CalMac ferry built in Turkey gets March launch date
- Published
An artist's impression of the new Isle of Islay ferry
The first of four ferries being built in Turkey for Scotland's west coast routes will be launched on 16 March, ferry owner CMAL has announced.
The MV Isle of Islay is then scheduled to arrive in Scotland in October this year and will serve Islay and Jura.
The four ferries for CalMac routes are being built at the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Yalovan.
The work comes amidst continued frustration among island communities at the state of west coast services.
Two late and over-budget ferries being built at the nationalised Ferguson Marine yard in Inverclyde, which were due to launch this spring, could face a further two-month delay.
The Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa now have a price tag of at least £360m - compared to an initial estimate of £97m - for their construction at the yard in Port Glasgow.
The four new ferries are due to be delivered as planned
The Scottish Conservatives have described the potential delivery of Turkish-built vessels before those built on the Clyde as "an astonishing humiliation for the SNP's original ferries strategy".
The Isle of Islay's Turkish-built sister ship, Loch Indaal, is estimated to be ready by February 2025. Both vessels will have capacity for up to 450 passengers and 100 cars.
They will be followed by MV Claymore and MV Lochmor in June and October next year.
Jim Anderson, director of vessels at CMAL, said the announcement of the Isle of Islay's launch in March marked a "major milestone" in its commitment to providing new ferries for islanders.
He said: "Work at the Cemre shipyard continues to progress well, with the project coming in on time and on budget."
'Modern ferry service'
Transport minister Fiona Hyslop said delivering six new vessels to serve Scotland's ferry network by 2026 was a priority for the Scottish government.
She added: "People will welcome a more resilient and modern ferry service for Islay and Jura, and further vessels will soon bring similar and highly-anticipated improvements for island communities across Scotland."
However, Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson said: "While this is great news for islanders, it is an astonishing humiliation for the SNP's original ferries strategy, which still hasn't delivered two vessels that are six years late and hugely over budget.
"I predicted that when the Turkish shipyard was awarded the contract to build the ferries that they may well be ready before the ill-fated ones being built at the Ferguson yard. That is, sadly, turning out to be the case."