Man overboard at CalMac with shock departure of Chief Executive
Robbie Drummond is leaving with immediate effect
Last updated 3rd Apr 2024
The boss of troubled ferry firm Caledonian MacBrayne has left his job after years of anger at unreliable services to communities in the Firth of Clyde and the west coast of Scotland.
A statement from the company board says Robbie Drummond has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect.
In it the directors say they; “take the responsibility of delivering the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) contract extremely seriously”
It goes on to say: “It recognises, that the island communities served by CalMac have faced real challenges over this past year. These challenges are likely set to continue until new vessels are introduced to the fleet over the coming years.
Focus on performance
The Board says it wants to strengthen the focus on operational performance of an aging fleet, resilience and enhanced dialogue and responsiveness to its customers.
Duncan Mackison, who is a former CEO of the parent company, David MacBrayne Ltd, has been appointed interim CEO while the company looks for a permanent successor.
Mr Drummond was previously managing director of CalMac before becoming its chief executive in October 2022.
Last year he was reported to have earned £170,000 in bonuses on top of his £143,000 salary.
Delayed ships
The announcement comes a week after David Tydeman was sacked as the boss of the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow where two ferries which are six years late, and three times over the original £97m budget, are being constructed.
The first of the ships which will serve the Isle of Arran, MV Glen Sannox, is undergoing sea trials but is not expected to be in service until at least the autumn.
The second vessel, MV Glen Rosa, is due to be launched next week on 9th April.
The ageing CalMac fleet
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.
Summer disruption
The Isle of Arran is among the communities worst affected by unreliability in recent years.
For this summer’s peak tourist the island’s usual ferry, the MV Caledonian Isles, will be out action while it undergoes major safety repairs to its hull, which will mean its engines being removed.
The service is being maintained by smaller, 40-year-old MV Isle of Arran and the hired-in catamaran MV Alfred, which cannot operate from the usual port of Ardrossan and has to make a longer crossing to Troon.