Irish berth at Ardrossan Harbour to remain closed
The closure will add to travel difficulties for people heading to Arran
The Irish berth at Ardrossan Harbour will not reopen after being closed for structural issues, spelling further travel disruption to Arran.
It had been acting as a reserve berth for the ferry service to the island, and was used by the MV Alfred catamaran, which had replaced the regular MV Caledonian Isles while it was undergoing maintenance.
Due to the vessel’s dual hulls, the MV Alfred can only use the Irish berth, and its closure means the ferry will no longer be able to run services to the island, as it is only cleared to carry freight to the replacement port at Troon.
Port Director at Peel Ports Clydeport, Jim McSporran explained the berth had not originally been intended for consistent use.
The Irish Berth was not intended for frequent use"
He said: “The Irish berth is a temporary floating pontoon and acts as an auxiliary berth, intended for occasional use only. It is offered when available and when needed, such as when the harbour faces adverse weather like strong easterly winds that affect the use of the Arran berth.
"There is no contractual commitment for its use.
“Initial indications suggested the MV Caledonian Isles would only be out of service for a temporary period, and the Alfred was introduced as a short-term relief vessel.
"However, the Caledonian has remained out of use, with little indication as to its future, meaning that the Irish berth has had to support the route for much longer than intended.”
Moving the service to Troon will see the number of sailings reduced, due to the greater distance, and the availability of vessels.
Frustration of Arran Community
Isle of Arran Ferry Committee secretary, Bill Calderwood, said: “The less frequency really impacts us, if I want to go to Glasgow or if we want to have business people from the central belt come to Arran, their ability to come in early, spend a full day, and get back at a reasonable time will significantly change.”
Mr McSporran continued: “We’re acutely aware that the closure of the Irish berth has already added to the frustration that’s long been felt by users of the ferry service, however safety must always be our priority.
“We would like to reassure the residents and businesses of Arran that the Arran berth is the primary berth for ferries into Ardrossan harbour, and that service will continue to be used as normal, subject to any extreme weather conditions.”
The plans to redevelop Ardrossan Harbour have faced delays for six years, and Mr McSporran says he is “deeply concerned” by the situation.
"Deeply" concerning
He finished: “We have already provided around 80% of the funds required to progress the wider project up to this point, and we will continue to work with the funding partners on the procurement of this project.
“We eagerly await the conclusion of the business case review, and we are hopeful the Scottish Government will commit permanently to Ardrossan as the destination for the Arran ferry.”