New delay to CalMac ferry for Arran a 'catastrophe', says island group

Further construction delays to two CalMac ferries have been branded a "catastrophe" by islanders on Arran.

The Glen Sannox, which will serve the island, will now not be finished at Ferguson Marine shipyard until the autumn, rather than May of this year.

A second ferry, known as Hull 802, had been due for hand over in March 2024 but will be delayed to later that year.

Sally Campbell, of the Arran Ferry Action Group, said anxiety over lost business and visitor numbers was high.

Most islanders were "dumbfounded" at the latest setback, she told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme.

"It's an absolute disgrace," she said.

"We're really no nearer knowing when Glen Sannox, the new ferry for Arran, will be delivered or the final cost to the taxpayer.

"In the words of the [Scottish government's] RECC (Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee) some time ago, this is undeniably a catastrophe."

On Thursday, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said "persistent design gaps and build errors" meant progress had been "slower than planned" for the Glen Sannox.

He also announced an additional £6m would be allocated to help complete the two ferries.

That was on top of the £15m of extra funding for the Ferguson Marine shipyard already provided by the Scottish government this financial year.

The ferries are already five years behind schedule, with the cost of the project three times more than the original £97m budget.

Ms Campbell also expressed her anger that £87,000 in bonuses had been paid to six senior managers at the nationalised shipyard between 2019 and 2022, despite a failure to hand over the vessels.

CalMac's existing ferry fleet is ageing and the need for regular maintenance and repairs has caused disruption for travel to and from the mainland.

"We have a near 40-year-old boat, half the size of our usual vessel operating on the route, placing extreme limits on what comes and goes to Arran," Ms Campbell added.

"There is a lot of anxiety, a lot of lost business, visitors are uncertain [about coming]."

Ms Campbell said she was "very sceptical" whether the latest timetable outlined by Mr Swinney for delivering the Glen Sannox would be met.

"I personally feel the chance of it arriving in the autumn is slim," she added.

"Will it be here? We could place bets on 2024 for Glen Sannox rather than late '23.

"We're facing a real crisis on the island. Uncertainty, fear, anxiety."

In his statement to MSPs, Mr Swinney said he had expressed the government's "great disappointment" to the shipyard's chief executive, David Tydeman, about the latest delay.

He said the "challenges and legacy issues" faced by Fergusons could not be underestimated but that "substantial progress" had been made since Mr Tydeman's appointment last February.

Mr Tydeman had insisted that the Glen Sannox was "coming to life" following a successful spell in dry dock, with its main engines, propellers, generators and radar working, Mr Swinney said.

It was due to have a "sustained testing and sea trials period to help ensure a smooth entry into service later this year," he added, with the yard aiming to deliver both vessels sooner than the dates outlined.

The Ferguson shipyard in Inverclyde has been in public hands since 2019.