Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth has told MSPs she does not know how much it will cost to meet a key target to reduce the age of the ferries operating on lifeline routes in Scotland – but said it would be “financially challenging”.
Transport Scotland has the goal of reducing the average age of the ferry fleet to “around 15 years” by the end of this decade.
Kevin Hobbs, chief executive of Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) - the Scottish Government-owned body which owns the CalMac fleet, as well as ports and harbour infrastructure - said the most recent figure they had for the cost of achieving this was £1.4bn.
