Exclusive:Completion of hugely-delayed CalMac ferry Glen Sannox 'imminent' - but there's a catch

CalMac’s long-awaited new ferry Glen Sannox is expected to be finally finished “imminently”, The Scotsman has learned.

The vessel, which is six-and-a-half years late, is due to be completed next week, perhaps as early as Monday, according to two well-placed industry sources.

Glen Sannox at Inchgreen in Greenock on November 6 | John Devlin/The Scotsman

The milestone in a saga that stretches back more than nine years comes a month after the latest of a long series of handover deadlines came and went.

Since the last announced completion date of mid-October passed, the Ferguson Marine shipyard has repeatedly refused to say when the ship would be ready.

However, after the ferry leaves the yard’s hands, it will still have to undergo six-and-a-half weeks of crew familiarisation trials by CalMac and 16 days of MoT-like annual maintenance before it can enter passenger service.

That total of some nine weeks suggests the vessel will not be carrying passengers on the west coast operator’s busiest route to Arran until mid-January at the earliest.

Glen Sannox will also have to operate on the longer route between Troon and Brodick because harbour upgrading at Ardrossan to accommodate it has still to be agreed, let alone built.

The ship is docked at Inchgreen in Greenock because there is not enough space at the Port Glasgow yard where sister vessel Glen Rosa is berthed and is due to be completed next September.

Glen Sannox will officially be handed over to Scottish Government ferry-owning firm Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, which ordered the two ships in 2015 for delivery of both in 2018.

A spokesperson for the yard said on Friday: “The position remains the same as advised earlier this week, that the handover date is not yet confirmed.

“It will be communicated to the [Scottish Parliament’s] Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee in the first instance, as per the agreed process.”