Arran ferry route suffers 1 in 7 disrupted sailings in Scotland
New figures on cancelled ferry services
Last updated 27th Sep 2022
Islanders and tourists on the Isle of Arran have experienced almost a thousand cancelled or delayed ferry sailings so far this year as new figures show the high levels of disruption across the CalMac network.
Figures obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, through a freedom of information request, revealed a total of 7,431 cancelled sailings across Scotland between January and July 2022
The cancellation rate has already passed figures for the whole of 2018, where there were 7,156 cancelled sailings.
Cancellation rates for the whole of 2020 and 2021 are higher, with 7,434 and 9,351 respectively.
It comes after Clyde 1 heard from businesses on Arran who told us an unreliable ferry service is hitting them harder than the Covid-19 pandemic.
New ferry scandal
Scottish ministers have faced scrutiny in recent months over the construction of the MV Glen Sannox and the as-yet-unnamed Hull 802 which are due in service next year - five years behind schedule - and are projected to be two-and-a-half times over-budget.
The Isle of Arran route from Ardrossan to Brodick, which will be serviced by the Glen Sannox vessel, had already experienced 990 cancelled or late sailings in the year up to July 31 2022.
CalMac have said the challenges to conducting maintenance and repairs are caused by global supply issues.
READ MORE: Scathing report into ferry delays
Increasing breakdowns
Meanwhile, an opposition debate led by the Scottish Conservatives will be held in Parliament on Wednesday.
It comes after figures revealed the number of technical faults with CalMac fleets has steadily increased since 2017.
According to freedom of information figures obtained by the Tories, there were a record 163 faults recorded in 2021, compared to 90 in 2017, costing approximately £28 million to fix.
And there have been 141 faults recorded as of the end of July 2022, figures show.
Calls for a public inquiry
Scottish Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP has condemned the "mismanagement" from the Scottish Government.
Mr Rennie said: "The SNP are letting our island communities suffer, as they continue to mismanage Scotland's ferry network. These figures are yet more proof of that.
"Businesses can't get the supplies they need and families are struggling to get to critical medical appointments.
"We need a comprehensive public inquiry into the Government's handling of the Ferguson shipyard so that islanders can finally get the answer they deserve about why these lifeline ferries have been subject to horrendous delays.
Graham Simpson, Tory transport spokesperson, said: "The SNP Government has failed to procure desperately-needed replacement ferries and refused to commit adequate long-term funding for Scotland's ferry provision.
"As a result, breakdowns and delays have sky-rocketed."
He added: "The SNP keep hoping that they can bury their heads in the sand, and wait for this scandal to blow over - all the while island residents suffer the consequences."
Weather mostly to blame – says CalMac
CalMac, the body that operates the majority of Scotland's ferry services, said the vast majority of cancellations (74%) were due to weather conditions between 2007 and 2021, compared to just 15% for technical faults.
"The start of 2022 saw unprecedented and severe weather conditions, including three named storms, which meant that sailings were affected over several weeks," said managing director, Robbie Drummond.
"Decisions to cancel services are only taken as a last resort and to safeguard the well-being and safety of those on board.
"Given the implications for safety and the legislation in place to ensure safety at sea, weather disruption is not a matter on which we are able to negotiate or consult.
"We are working hard to prevent unscheduled maintenance caused by technical issues, and we have invested record sums in our fleet to maintain vessel resilience and service in order to provide a high-quality service.
CalMac facts
MV Glen Sannox launch
Perhaps the most infamous ferry in Scotland, MV Glen Sannox was launched by First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, at the Ferguson Marine yard in Port Glasgow in November 2017. The yard won the contract to build two ferries which could be powered by either regular marine diesel fuel or LNG. Five years later the ship has yet to enter service and the yard has been nationalised after falling into administration amid a row with the Scottish Government about the delays and escalating cost of the project.
MV Glen Sannox delays
MV Glen Sannox is intended to become the main ferry for the service between Ardrossan and Brodick on the Isle of Arran. A sister ship - as-yet unnamed - will operate in the Western Isles. The vessels are more than five years late and will cost £250m - more than twice their original budget. The ship has required extensive remedial work including alterations to the hull and replacement of the original electrictal cables which were found to be too short. It is expected to be in service in summer 2023.
Busiest route
CalMac's busiest route is the crossing between Largs and Cumbrae Slip in the Firth of Clyde, which in summer operates every 15 minutes, although drivers can be forced to wait in queues of more than an hour at the busiest times. In 2021 it carried 175,000 vehicles and 619,000 passengers.
Oldest vessel
CalMac's least-busy route is a summer-only service between Ardrossan and Campbeltown in Kintrye, which carried just 8,427 passengers in 2021. It is operated by the firm's oldest ship, MV Isle of Arran, which was launched in Troon in 1983.
Passengers only
CalMac operates the passenger-only service between Dunoon and Gourock. For many years the route also carried vehicles but there was long-standing controversy with claims of unfair public subsidy against a rival private operator. The service can be vulnerable to poor weather conditions relying on lighter vessels such as the catamaran Ali Cat.
Battery power
For the last decade CalMac has made the first moves to reduce the carbon emissions of its fleet with the introduction of three hybrid ferries which can operate on battery or diesel power. They were constructed at the Ferguson yard in Port Glasgow and operate some of the shortest crossings on the network
Private rival
There are ferry services which are not run by CalMac. The privately-owned Western Ferries operates between McInroy's Point (near Gourock) and Hunter's Quay (near Dunoon) on a turn-up-and-go service using up to four vessels at one time.
Foreign-built ships
Until the recent Ferguson scandal CalMac's newest and largest ships had been built by foreign yards, including the MV Finglaggan, launched by the Remontowa yard in Poland in 2010 to serve Islay.
Capacity issues
Since 2016 The introduction of the cheaper RET fares structure - linked to the cost to drive the same distance by road - and increasing popularlity of 'staycation' and campervan touring - is linked to increasing pressure on routes to the most popular islands, with sailings booked-up weeks in advance.