Delayed Arran Ferry named after public vote
The ferry, which until now has only been known as Hull 802, will be called Glen Rosa.
Last updated 31st Aug 2023
Ferry bosses have revealed the name of the second delayed vessel being built for CalMac by the Ferguson Marine shipyard.
The ferry, which until now has only been known as Hull 802, will be called Glen Rosa.
CMAL, the body which owns CalMac vessels as well as the port and harbour infrastructure, announced the name after a public vote in which nearly 5,000 people took part.
Glen Rosa, which is Gleann Ruasaidh in Gaelic, was the most popular option, winning 52% of all votes cast.
The new vessel is the sister ship to the Glen Sannox, also being built at Ferguson Marine on the Clyde.
The ferries, which will serve islands off Scotland's west coast, were due to be in service in 2018 at a price of £97 million, but delays have led to spiralling costs which could amount to more than three times that figure.
The name of the second vessel was announced after it emerged last week that sea trials for the Glen Sannox have been held up due to last-minute changes.
The Glen Rosa is currently due for launch in March 2024, and when completed both ferries will play a vital role in providing sailings to Arran.
CMAL chief executive Kevin Hobbs said: "The public's response to the naming of Hull 802 has been fantastic to see and I'd like to thank everyone for taking the time to vote.
"Though we are disappointed in the delay to launching the vessel reported by Fergusons last week, we understand that the priority is ensuring that the newly named MV Glen Rosa achieves Maritime and Coastguard approval.
"We continue to work closely with the team at Ferguson Marine and can see great progress being made towards the delivery of both MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa."
Robbie Drummond, chief executive of state-owned CalMac, said: "We are very much looking forward to MV Glen Rosa and MV Glen Sannox joining our fleet.
"These vessels will provide much-needed resilience to the Arran community, and to the network as a whole."
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.
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