Scottish island hit with yet another ferry repairs blow as vessel delayed again

Arran islanders desperate for the return of ferry sailings from Ardrossan have been dealt a further blow after CalMac announced that completion of repairs to Caledonian Isles would be delayed again until the end of May.

The island’s official ferry committee said the “shocking” news would “undoubtedly cause further economic and reputational damage”.

CalMac also announced on Thursday that its Hebrides ferry, which operates between Skye, Harris and North Uist, would return from annual maintenance more than two weeks late on April 22 - causing prolonged disruption to the routes.

Caledonian Isles has been undergoing repairs since January 2024 | John Devlin/The Scotsman

The further one-month setback for Caledonian Isles means the 32-year-old vessel will be out of action for an unprecedented 16 months, with sailings to Brodick continuing only from Troon until it returns.

That route - operated by new ferry Glen Sannox and chartered catamaran Alfred - involves longer sailings and there is no railway station at the South Ayrshire port, unlike Ardrossan in North Ayrshire.

CalMac said it was “confident this will be the final delay” because extensive steel repairs, which have been repeatedly extended, had now been completed and there were no signs of further structural problems. The company said it was confident the “root cause” of steelwork being bent out of shape had been “resolved”, but declined to provide details.

The Scottish Government-owned operator said the ferry would remain in dock “to allow additional machining on the intermediate shafts to be completed”. The extra work has pushed the estimated total repair cost from £8.5 million to £10.8m.

Caledonian Isles' shafts which need repairs | CalMac

It said the need for the extra work had only just become apparent, with the shafts being sent to a specialist firm in Denmark, which were due to be returned in the week of April 14.

CalMac said the ship was due to leave dock late this month, which would be followed by two to three weeks for alignment, recommissioning and sea trials before it re-entered service.

Alfred owner Pentland Ferries has agreed to increase the catamaran’s crew so the vessel can boost its passenger capacity from 230 to 428 from Friday until Caledonian Isles returns to service. Several recent sailings have been fully booked.

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CalMac chief executive Duncan Mackison said: “We know Caledonian Isles’ ongoing absence has caused significant disruption on Arran and the wider network, and that’s why we’ve taken steps to ensure that when she returns, she provides a resilient and reliable service.

“The now-completed extensive steel repairs have been subject to rigorous inspections and we’re confident the root cause of the steel deformation has been resolved, with no further signs of deformation.

“The shafts have been subject to thorough checks from engine to propeller, and any issues identified and remedied as we go. We’re in regular contact with Arran’s ferry committee and want to reassure the local community that we expect Caledonian Isles back soon.”

Meantime, CalMac said Hebrides needed an extra six days of work to its bow visor and stern ramp, forcing continued knock-on effects from the redeployment of ferries from other routes.

Hebrides with bow visor removed | CalMac

The operator said that could have been avoided if the completion of the first of four vessels being built in Turkey, Isle of Islay, had not been delayed.

Mr Mackison said: “I know that this delay will cause our customers even more inconvenience and I apologise for this. This situation has been compounded by the delays, which we know are due to issues outside of anyone’s control, with the delivery of Isle of Islay to service Islay.

“If the new vessel had been with us on time, we’d have had an additional major vessel in the fleet for a large part of winter and would not need to deploy Isle of Arran or Lord of the Isles to Islay during Finlaggan’s overhaul.

“I would like to thank communities and customers for their understanding and patience during this latest period of disruption, and we will continue to provide the best service possible to our customers using the vessels we have available.”

Bill Calderwood, secretary of the Arran Ferry Committee, which represents passengers, said: “We are very disappointed to get this shocking news now which will undoubtedly cause further economic and reputational damage for the island.

“This will seriously restrict our capacity to travel and effectively remove more than 120 sailings from our timetable at a time when we would expect to see numbers increased.

“CalMac urgently needs to review how this capacity can be recovered.”

Scottish Conservatives transport spokesperson Sue Webber said: “This is a double blow for islanders who are desperate for these crucial vessels to return to service.

“It is astonishing that after spending an eye-watering amount of taxpayers’ money on trying to repair the Caledonian Isles, it will remain out of action until the end of May at least.

“With another crucial service also out of action longer than expected, islanders are being betrayed yet again. The timing couldn’t be worse, with the school holidays right round the corner.

“SNP ministers presiding over this ferry fiasco cannot continue to shirk responsibility. They must pull out the stops and ensure that there are no further delays in getting them back into service as soon as possible.”

West Scotland Labour MSP Katy Clark said: "This further delay of the Caledonian Isles threatens the service to Arran and leaves islanders without a vital ferry service from Ardrossan harbour.

"The Cabinet Secretary for Transport [Fiona Hyslop] must urgently intervene and ensure a second vessel is available for the Arran service for the busy Easter period.”