A significant chunk of the CalMac ferry fleet is currently out of action, with the repair yard so full of CalMac vessels that ferries are berthed elsewhere in Scotland, waiting for space to open up.

There are presently ten vessels over 80 metres in length in the CalMac fleet.

Those are the MV Isle of Arran, MV Hebridean Isles, MV Isle of Mull, MV Lord of the Isles, MV Caledonian Isles, MV Isle of Lewis, MV Clansman, MV Hebrides, MV Finlaggan, and MV Loch Seaforth. These vessels usually operate on longer crossings, with high passenger numbers.

However, of those ten, MV Isle of Lewis, MV Clansman, MV Caledonian Isles and the MV Hebridean Isles are currently out of action due to technical issues.

When I visited the James Watt Dock in Greenock where the ships are repaired today, CalMac vessels MV Isle of Lewis, MV Caledonian Isles and MV Loch Fyne were at the dock undergoing repair work. In addition, the MV Clansman is currently at the King George V dock in Glasgow, waiting for space at the James Watt dock in Greenock.

Speaking to me on condition of anonymity, I was told by someone in the industry:

“We have a situation where almost half of the larger vessels in the fleet are out of service, it’s concerning to say the least. It is unfortunate that one of our oldest vessels, the 38-year-old MV Hebridean Isles, had to be removed from service due to persistent issues. This has resulted in the suspension of a vital freight service to the island of Arran, which heavily relies on these services for essential supplies. The fleet is knackered, to be honest.”

In recent weeks, technical issues have impacted the remainder of the larger vessels in the fleet to varying degrees.

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