Islanders facing 'challenging and difficult’ winter due to delayed ferry repairs

Islanders face a “challenging and difficult winter” due to delays in repairs to one of CalMac’s largest ferries, the Transport Secretary has conceded.

The Conservatives accused the SNP of doing “nothing about this for month after month” after it emerged that MV Caledonian Isles could be out of action until March.

The ferry was due to re-enter service on November 20, but the company found further repairs are needed to the its stern tube bearings, and to sections of steelwork in two areas of the vessel.

Answering questions from MSPs, transport secretary Fiona Hyslop said the ferry operator is considering three options for redeploying vessels from elsewhere in the fleet to make up for the fact the main Arran ferry is unavailable.

A decision is expected to be announced next week.

She said the final preparations are being made for the long-delayed new ferry Glen Sannox to enter the fleet, but a precise date has not been confirmed.

Ms Hyslop said the Arran route is one of the busiest on the network but the Government is committed to maintaining lifeline services.

She said: “That’s the difficult balancing act in what is going to be a challenging and difficult winter.

“We thought the last winter would have been the period that would have caused the most issue.”

SNP backbencher Kenneth Gibson said islanders are “astonished” at how badly the repairs have been handled.

Tory MSP Jamie Greene said the blame must lie with SNP ministers, accusing them of having no solutions to ferry disruption over the winter.

He said: “They’ve done nothing about this month after month after month.”

Ms Hyslop responded, admitting none of the three options is “palatable”, but saying Mr Greene’s claims were “factually incorrect”.

Labour’s Claire Baker said nobody would be surprised at the ongoing disruptions.