List of ferries operated by Caledonian MacBrayne in Scotland
MV Argyle being prepared to enter service in 2007.
The Caledonian MacBrayne fleet is the largest fleet of car and passenger ferries in the United Kingdom, with 35 ferries in operation,[1] with one, MV Glen Sannox, currently undergoing crew familiarisation and harbour berthing trials ahead of being introduced into service.[2] A further 5 vessels are currently under construction for the fleet. The company provides lifeline services to 23 islands off the west coast of Scotland, as well as operating routes in the Firth of Clyde.
Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) vessels can be readily identified by their black hulls and white superstructures. They have red funnels with black caps that display the Lion Rampant badge with masts in buff. The fleet can be categorised into various groups. 31 of the vessels in operation, plus MV Glen Sannox, are owned by the asset holding company Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited which is in turn, like CalMac, wholly owned by the Scottish Government.[3] Two ferries, MV Ali Cat and MV Argyll Flyer, are directly owned by Caledonian MacBrayne, and a further two, MV Alfred and MV Chieftain, are on charter from other owners.
The first of two new dual-fuel ferries being built by Ferguson Marine Engineering, MV Glen Sannox, was handed over to CalMac on 21 November 2024. She is now undergoing crew familiarisation and harbour berthing trials, and is due to enter service on the Troon-Brodick route in early 2025.[2] The second dual-fuel ferry, MV Glen Rosa, was launched on 12 March 2024 and is expected to delivered by 31 May 2025.[6] See also ferry fiasco for the political controversies surrounding the construction of these units, which were much delayed in construction.
Four other identical new vessels, ordered in two batches, from Cemre Marin Endustri, Turkey are due to be delivered during 2025.[7][8]
The Loch class are a group of smaller vessels with a single car deck, running the length of the ship, with a ramp at each end. They vary in length from 30.2 to 54.27 m (99 ft 1 in to 178 ft 1 in). Most are symmetrical when viewed from the side, with no operational bow or stern. Passenger accommodation is down one or both sides of the ship. MV Loch Portain, MV Loch Buie and MV Loch Shira also have a lounge above the car deck. They operate on shorter crossings, usually between 5 and 30 minutes, although MV Loch Alainn, MV Loch Portain, and MV Loch Striven take 40, 60 and 55 minutes on their respective routes, Sound of Barra between Ardmhor and Eriskay, Sound of Harris between Berneray and Leverburgh, and Oban and Lismore.
The original four Loch class vessels were based on MV Isle of Cumbrae. At 30.2 m (99 ft 1 in) in length, they can carry 12 cars and 200 passengers.[4] The largest and newest, MV Loch Shira, is 54.27 by 13.90 m (178 ft 1 in by 45 ft 7 in) and can carry 32 cars and 250 passengers.[4] She was built for and has run on the Largs to Cumbrae route since 2007. A mere 7 cm (3 in) shorter, MV Loch Fyne and MV Loch Dunvegan were built for the Skye crossing. They were made redundant by the opening of the Skye Bridge and eventually found redeployment elsewhere after some time laid up.
Of similar design, but larger than the Loch class, MV Hallaig was launched in 2012 for the Raasay service. She is powered by a hybrid combination of batteries and a small diesel engine - a world first for a sea-going RO-RO vessel.[9] A second hybrid ferry, MV Lochinvar, was launched in May 2013 for the Tarbert to Portavadie route.[10] The third hybrid ferry, MV Catriona, was launched on 11 December 2015 and entered service on the Claonaig to Lochranza route in September 2016.[11]
CMAL are currently undergoing a design and tender process for new battery-powered Loch Class ferries. The first phase is expected to consist of seven vessels being delivered between 2025 and 2028. They will be 49.9m long and have the capacity for 24/25 cars and 150 passengers or 15/16 cars and 250 passengers, depending on the design and route they will be on. There will be another phase for the ferries that do longer journeys or have port or sea constraints; these will be assigned to the Sound of Barra, Sound of Harris, Oban - Lismore and Mallaig - Armadale crossings.[12][13]
Passenger-only vessels
MVs Argyll Flyer and Ali Cat
MV Argyll Flyer (244 passengers) and the catamaran MV Ali Cat (250 passengers) are passenger-only ferries used on the Gourock - Dunoon service. The ferries, formerly operated by Argyll Ferries, were acquired when that company was incorporated into Caledonian MacBrayne in January 2019.[14]Ali Cat, then owned by Solent and Wightline Cruises and chartered by CalMac from Red Funnel Line, entered service on the route in 2002.[15]MV Saturn last served Dunoon on 29 June 2011, and was then scheduled to operate the summer relief on the Arran crossing.[16] From 30 June 2011, the Gourock - Dunoon service was awarded on a passenger-only basis to the newly formed David MacBrayne Ltd subsidiary Argyll Ferries.[17] Argyll Ferries purchased Ali Cat and a former Irish boat renamed MV Argyll Flyer to serve the route. Argyll Flyer was not available for the start of the passenger-only service due to prop shaft problems. The company leased the cruise boat MV Clyde Clipper from Clyde Cruises to start the service, but she was out of service with engine problems for most of the first day.[18]
MV Carvoria is a 12-metre-long (39-foot) vessel used on the Kerrera service. She was built in 2017 by Malakoff Limited in Shetland. She is a bow loading vessel of similar design to the old Island Class vessels and can take twelve passengers and one car, although due to vehicle restrictions on Kerrera she rarely carries cars. She is the smallest vessel in the fleet.
MV Coruisk
MV Coruisk is a 65 m (213 ft) "sheltered water vessel", operating on the Mallaig to Armadale route in summer, and relieving on the Clyde in winter.[19] Her design allows her to make the crossing in reverse when sea conditions allow.[19]
MV Lochnevis is a highly specialised ship serving the Small Isles of Eigg, Canna, Rùm and Muck from Mallaig. She is 49.2 m (161 ft 5 in) long, and has capacity for 190 passengers. Her vehicle deck can accommodate up to 14 cars, but is empty on most sailings due to the lack of roads and vehicle restrictions on the Small Isles. She is instead used mostly for goods and vital equipment for the islands. Lochnevis has a surprisingly large vehicle ramp, which dominates her appearance.[20] This allows her to berth a considerable distance from slipways, protecting her exposed Azipod propulsion systems in shallow waters.
CalMac ferry Loch Frisa fitting out at LeithMV Loch Frisa
MV Loch Frisa is a former Norled ferry bought by Caledonian MacBrayne in 2021. She was built in 2015 as Utne and operated for Norled for 6 years. She is a double-ender ferry with passenger capacity for 195, and capacity for 40 cars, or 4 HGVs. She measures 50 m (164 ft 1 in) long by 14.5 m (47 ft 7 in) metres wide.[21][22] Following a naming competition, CMAL announced renaming as MV Loch Frisa.[23]
MV Alfred
MV Alfred is a 84.5 m (277 ft) catamaran ferry chartered from Pentland Ferries.[24] She can carry 98 cars and 430 passengers. She operated as the second summer vessel on the Ardrossan - Brodick route from May to September 2023. Berthing trials at Stornoway[25] in October 2023 were unsuccessful and she underwent bow thruster repairs before returning to Arran, allowing Caledonian Isles to carry out berthing trials at Islay, Colonsay, Mull, Coll & Tiree. Her charter was extended by 6 months on 6 November 2023 to last until 21 August 2024.[26] During November and December, due to a technical issue with MV Loch Portain, Alfred provided a service between Tarbert and Lochmaddy.[27] She then partnered Isle of Arran on the Arran service during Caledonian Isles' overhaul. In July 2024, it was announced that the charter had been extended for a further six months until March 2025.[28]
The Wemyss Bay to Rothesay route is operated by two vessels, built in Poland, MV Bute (delivered in spring 2005) and MV Argyle, which entered service in 2007. There was much controversy following the decision to award the shipbuilding contracts to yards outside Scotland.[29] Their introduction into service was delayed by pier work to install an end-loading linkspan, allowing full ro-ro operation.[29]
There are currently five "major vessels" under construction for the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet. The second of the two dual fuel ferries under construction by Ferguson Marine Engineering, MV Glen Rosa, is expected to be delivered in September 2025.[32]
A £91 million contract to build two ferries for the Islay service was awarded to Cemre Shipyard in Turkey in March 2022.[33][34] The first steel for two ferries was cut at a ceremony in Turkey in October 2022,[35] with the second vessel's being done in January 2023, in the same week as the first vessel's keel was laid. In May 2023, the same week as the second vessel's keel was laid, it was announced that these ferries would be named MV Isle of Islay and MV Loch Indaal.[36][37]Isle of Islay is expected to be delivered by the first quarter of 2025, with the second vessel following in the second quarter of 2025.[7] In October 2022 it was announced that two further vessels would be built to a very similar specification as the ferries under construction for Islay. CMAL signed a contract in January 2023 for Cemre Shipyard to also build the two ferries, which would allow a dedicated, peak season services to Tarbert and Lochmaddy from Uig and provide additional resilience in the fleet.[38] The two Uig vessels will be named MV Claymore and MV Lochmor.[39][40] All apart from the first vessel being built in Turkey has a raised aft mooring deck due to the higher piers on the Uig Triangle.[41]
As the new major vessels come into service, it is expected that a number of vessels will be withdrawn, although one is to be retained as a "resilience vessel" to cover for breakdowns elsewhere in the fleet.[42]MV Hebridean Isles was withdrawn from service on 17 November 2024.[43] CalMac have indicated that MV Isle of Lewis and MV Isle of Mull are next most likely vessels to be disposed of, however this initial assessment remains under review, and is subject to change.[44]
MV Hebridean Isles was a ro-ro vehicle ferry that was operated by Caledonian MacBrayne on the west coast of Scotland. She was the first MacBrayne vessel to be ordered and built for them outside Scotland and the first to be launched sideways. With bow, stern and side ramps, Hebridean Isles was suitable for all the routes served by the large fleet units. After 15 years crossing the Little Minch on the Uig triangle, she served Islay and Colonsay before being retired in November 2024, after almost 40 years of service.[43]
The former Clyde ferries, MV Jupiter, MV Juno and MV Saturn had provided the Dunoon and Rothesay services for the best part of 35 years. They were nicknamed the "streakers", because of their speed and ability to manoeuvre rapidly both at sea and in port. Juno and Jupiter were withdrawn from service in 2010, and by June 2011 Juno had been broken up at Rosneath,[50] meanwhile Jupiter was sold to breakers in Denmark for recycling in that month.[51]
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