to start arriving in 2027.
They will serve some of CalMac’s shorter west coast routes, including to the islands of Gigha and Iona.
The names chosen from a shortlist of 17 options are, in English and Gaelic:
- MV Loch Awe – MV Loch Obha
- MV Loch Etive – MV Loch Èite
- MV Loch Katrine – MV Loch Ceiteirein
- MV Loch Maree – MV Loch Ma-Ruibhe
- MV Loch Morar – MV Loch Mòrair
- MV Loch Rannoch – MV Loch Raineach
- MV Loch Shiel – MV Loch Seile
The ferries will serve these routes: Colintraive-Rhubodach (Bute), Lochaline-Fishnish (Mull), Tarbert (Loch Fyne)-Portavadie, Fionnphort (Mull)-Iona, Sconser (Skye)-Raasay, Tobermory-Kilchoan (Ardnamurchan) and Tayinloan (Kintyre)-Gigha.
Two other routes with older ferries will also benefit from their vessels being cascaded from some of the routes getting the new vessels - Largs-Cumbrae and Oban-Lismore.
The loch class ferries form the first, £160 million phase of the two-part Small Vessel Replacement Programme (SVRP), which also includes harbour upgrades to accommodate the vessels and recharge their batteries.
Scottish Government-owned shipyard Ferguson Marine lost out to the Remontowa yard in Gdansk for the order, despite having built CalMac’s last fleet of small hybrid diesel-electric ferries a decade ago.
However, the Port Glasgow yard is expected to have a better chance of winning the second part of the SRVP, for three slightly larger electric ferries.
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “It’s great to see members of the public have their say and choose such fitting names for the seven new electric ferries that will operate on routes across the Clyde and Hebrides network.”
She said they would further rejuvenate CalMac’s ageing fleet following Ferguson Marine completing Glen Sannox last year - one of the operator’s largest ferries - and sister vessel Glen Rosa due to follow by June.
Four medium size ferries are also being built in Turkey, with the first, Isle of Islay, due to be finished by Christmas.
Ms Hyslop said: “Alongside our significant investment in six new major vessels, these seven small vessels will serve island communities for years to come, improving the capacity and resilience of the CalMac fleet, while contributing to reduced carbon emissions with their electric operation.
“I welcome the continued progress on construction of these vessels, and I very much look forward to seeing these seven new ferries formally joining the fleet serving the Clyde and Hebrides.”
Kevin Hobbs, chief executive of the Scottish Government’s ferry-buying firm Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, which organised the naming contest, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to vote on naming these vessels, which will serve the island communities for many years to come.
“The new ferries are an important step in renewing the small-vessel fleet, and we’ll continue to work closely with the team at Remontowa as work progresses over the coming months.”
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