Yesterday afternoon in the Scottish Parliament, I raised the delays to repairs on the MV Caledonian Isles – the main vessel serving the Brodick – Ardrossan route.
The vessel departed for its annual overhaul in January and was set to return to service in March. However, last week CalMac announced that significant steel renewal and repair work was required on the 31-year-old vessel. The estimated cost of the repairs is in the region of £5m.
With the departure of the MV Alfred for its annual overhaul, the MV Isle of Arran is currently the sole ferry operating out of Brodick.
The loss of the vessel before the start of summer has caused a wave of anxiety in Arran and beyond. I was pleased to hear the Scottish Government be clear that more capacity has to be in place for the Easter holidays. Brodick – Ardrossan is CalMac’s busiest route with businesses across the island reliant on tourism. Now, more than ever, they need certainty.
Watch by clicking on the above graphic.
