MV Isle of Arran to cover Ullapool-Stornoway freight ferry sailings amid continued breakdown of MV Loch Seaforth, CalMac confirms
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FURTHER changes are being made to ferry sailings over the Minch in response to the continued breakdown of the MV Loch Seaforth.
The ferry, which operates on the Ullapool-Stornoway crossing, is out of action until at least the end of April after one of its engines failed.
The MV Isle of Lewis has been drafted in on its old route as a temporary replacement.
But from Wednesday evening onwards, it will be joined by the MV Isle of Arran, which will be doing the overnight freight runs between Ullapool and Stornoway.
The Isle of Lewis had been doing this alongside its day sailings, but CalMac has now revealed it is "unable to continue to do this as it cannot maintain three return crossings in 24 hours due to crew availability". It will continue to operate the day services, however.
Specialist engineers are continuing to work on the Loch Seaforth engines in Greenock and "she will be back in service as soon as possible".
The arrival of the MV Isle of Arran, and continued operation of the MV Isle of Lewis, has resulted in travel headaches for communities in Argyll and Ayrshire.
The Isle of Arran's use in the Minch mean that only one vessel will be serving the Ardrossan-Brodick route to Arran from April 29 (the MV Caledonian Isles) until a timescale for repairs has been confirmed. Additional capacity is being provided by doubling up sailings on the Claonaig-Lochranza route during this time – but this will mean lengthy detours and/or multiple ferry crossings for those motorists forced to go via that route.
Passengers who have already booked sailings between Ardrossan and Brodick during this period will be offered alternative sailings as a priority.
The ferry service to Campbeltown, which was set to restart on April 29, has also been suspended to accommodate the redeployment of vessels elsewhere.
These changes were made by using a route prioritisation process which allows CalMac to move ferries around to where demand is most needed when there is extra pressure on the network.
CalMac added that the possibility of hiring another vessel on a temporary basis had been explored but "none are available at short notice".
Robbie Drummond, managing director of CalMac, said: “It is vital that a freight service is provided on the Stornoway-Ullapool route and this movement of vessels is necessary to provide this.
“This situation is far from ideal, and we apologise for how these changes will affect passengers. We will endeavour to offer alternative sailings to everyone who has already booked tickets between Ardrossan and Brodick.
"We know how disruptive this will be for customers and we will keep everyone informed of any further developments. Thank you for your patience at this time."
For further information, visit calmac.co.uk.
Related news: Engine failure sparks removal of MV Loch Seaforth from CalMac's Ullapool-Stornoway service 'until at least the end of April'
