Summary

  • 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

Live Reporting

Edited by Paul McLaren

  1. View from on board the Glen Rosa ahead of launch

    Morgan Spence
    BBC Scotland video producer on board MV Glen Rosa

    View from on board MV Glen Rosa

    I’ve donned my red overalls and hard hat to board the Glen Rosa to install cameras on its bow and bridge.

    Even though it’s about to be launched, the vessel is still very much under construction - it’s expected she will require more than a year of fitting-out work before welcoming passengers.

    Ferguson Marine engineers who have built the ship are about to gather on its open deck.

    Interior view of MV Glen Rosa
    View of River Clyde from deck of MV Glen Rosa
    Interior view of the MV Glen Rosa
    Interior view of MV Glen Rosa
  2. Analysis

    What happened after nationalisation?

    Calum Watson
    at the Ferguson Marine shipyard

    Tim Hair

    Tim Hair was paid £2,500 a day as turnaround director

    A government-appointed fixer, Tim Hair - who was paid a daily rate of £2,500 - swiftly dispensed with Mr McColl's design consultants and hired a firm based in Romania instead.

    Mr Hair eventually left in early 2022 after the workforce became concerned at the high number of consultants and managers being appointed and threatened a vote of no confidence.

    His successor David Tydeman recently described how the designers appointed by Mr Hair sent 27,000 drawings to the yard during lockdown when there were few people around to check them.

    He estimates that 50% of the extra costs occurred after government nationalisation.

    Mr Tydeman was more popular with the workforce, and credited with steadying the proverbial ship - but he was himself sacked by the Ferguson board two weeks ago after he indicated there might be a further delay with Glen Sannox.

    The board says it was concerned about his performance, and the Scottish government insists it had nothing to do with the decision.

  3. Analysis

    Why have these ferries taken so long to build?

    Calum Watson
    BBC Scotland News

    Jim McColl and Nicola SturgeonPA Media

    Jim McColl and Nicola Sturgeon at the launch of Glen Sannox

    That's a hotly contested topic.

    The contract was awarded to Ferguson's in 2015, a year after it had been rescued from administration by businessman Jim McColl just before the previous year's independence referendum.

    The government-owned ferries procurement body CMAL claims it then all went wrong due to "catastrophic contractor failure".

    Mr McColl claims he was handed a poisoned chalice by CMAL which, he says, put a poorly-specified concept design out to tender, then made repeated requests for design changes.

    In order to hit production - and payment - milestones, steel fabrication went ahead without a settled design in place.

    The dual fuel LNG propulsion system, while an established technology, also caused problems for the design team who struggled to find ways of fitting in the extra equipment to the satisfaction of UK regulators.

    The yard was also undergoing an extensive modernisation programme which made for difficult working conditions as buildings were demolished and rebuilt.

    Mr McColl's claim for extra costs - and requests for an independent technical review - were rejected by CMAL which insisted there was no contractual reason for it to pay any more.

    The stalemate saw the yard fall back into administration in 2019 - and it was subsequently nationalised.

  4. What is so significant about the Glen Rosa launch?

    Glen RosaRiver Clyde Photography

    The Glen Rosa launch should mark the beginning of the end of the long-running and controversial CalMac ferry construction at Ferguson’s shipyard.

    Originally the ferry operator was due to take control of the vessel in August 2018, but after many delays that will not now happen until September 2025 at the earliest.

    Its sister ship, the Glen Sannox, is due to be delivered later this summer.

    However, there is a greater significance to the Glen Rosa launch.

    Ferguson's currently has no new ship orders, and is waiting to hear if it has secured the contract for a fleet of smaller CalMac vessels.

    In addition, the traditional "dynamic" launch method - which will be used for the Glen Rosa - has fallen out of favour with many shipyards.

    It means this could well be the final time a ship of this size is launched down a slipway into the Clyde.

  5. Welcome

    Glen Rosa

    Good morning and welcome to our coverage of the launch of Glen Rosa on the River Clyde from the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow.

    It’s the first time the long-delayed vessel - the second of two CalMac ships built at the yard under a contract awarded by the Scottish government in 2015 - will hit the water.

    Beth Atkinson, a qualified welder who completed her apprenticeship at the yard, will smash a bottle of whisky to officially name and launch the vessel at about 13:30.

    You can follow all the live coverage and analysis here with us.