Relief ferry to join CalMac fleet from Orkney route

The MV Alfred is joining CalMac's west coast network for nine months

An extra ferry is expected to join the CalMac fleet, after safety inspectors have given the go-ahead for an older vessel to take its place.

Pentland Ferries' MV Alfred will join the state-owned firm for nine months.

The catamaran Pentalina will return to service on the Orkney to Caithness route to replace MV Alfred.

The Scottish government paid £9m to Pentland Ferries for the charter, after the CalMac fleet was hit by breakdowns and a shortage of capacity.

The loan of MV Alfred had been due to begin on Tuesday, but Pentland Ferries said a number of "issues" delayed the safety certificate for the return of Pentalina.

However on Wednesday it was granted a temporary passenger ship safety certificate (PSSC) by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), allowing it to carry passengers and vehicles.

The MCA said further inspections would be needed before a full safety certificate could be issued.

Managing director of Pentland Ferries, Helen Inkster, said Pentalina will arrive in Orkney on Thursday, after which the vessel will be prepared to return to service on the Pentland Firth route.

She said: "The dates for vessel changeover and the commencement of the charter of MV Alfred have not yet been set.

"We are working closely with CalMac Ferries on these arrangements. In the meantime, we would like to assure passengers that there will be no disruption to the Pentland Firth service."

A CalMac spokeswoman added: "We are working closely with them to finalise a date when MV Alfred can join our fleet."

Regular maintenance

MV Alfred, an 85m-long catamaran, was built in 2019 as a replacement for the Pentalina, which for many years operated across the Pentland Firth.

The £9m in government funding for the charter will cover berthing dues, fuel, commercial charter rate and other costs.

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.

It comes after two overdue CalMac ferries being built at the Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow have been delayed further.