The long-delayed CalMac ferry Glen Rosa has been successfully launched at the Ferguson shipyard on the River Clyde
There were cheers as the vessel entered the water after a brief pause due to high winds during the ceremony
The ship was officially named by former apprentice Beth Atkinson
The construction of the Glen Rosa and its sister ship Glen Sannox have been plagued by design challenges and cost overruns
Glen Sannox is due for delivery this summer after beginning sea trials in February, with Glen Rosa to follow in September next year
The final delivery bill for both ferries is likely to be four times the original estimate of £97m
That's all from our live coverage of the launch of the Glen Rosa ferry.
The editor was Paul McLaren and the writers were Calum Watson, Ashleigh Keenan-Bryce and James Delaney.
Thanks for being with us.
MV Glen Rosa takes to the water for the first time
If you're just catching up on today's events, MV Glen Rosa has been officially launched at the Ferguson Marine shipyard on the River Clyde.
The long-delayed vessel was piped into the water to a rendition of the Skye Boat Song more than nine years after it was ordered by the Scottish government.
Beth Atkinson, a former apprentice at the yard, officially named the ship after shattering a bottle of specially-created whisky against its hull following a short delay due to blustery conditions.
Crowds braved the wind and rain to see the boat take to the water for the first time, six years after it was initially scheduled.
Following a successful "dynamic" launch, MV Glen Rosa is towed to the quayside by two tugs.
The next phase of fitting out the ship will now begin.
Today is a proud day for Ferguson shipwright Andrew Cochrane, who retires after 51 years in shipbuilding on the Clyde.
The 66-year-old began working in the long-gone Scotts yard in nearby Greenock when he was aged 15.
Over his career he has witnessed nearly 100 launches.
"I'm always proud - and I'm proud of this one because it's my last one," he says
"It's the camaraderie amongst the boys - the pride once you see the ship leaving the slipway and going into the water."
He hopes this will not be the last traditional launch at Ferguson's, and that the yard gets the work and investment needed to secure its future.
"This yard can prove itself once again because they're a great bunch of workers in here."
Stuart McMillan prior to the launch of MV Glen Rosa
Stuart McMillan played a rendition of the Skye Boat Song as the ship eased its way down the slipway and into the water.
His father was a worker at Ferguson Marine and the Greenock and Inverclyde MSP has piped at several big Scottish government occasions.
And there you have it - the Glen Rosa has been officially launched.
It's been a long and controversial journey but, with the ceremonial smashing of a whisky bottle, a six-year wait is over and the ship slides into the River Clyde.
Former apprentice Beth Atkinson steps forward to name the ship and...
We have waited a long time for this... what is a few more minutes?
The windy conditions, jokingly described as "tornado season" by Ferguson boss John Petticrew, mean we have a short delay before the vessel hits the water.
The pilots charged with guiding the ship are not quite happy with the weather at the moment.
Two tugs in the water have to effectively catch the ship after it launches and the current blustery conditions mean that cannot be done safely.
As soon as the winds drops a little, we should be back on track.
Mairi McAllan, the Scottish government's cabinet secretary for wellbeing economy, tells the gathered crowd she had epared a long speech but it is "far too wet and windy" to read it all and instead chooses to speak "briefly, from the heart".
She adds: "It is an absolute pleasure to join you today on the picturesque banks of the River Clyde."
She thanks the Ferguson Marine workers and the people of Inverclyde, saying the Scottish government stood with them during nationalisation and stands with them now.
Excitement is building at Ferguson Marine as MV Glen Rosa prepares for launch.
It is a big day for the people of Inverclyde who have seen the ship and Glen Sannox being built.
The launch ways and a restraining shore which is one of the last to be removed
The ship is built in sections, then joined together on the slipway, supported by keel blocks, bilge blocks, wedges and "shores" - heavy lengths of timber.
During construction, launch ways are also built either side of the keel which will serve as runners, guiding the ship into the water.
They are in two parts - the standing ways which remain static and the sliding ways which move with the ship, aided by 15 barrels of grease and 10 barrels of tallow.
As launch day approaches, the shores and wedges are removed until the ship rests entirely on the launch ways.
A stout metal pin holds the dagger in place.
All that stops the ship from moving now are a pair of "daggers" - hinged steel levers held in place by steel pins.
When the shipwrights hear the bottle smash, the pins are pulled away, the daggers drop - and the ship begins its first short journey into the water.
While we're gearing up for the Glen Rosa's big moment, here's a chance to take a look back at some of the iconic ship launches on Glasgow's River Clyde.
The sight of ships gliding into the water from their yards has becoming increasingly rare, with other methods now favoured by shipbuilders.
Calum Watson
at the Ferguson Marine shipyard
Ships are traditionally named with the ritual of a bottle being smashed into the hull.
Often it is champagne, though in Scotland whisky is sometimes used.
Some vessels destined for India have previously been launched at Ferguson's by smashing a coconut, in accordance with Hindu traditions.
For Glen Rosa, a specially-bottled whisky provided for the launch by Ardgowan Distillery will be dressed in ribbons for the ceremony.
Image source, Ferguson MarineShips are usually launched in the UK by a woman - the "lady sponsor" - who becomes the ship's godmother.
Glen Rosa will have no sponsor, but will be named by newly-qualified welder Beth Atkinson, joined on the podium by four female apprentices.
At a previous launch at Ferguson's in 2005 the bottle failed to smash - so was despatched with the aid of a sledgehammer.
Some regard that as bad luck - and the glass is usually scored to ensure it breaks.
Once the official ceremony gets under way, the political dignitaries and Ferguson Marine officials will be joined on stage by five current and former apprentices who have worked on the Glen Rosa project.
Beth Atkinson, 28, in the royal blue hat, will be the one to shatter a specially-created bottle of whisky on the ship's hull to officially launch the Glen Rosa into the Clyde.
The welder will be joined by fellow qualified apprentices Kirsty Graham, 25, Jennifer Mackay, 28, and Rachel McLaughlin, 26.
Current apprentice Teigan McShane, 19, will also be on stage for the ceremony.
If you're just joining us, we are counting down to the launch of the second of two long-awaited CalMac ferries from the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow.
MV Glen Rosa and its sister ship Glen Sannox are the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel ships ever built in the UK, capable of switching between LNG and marine diesel.
The ships have faced significant design challenges while being built at the Scottish government-owned shipyard, resulting in lengthy delays and extra costs.
Glen Rosa will be the heaviest vessel ever to leave the slipway at Ferguson's and once launched this afternoon will require more than a year of fitting out work before it is ready for delivery.
The ship is destined to sail the Ardrossan to Brodick route, serving the Isle of Arran.
Image source, PA MediaScottish government minister Mairi McAllan will speak at the launch
Previous landmark events in the construction process have attracted First Ministers Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon to Ferguson's.
That's not quite the case this time, but there will be a few political big guns alongside the more traditional elements of a seafaring launch.
We can expect speeches from the Scottish government's wellbeing economy secretary, Mairi McAllan, and Ferguson Marine’s interim boss, John Petticrew, who replaced the sacked David Tydeman last week.
The Glen Rosa will then be blessed by Rev William Boyle, minister at St Andrew’s Church of Scotland, prior to the official naming.
That honour will fall to welder Beth Atkinson, who completed her apprenticeship at the yard during the Glen Rosa’s construction.
It will be anchors away at about 12:45 when the party is piped in to the ceremony by Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Stuart McMillan, whose father previously worked at the yard.
We are expecting the speeches to get under way shortly after 13:00, with the boat splashing into the Clyde about 45 minutes later.
Workers are bringing down the last pieces of scaffolding from the ship
The final few bits of scaffolding are coming off the MV Glen Rosa now ahead of its launch.
Once that gear comes down, we should be about ready to get on with preparing for the ship to hit the water.
Incidentally, we are almost exactly eight years on from the first pieces of steel for the two vessels being cut. That happened on 7 April 2016 - a full 2,924 days ago.
To put that in perspective, Britain was still in the EU, Barack Obama was still the president of the United States and Scotland's men's national football team were still waiting for a first major tournament qualification since 1998.
Calum Watson
at the Ferguson Marine shipyard
With less than one hour until the launch of MV Glen Rosa, crowds have started to gather at the gates of Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow.
The huge line of onlookers is now snaking around the front of the yard almost 500ft to nearby Newark Castle as the spectators wait for the front gates to open.
