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Arran ferry switches to Troon amid wind warnings

River Clyde Photography MV Isle of ArranRiver Clyde Photography
MV Isle of Arran was able to successfully berth at Troon during a trial

CalMac has switched its main Arran ferry sailing from Ardrossan to Troon for four days as strong winds are forecast.

Ferries struggle to dock at Ardrossan's main berth when the wind blows from the east, and an alternative berth has been permanently closed for safety reasons.

Following trials, MV Isle of Arran will temporarily sail between Troon and Brodick from Thursday until Sunday.

Due to port limitations, Troon sailings will take pre-booked customers only.

The Ardrossan-Brodick route is the main ferry crossing linking Arran to the mainland but it faced the prospect of major disruption after the emergency closure of Ardrossan's Irish berth last month following safety inspections.

Ardrossan's owner Peel Ports said increased use had led to more wear an tear, and it has since announced the closure is permanent.

CalMac had been using the chartered the catamaran Alfred to bolster services but it was only able to use the Irish berth, leaving the 40-year-old Isle of Arran as the sole ship providing passengers services from Ayrshire to Arran.

River Clyde Photography Alfred at the Irish BerthRiver Clyde Photography
The Irish Berth was the only one at Ardrossan suitable for the catamaran MV Alfred

The main berth at Ardrossan, the Arran berth, is susceptible to bad weather and CalMac had warned of possible disruption to services in the coming days.

But after a trial on Wednesday, the ferry operator announced that passenger sailings could now continue using Troon, about 20 miles further south, as an alternative harbour.

MV Isle of Arran will make three return sailings a day while MV Alfred will continue to operate freight-only sailings from Troon.

Robbie Drummond, chief executive of CalMac, said: "We welcome the news that Troon is suitable for MV Isle of Arran as this means that, despite the forecast poor weather conditions, we can continue to run services between Brodick and the mainland.

"As the Irish berth has been closed and the Arran berth is unusable during poor weather, we now have another alternative port available if required.

"We realise that this change of port may be disruptive to some of our customers, but we are committed to maintaining vital ferry links to and from Arran, even if this means temporary changes such as this. Any traffic carrying essential supplies will be prioritised during this temporary change."

CalMac has criticised a lack of investment at Ardrossan which was earmarked for a multi-million pound redevelopment six years ago.

Last summer Transport Scotland paused the plans after projected costs rose sharply, and the results of a review are expected shortly.

The cost of redevelopment was due to be met partly by Peel Ports, but also with public money from North Ayrshire Council and the Scottish government.