THE newest ship in CalMac’s Scottish ferry fleet is to be pulled out of service after less than four months.
The MV Isle of Islay, which was built in Turkey at the Cemre shipyard and arrived in Scotland in February, is to be put in the dry dock for repairs under warranty, the BBC reported.
The 450-capacity ferry entered service on March 31, and just six weeks later was forced to begin operating as a “single-ended” vessel after an issue with its bow doors.
The BBC reported that the door problem is one of around 150 issues with the vessel that CalMac wants repaired.
Turkey’s Cemre shipyard is also building three further vessels for CalMac: the MV Loch Indaal, MV Lochmor, and MV Claymore.
The MV Loch Indaal had been due for delivery in February 2025 but was hit with delays and is now expected “later in 2026”.
Last week, ferry infrastructure body CMAL took formal ownership of the three incomplete ships as a “precautionary measure” to protect its investment so they can be brought into use as quickly as possible.
Businesses in the Turkish shipyard's region are struggling amid challenging global circumstances caused by the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, together with ongoing disruption in the Red Sea.
Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn gave his backing to the ownership move, and said the Scottish Government is “committed to renewing the CalMac fleet for the benefit of our island and coastal communities”.
Flynn said: “Our full focus is on delivering the remaining vessels currently under construction at the Cemre yard, to improve the long-term resilience and reliability of ferry services.
“We fully support the approach CMAL has taken to secure ownership of the vessels ahead of formal handover, helping to ensure their delivery while protecting public investment.
“CMAL are working at pace to set out the next steps to ensure the ships are available in the CalMac fleet as soon as possible.”
