CalMac ‘profoundly sorry’ for ferry disruption amid ‘unprecedented’ challenges

Ferry disruption has hit “virtually every island” served by a major CalMac vessel, the company’s chief executive has admitted.

CalMac boss Duncan Mackison said the state-owned ferry operator is currently dealing with “an unprecedented level of challenges” across its network, adding it is “profoundly sorry” for the situation.

Those difficulties include the Glen Sannox ferry – which only entered service last year between Troon and Brodick on the island of Arran – needing repairs.

It has been taken out of service until Tuesday to try to “permanently resolve” an issue with the exhaust, with CalMac saying its aim now is to get “services back to planned levels ahead of and during the upcoming Easter weekend and holidays”.

CalMac staff are also said to be “doing their utmost” to ensure the Isle of Islay – the first of four new ferries built in Turkey for the operator – can enter service.

It may be able to start a phased service on Monday or Tuesday of next week, carrying out additional sailings alongside the existing Finlaggan vessel.

The Isle of Arran is also out of service as a result of an issue with its fire suppression system.

A CalMac incident management team will be on hand over the weekend to support local teams in managing services and vessel repairs, the ferry firm added.

The disruption has impacted sailings to Arran, while Mull and Islay both have just a single vessel serving them, with services also reduced for Barra and South Uist.

Mr Mackison said although two vessels, the Caledonian Isles and Coruisk have returned the service, the operator is “still dealing with an unprecedented level of challenges on our network”.

He added: “This disruption is affecting virtually every island served by a major vessel and we are profoundly sorry for that.

“We are doing what we can to restore these services as quickly as possible.”

He added progress is being made with “snagging issues” on the Isle of Islay, while the Glen Sannox has been taken off service until Tuesday “to try and permanently resolve the exhaust issue”.

The CalMac boss said: “Our aim is to get services back to planned levels ahead of and during the upcoming Easter weekend and holidays, and we’ll continue to keep island communities informed of our efforts to do so.”

Liberal Democrat West of Scotland MSP Jamie Greene accused the SNP Government of “wreaking never-ending havoc for islanders, coastal communities and business along the west coast”.

He branded the situation “an out-and-out disgrace”, adding: “With Easter and summer just around the corner, island tourism is wholly reliant on ferries which run, but the SNP have thrown the network into permanent chaos.

“For this failure alone, the SNP do not deserve a single vote in island or rural Scotland.”

Scottish Labour transport spokesman Daniel Johnson was also critical of the Scottish Government, saying: “Once again island communities have been plunged into chaos as Scotland’s ageing ferry fleet struggles to cope with breakdowns.

“The SNP’s ferry fiasco has become a symbol of SNP incompetence in Government.

“Island communities have been badly failed, local economies have been held back, hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayer money has been wasted, and skilled Scottish shipyard workers have been badly let down.

“Despite years of mismanagement and immeasurable damage, no-one in this SNP Government has been held accountable for the catalogue of failures that led here – it is a scandal.”