Campbeltown-Ardrossan ferry route axed for whole summer in CalMac rejig
- Published
MV Caledonian Isles will be out of action until at least June for repairs to steelwork
CalMac has announced its Campbeltown-Ardrossan service will be cancelled for the entire summer.
It is a summer only service and was also scrapped last year when the MV Hebridean Isles was out of service.
The operator confirmed new vessel deployment plans while a major ship remains out of action for repairs.
The ferry operator revealed last month that MV Caledonian Isles, the main ship on the Arran route, would not be back in service until June at the earliest.
Services to Arran will be maintained using a chartered catamaran sailing from Troon, and MV Isle of Arran operating out of Ardrossan.
CalMac said it hoped the Arran plans would be able to meet capacity but warned that some customers might not be able to book at their preferred sailing time during busier periods.
It will run a bus service to and from Troon for passengers using the catamaran MV Alfred, which is no longer able to operate from Ardrossan since the port's Irish Berth was closed for safety reasons. MV Alfred will return to Troon from 12 March.
The need for extended repairs to the steelwork on MV Caledonian Isles - which involves removing its engines - has also had a knock-on effect on other west coast ferry routes.
Islay will be served by MV Finlaggan and MV Hebridean Isles, with MV Lord of the Isles providing cover for Finlaggan when it undergoes its annual maintenance after Easter.
MV Alfred will serve the Arran route but it can no longer operate from Ardrossan's Irish Berth, pictured, which has been closed for safety reasons
Another option is also being investigated to improve capacity. Subject to berthing trials, MV Isle of Lewis could be redeployed to the Little Minch routes, freeing up MV Hebrides to be deployed to boost Arran services.
CalMac said summer timetables were being finalised and would be published shortly.
Robbie Drummond, chief executive of CalMac, said: "The deployment plan we chosen provides the best possible service to the network, though we recognise that there is going to be some disruption to some of the communities and customers we serve.
"Losing one of the larger vessels in our network during peak season has had a knock-on effect on the wider network, and unfortunately some disruption is unavoidable."
Mr Drummond said the fleet was already "stretched to an absolute limit" before the news about MV Caledonian Isles.
Six new vessels and 10 smaller vessels are due to be delivered to the CalMac fleet over the next five years, but in the meantime he said "we face a difficult period as we wait in anticipation for them".
Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson described the announcement as "the latest hammer blow to those living in rural and island Scotland for whom a reliable ferry is a lifeline requirement".
He also said the fleet was so "old and depleted" that vessels were constantly having to be "shuffled around the network to plug the latest gap".
Abandoning the Campbeltown service for now to try to minimise disruption to lifeline services may seem like a straightforward move by CalMac.
Campbeltown is on the mainland - an extensive bus service and twice daily flights link the area with Glasgow. The ferry service only ran three times a week in the summer.
Nobody who lives in Kintyre will be seriously inconvenienced - yet it is still a blow to those trying to develop the area's fragile economy.
The service started in 2013, initially as an experiment, with support from the Scottish government. The aim was to improve the area's connectivity with the central belt and help develop the local tourist economy.
The ferry journey might not have reduced journey times but, supporters argue, was far more relaxing and enjoyable than a long drive or bus journey.
Campbeltown and the surrounding area have benefited in recent years from the growth in whisky and golf tourism. Plans for new distilleries and another golf course should add to this.
Local campaigners argue that making the area more accessible is vital to helping its economy. They argue the ferry brought in extra visitors and reduced the area's isolation.
However, their efforts to promote the service were hampered by a relatively high number of cancellations. The ferry was sometimes withdrawn when other routes needed covered because of breakdowns elsewhere.
They are likely to focus their efforts now on trying to ensure the route is not abandoned completely and starts up again once CalMac has a suitable vessel available.