Glen Rosa ferry costs rise by £12.5m after latest six-month delay

Glen Rosa ferry costs have risen by a further £12.5m, just weeks after the latest six-month delay was announced.

Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow confirmed that the estimated cost to complete the late and overbudget ferry has now risen by a further £7m, taking the total to £192m.

When contingency funding is included, the overall estimated cost now stands at £197.5m.

Ferguson Marine chief executive officer Graeme Thomson wrote to MSPs on Holyrood’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on Friday to tell them of the latest price increase.

Thomson said the company is “confident” in the updated timeline and cost forecast.

The Glen Rosa and her sister ship, Glen Sannox, were due to come into service in 2018. The Glen Sannox only started carrying passengers in January 2025.

The Scottish Government-owned yard announced in December that delivery of the 850-passenger Glen Rosa ferry would be postponed until the final quarter of 2026.

Scottish deputy first minister Kate Forbes said it was “very disappointing” that the costs have risen again.

“While I understand the final stages of building and testing a complex vessel are highly technical – and some risks only become clear at this point in the process – the further delay and increased costs are still very disappointing, particularly for island communities which rely on ferry services,” Forbes said.

“The Scottish Government is carefully assessing the information provided to understand the full implications of the revised timetable and costs.

“We will continue to hold Ferguson Marine to account for delivery, cost control and full transparency as the project moves towards completion.”

Edward Mountain, convener of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, said the increase was “yet another example of the incompetence of Ferguson Marine’s management”.

The Conservative MSP said: “They assured the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee when they gave their update last year that everything was on budget.

“However, it is now clear that they missed £7m. This may seem a pittance to this Government when it comes to the ferries contract, but the people of Scotland will be horrified, as indeed am I.”