Caledonian MacBrayne, CalMac | |
Company type | Government-owned service |
Industry | Transport |
Founded | 1973 |
Headquarters | Gourock, Scotland [1] |
Number of locations | 50 ports and harbours across Scotland |
Area served | Firth of Clyde, Outer Hebrides, Inner Hebrides |
Key people | Duncan Mackison (CEO) (ad interim) [2] |
Services | Ferry operations between mainland Scotland and islands |
Revenue | £227 million [3] |
£28 million [4] | |
-£3.7 million [4] | |
Owner | Scottish Government |
Number of employees | 1,700 (about 1,000 sea going) [5] |
Parent | David MacBrayne |
Divisions | Argyll Ferries (2011 to 2019) |
Subsidiaries | Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing (Guernsey) Ltd (employer of sea going staff) |
Website | www |
Caledonian MacBrayne (Scottish Gaelic : Caledonian Mac a' Bhriuthainn), in short form CalMac, is the trade name of CalMac Ferries Ltd, the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries to the west coast of Scotland, serving ports on the mainland and 22 of the major islands. It is a subsidiary of holding company David MacBrayne, which is owned by the Scottish Government. [6]
Its predecessor, the government owned Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd, was formed in 1973 as a ferry owner and operator. In 2006 these functions were separated to meet EU requirements for competitive tendering. The company, renamed Caledonian Maritime Assets (CMAL), continued to own the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet and assets. The contract for operating Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services using these vessels was put out to open competitive tender. and CalMac Ferries Ltd was created in October 2006 as a separate company to bid for the work. [6] CalMac was awarded the contract, as well as a later competitive procurement process, and since 1 October 2007 has operated the services. [7]
CalMac operates 35 ferries, [8] with one, MV Glen Sannox, currently undergoing crew familiarisation and harbour berthing trials ahead of being introduced into service. [9] A further 5 vessels are currently under construction for the fleet. The company serves over 50 ports and harbours on the west coast of Scotland, with CMAL owning 16 of these ports and harbours. Caledonian MacBrayne operate on average over 162,700 sailings annually. 2018 was the company's busiest in terms of passenger numbers, carrying an estimated 5,309,771 passengers. [5] [10]
MacBrayne's, initially known as David Hutcheson & Co., began in 1851 as a private steamship operator when G. and J. Burns, operators of the largest of the Clyde fleets, decided to concentrate on coastal and transatlantic services and handed control of their river and Highland steamers to a new company in which Hutcheson, their manager of these services, became senior partner. One of the other partners was David MacBrayne (1817–1907), nephew of Messrs. Burns. In 1878, the company passed to David MacBrayne. [11]
Their main route went from Glasgow down the Firth of Clyde through the Crinan Canal to Oban and Fort William, and on through the Caledonian Canal to Inverness. Services were later added to Islay and the Outer Hebrides. In 1928, the company ran into financial difficulties, and the business was acquired by Coast Lines and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS Railway). [6] In 1948, the shares in the company owned by the LMS Railway passed to the British Transport Commission, thus partially nationalising it. In July 1969, Coast Line's 50% shareholding passed into state ownership, so that the company became wholly nationalised, and all the shares were transferred to the state-owned Scottish Transport Group.
The Caledonian Railway at first used the services of various early private operators of Clyde steamers, then began operating steamers on its own account on 1 January 1889 to compete better with the North British Railway and the Glasgow and South Western Railway. It extended its line to bypass the G&SW's Prince's Pier at Greenock and continue on to the fishing village of Gourock, where they had purchased the harbour.
After years of fierce competition between all the fleets, the Caledonian and G&SW were merged in 1923 into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and their fleets were amalgamated into the Caledonian Steam Packet Company. Their funnels were painted yellow with a black top. At the same time, the North British Railway fleet became part of the London and North Eastern Railway (which built the PS Waverley in 1947). With nationalisation in 1948, the LMS and LNER fleets were amalgamated under British Railways with the name Clyde Shipping Services. In 1957, a reorganisation restored the CSP name, and in 1965 a red lion was added to each side of the black-topped yellow funnels. The headquarters remained at Gourock pierhead.
At the end of December 1968, management of the CSP passed to the Scottish Transport Group, which gained control of MacBrayne's the following June. The MacBrayne service from Gourock to Ardrishaig ended on 30 September 1969, leaving the Clyde entirely to the CSP.
On 1 January 1973, the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. acquired most of the ships and routes of MacBrayne's and commenced joint Clyde and West Highland operations under the new name of Caledonian MacBrayne, with a combined headquarters at Gourock. Funnels were now painted red with a black top, and a yellow circle at the side of the funnel featuring the red Caledonian lion. In 1974, a new car ferry service from Gourock to Dunoon was introduced with the ferries MV Jupiter and MV Juno.
In 1990, the ferry business was spun off as a separate company, keeping the Caledonian MacBrayne brand, and shares were issued in the company. All shares were owned by the state, first in the person of the Secretary of State for Scotland, and (after devolution) by the Scottish Government.
In 1996, CalMac opened its first route outside Scotland, winning a ten-year contract to provide a lifeline service to Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland. This service continued until 2008, when CalMac lost the tender. [12]
A joint venture between Caledonian MacBrayne and the Royal Bank of Scotland named NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries won the tender for the subsidised Northern Isles services, previously run by P&O Scottish Ferries, commencing in 2002. The ambitious programme ran into financial difficulties, and the service was again put out to tender. Caledonian MacBrayne won this tender, and formed a separate company called NorthLink Ferries Limited which began operating the Northern Isles ferry service on 6 July 2006. [13]
Several groups have proposed privatising the service, and there has been a long commercial and political struggle with a privately owned company, Western Ferries, which has run a rival unsubsidised service from Gourock to Hunters Quay (near Dunoon) since 1973. To meet EU requirements for competitive tendering, the Scottish Executive put the collective Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services routes out to competitive tender in 2005. As part of this process the Dunoon route was put out as a separate tender. [14] Some island and union groups opposed the tendering process, fearing it would lead to cuts in services and could be a prelude to full privatisation.
To enable competitive bidding on an equal basis, Caledonian MacBrayne was split into two separate companies on 1 October 2006. Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) retained ownership of CalMac vessels and infrastructure, including harbours, while CalMac Ferries Ltd submitted tenders to be the ferry operator. The company of David MacBrayne Ltd, which had been legally dormant for many years, was re-activated as a company wholly-owned by the Scottish Government on 4 July 2006. During September 2006, David MacBrayne Group Ltd acquired the entire share capital of CalMac Ferries Ltd. Thus, from leaving the hands of David MacBrayne 78 years earlier in 1928, the west coast ferry service returned to the fold in 2006, vastly enlarged. The David MacBrayne Group Ltd also cquired the full share capital of NorthLink Ferries, and took over operations of the NorthLink routes on 6 July 2006. A further subsidary company - Rathlin Ferries Ltd - was established by David MacBrayne Group Ltd to operate the Rathlin to Ballycastle service in Northern Ireland.
Three operators submitted bids for the main block of routes, [15] but CalMac retained all its existing routes. On 1 October 2007 CalMac Ferries Ltd began operating these services on a six-year contract. The Gourock to Dunoon service was the subject of a separate tender, but no formal bids were made. In an interim arrangement, CalMac Ferries Ltd continued to provide a subsidised service on this route, [13] [16] using the name Cowal Ferries. The Scottish Government subsequently decided not to subsidise a vehicle service on the Gourock–Dunoon route due to the existence of the rival Western Ferries vehicle service, and the route was put out to tender again, this time with subsidy available only for a passenger services to maintain a direct link between Gourock railway station and Dunoon town centre. In May 2011, Argyll Ferries Ltd, a newly formed subsidiary of David MacBrayne, was named as the preferred bidder for a passenger-only Dunoon-Gourock service. The timetable was extended into the early hours at weekends, with additional sailings integrated with rail services. Two passenger-only ferries, MV Ali Cat and MV Argyll Flyer (formerly MV Banrion Chonomara), were arranged for the run. [17] When the service began on 30 June 2011, preparation of the Argyll Flyer was incomplete, and as an interim measure the cruise boat MV Clyde Clipper was leased from Clyde Cruises. [18] Argyll Ferries was incorporated into Caledonian MacBrayne on 21 January 2019. [19]
On 14 July 2009, it was announced that CalMac would begin Sunday sailings to Stornoway on Lewis from Sunday 19 July. These had historically faced strong opposition from Sabbatarian elements in the Lewis community, particularly the Lord's Day Observance Society and the Free Church of Scotland. However, CalMac stated that EU equality legislation made it unlawful to refuse a service to the whole community because of the religious beliefs of a part of it. [20]
NorthLink Ferries lost the contract for provision of the Northern Isles ferry services to Serco on 29 May 2012. [21]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, CalMac operated a much reduced timetable. From 22 March 2020, they provided a turn up and go service to ensure essential goods and services were delivered to the islands. There were no reservations and no onboard retail facilities. Timetables were modified to meet local needs, with occasional additional crossings and extended layovers. [22]
The Portavadie, Campbeltown and Armadale services were cancelled. Crossing frequencies were reduced on other routes, with single vessels at Rothesay, Largs and Kennacraig. [23] On the smaller vessels, vehicle occupants were required to remain in their vehicle. [24]
Until Hebrides returned from dry dock in Liverpool, Clansman remained on the Uig triangle, with Lord of the Isles and Isle of Arran providing services to Lochboisdale, Coll/Tiree and Colonsay from Oban. Hebridean Isles operated to Arran (22 April – 2 May) and Islay (27 May – 2 June) while Caledonian Isles and Finlaggan were out of service. [25]
Unused vessels were laid up: Hebridean Isles in Campbeltown; Coruisk at Craignure; Loch Riddon, Loch Linnhe and Loch Fyne at Sandbank; Loch Bhrusda in Mallaig (covered Sound of Barra service while Loch Alainn in Troon); Argyle and Isle of Cumbrae in Rothesay and Isle of Arran in Troon. [25]
In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, the company began to struggle to maintain services due to an increasingly ageing fleet. [26] The situation was exacerbated by long delays to the delivery of two new ferries for the Arran service (MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa), a situation dubbed by critics as the “ferry fiasco”. Glen Sannox was handed over in November 2024, and is expected to enter service in early 2025. [9] Glen Rosa is expected to be deliverd in September 2025, [27] and a further four new ferries are expected to be delivered during the course of 2025. [28]
In May 2024 Transport Scotland granted a contract extension to CalMac to continue to operate the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services until 30 September 2025. [29]
The company enjoys a de facto monopoly on the shipment of freight and vehicles to the islands, and competes for passenger traffic with a number of aircraft services of varying quality and reliability. Nonetheless, few if any of the routes currently operated by CalMac are profitable, and the company receives significant government subsidies due to its vital role in supplying the islands: these routes are classified as "lifeline" services.
Various versions of a local poem (based loosely on Psalm 24) refer to MacBrayne's long dominance of Hebridean sailings:
The Earth belongs unto the Lord
And all that it contains
Except the Kyles and the Western Isles
And they are all MacBrayne's
Route Name | Passengers | Cars | Coaches | Commercial Vehicles | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2023 | |
Ardmhor (Barra) - Eriskay | 64,761 | 61,469 | 26,944 | 24,507 | 108 | 127 | 1,074 | 905 |
Ardrossan - Brodick | 724,706 | 692,518 | 183,597 | 183,092 | 427 | 448 | 8,608 | 8,711 |
Ardrossan - Campbeltown [a] | 0 | 8,869 | 0 | 2,691 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 |
Berneray - Leverburgh | 62,852 | 63,974 | 27,408 | 28,257 | 188 | 204 | 1,312 | 1,432 |
Claonaig - Lochranza [b] | 79,182 | 76,351 | 31,032 | 29,225 | 132 | 159 | 949 | 857 |
Colintraive - Rhubodach | 168,264 | 175,772 | 76,712 | 80,557 | 441 | 365 | 6,479 | 7,162 |
Fionnphort - Iona | 206,038 | 204,623 | 8,021 | 8,471 | 10 | 2 | 531 | 601 |
Fishnish - Lochaline | 113,541 | 125,759 | 53,864 | 56,544 | 352 | 445 | 2,829 | 3,107 |
Gallanach - Kerrera | 67,290 | 64,009 | 2,592 | 2,230 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
Gourock - Dunoon [c] | 203,270 | 196,086 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gourock - Kilcreggan [c] | 48,609 | 47,659 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kennacraig - Islay | 208,556 | 202,290 | 75,000 | 75,476 | 357 | 355 | 13,741 | 13,930 |
Kennacraig - Islay/C'say/Oban | 17,125 | 18,216 | 6,176 | 6,659 | 10 | 20 | 693 | 694 |
Largs - Cumbrae Slip | 721,798 | 690,152 | 199,180 | 185,052 | 938 | 948 | 4,118 | 3,639 |
Mallaig - Armadale | 237,815 | 212,847 | 62,650 | 57,679 | 1,766 | 1,390 | 57 | 45 |
Mallaig - Eigg/Muck/Rum/Canna | 23,496 | 22,376 | 3,038 | 3,223 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 173 |
Mallaig - Lochboisdale | 26,527 | 31,247 | 10,824 | 12,668 | 29 | 35 | 282 | 260 |
Oban - Castlebay/Lochboisdale | 50,258 | 46,261 | 20,116 | 18,433 | 27 | 19 | 1,350 | 1,099 |
Oban - Coll/Tiree | 60,711 | 55,783 | 21,590 | 20,094 | 6 | 6 | 1,958 | 1,813 |
Oban - Coll/Tiree/Castlebay [d] | 0 | 5,072 | 0 | 2,017 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 229 |
Oban - Colonsay | 12,888 | 12,664 | 5,218 | 5,422 | 2 | 2 | 288 | 341 |
Oban - Craignure | 553,928 | 550,517 | 150,929 | 156,353 | 1,565 | 1,427 | 5,926 | 6,299 |
Oban - Lismore | 24,721 | 24,807 | 8,688 | 8,245 | 19 | 40 | 375 | 236 |
Sconser - Raasay | 87,748 | 83,730 | 32,804 | 30,990 | 32 | 29 | 676 | 503 |
Tarbert - Lochranza [e] | 1,095 | 0 | 575 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 0 |
Tarbert - Portavadie | 78,259 | 86,372 | 26,975 | 29,902 | 40 | 15 | 145 | 217 |
Tayinloan - Gigha | 69,709 | 70,511 | 23,281 | 23,754 | 23 | 22 | 1,116 | 1,149 |
Tobermory - Kilchoan | 45,437 | 44,361 | 11,494 | 11,360 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 22 |
Uig - Tarbert/Lochmaddy | 163,244 | 155,440 | 66,471 | 65,369 | 355 | 338 | 5,129 | 5,239 |
Ullapool - Stornoway | 300,525 | 285,384 | 111,542 | 104,449 | 536 | 540 | 13,615 | 13,314 |
Wemyss Bay - Rothesay | 657,123 | 613,117 | 203,872 | 190,541 | 365 | 416 | 7,458 | 8,332 |
32 of the vessels operated by CalMac are owned by the asset holding company CMAL. Two ferries, MV Ali Cat and MV Argyll Flyer, are directly owned by CalMac, and a further two, MV Alfred and MV Chieftain, are on charter from other owners.
Ten of the vessels can be categorised as "major units" – ships of 80 m (262 ft) or more in length. The largest is MV Loch Seaforth at 116 m (381 ft) in length. MV Finlaggan is almost 90 m (295 ft) long and able to carry 550 passengers with 88 cars. [32] She was built in Poland at a cost of £24.5 million and operates the Islay service. [33] The others are MV Isle of Lewis, MV Clansman, MV Hebrides, MV Caledonian Isles, [f] MV Isle of Mull, MV Isle of Arran and MV Lord of the Isles. [32] The tenth "major unit", MV Glen Sannox, which is due to enter service on the Troon - Brodick route in early 2025, was handed over to CalMac on 21 November 2024, and is now undergoing crew familiarisation and harbour berthing trials. [9]
There are 13 "Loch Class" vessels in different shapes and sizes. These double-ended ferries are mostly symmetrical when viewed from the side, with no operational bow or stern (although in official documents the designation of such is given)> They generally serve shorter, more sheltered routes, although MV Loch Portain is able to handle Force 7 gales and carry 36 cars and 149 passengers, with a crew of five.[ citation needed ] MV Loch Shira, sometimes referred to as a "super loch", entered service in 2007 on the Largs–Cumbrae route. MV Loch Bhrusda & MV Loch Linnhe are spare and relief vessels and are not assigned to any specific route.
Similar in outward appearance to the Loch Class vessels are the three diesel-electric ferries built by Ferguson Marine Engineering: MV Hallaig (2013; for Raasay), MV Lochinvar (2013; for Tarbert) and MV Catriona (2015; for Lochranza). [35]
A number of vessels have specific features and are designed for specific crossings. MV Lochnevis (2000) was designed for the Small Isles service, being fitted with a large stern vehicle ramp that allows her to berth a considerable distance from a slipway, protecting her exposed Azimuth thrusters in shallow waters. [36] MV Bute (2005) and MV Argyle (2007), both built in Gdańsk, work solely on the busy Wemyss Bay–Rothesay route. In 2022, a Norwegian ferry was purchased for the Mull service; after modification it entered service as MV Loch Frisa. MV Alfred is a catamaran ferry owned by Pentland Ferries, currently on charter to CalMac for the Arran service. [37] [38] The smallest vessel in the fleet is MV Carvoria, built in Shetland for the Kerrera route. [39]
There are three passenger-only vessels in the fleet: MV Ali Cat, MV Argyll Flyer and MV Chieftain. All operate on the Clyde. MV Chieftain is leased from Clyde Marine Services for the Gourock to Kilcreggan service, [40] whilst MV Ali Cat and MV Argyll Flyer operate the Gourock-Dunoon service.
The first of two dual fuel ferries under construction by Ferguson Marine Engineering, Glen Sannox (for the Arran service) [41] was launched on 21 November 2017, [42] handed over in November 2024, and expected to enter service in early 2025. [9] Repeated delays saw the delivery date of the second, MV Glen Rosa (the second Arran ferry) [43] slip to September 2025. [27]
A £91 million contract to build two ferries for the Islay service was awarded to Cemre Shipyard in Turkey in March 2022. [44] [45] The first steel for two ferries was cut at a ceremony in Turkey in October 2022, [46] with the second vessel's being done in January 2023, in the same week as the first vessel's keel was laid. In May 2023, the same week as the second vessel's keel was laid, it was announced that these ferries would be named MV Isle of Islay and MV Loch Indaal. [47] [48] Isle of Islay is expected to be delivered by the first quarter of 2025, with the second vessel following in the second quarter of 2025. [28] In October 2022 it was announced that two further vessels would be built to a very similar specification as the ferries under construction for Islay. CMAL signed a contract in January 2023 for Cemre Shipyard to also build the two ferries, which would allow a dedicated, peak season services to Tarbert and Lochmaddy from Uig and provide additional resilience in the fleet. [49] [50] The two vessels, MV Claymore and MV Lochmor are expected to be delivered by the end of 2025. [28]
Argyll and Bute is one of 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod. The administrative centre for the council area is in Lochgilphead at Kilmory Castle, a 19th-century Gothic Revival building and estate. The current council leader is Councillor Jim Lynch.
Western Ferries (Clyde) Ltd is a private ferry company with its headquarters in Hunters Quay, Scotland. It currently operates on the Firth of Clyde running a year-round, high-frequency vehicle carrying service between Hunters Quay, near Dunoon, and McInroy's Point, on the outskirts of Gourock in Inverclyde.
MV Caledonian Isles, usually referred to locally as Caley Isles, is one of the largest ships operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), which runs ferries to the Hebridean and Clyde Islands of Scotland. Caledonian Isles serves the Isle of Arran on the Ardrossan to Brodick route. As its CalMac's busiest route, Caledonian Isles has the largest passenger capacity in the fleet, and can carry up to 1000 passengers and 110 cars, with a crossing time of 55 minutes. She is used extensively by day-trippers to the Isle of Arran during the summer.
The Caledonian MacBrayne fleet is the largest fleet of car and passenger ferries in the United Kingdom, with 35 ferries in operation, with one, MV Glen Sannox, currently undergoing crew familiarisation and harbour berthing trials ahead of being introduced into service. A further 5 vessels are currently under construction for the fleet. The company provides lifeline services to 23 islands off the west coast of Scotland, as well as operating routes in the Firth of Clyde.
MV Hebrides is a ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne from Uig to Lochmaddy and Tarbert, the main settlements of North Uist and Harris respectively.
MV Hebridean Isles was a ro-ro vehicle ferry that was operated by Caledonian MacBrayne on the west coast of Scotland. She was the first MacBrayne vessel to be ordered and built for them outside Scotland and the first to be launched sideways. With bow, stern and side ramps, Hebridean Isles was suitable for all the routes served by the large fleet units. After 15 years crossing the Little Minch on the Uig triangle, she served Islay and Colonsay before being retired in November 2024, after almost 40 years of service.
MV Isle of Arran is a drive-through ferry operated on the west coast of Scotland by Caledonian MacBrayne. Also known by her local nicknames IOA and The Auld Trooper, she entered service in 1984 on the Ardrossan to Brodick route, serving Arran for nine years before being moved to Kennacraig. She returned to her original route in 2012, supplementing MV Caledonian Isles in summer and becoming a relief vessel for Arran in winter as well as other routes where required. In 2013, she started a new pilot route from Ardrossan to Campbeltown, which became a permanent fixture in 2015. As of 2023, she is one of the oldest vessels in the fleet, having been in service for 40 years; upon arriving into Oban in the West Highlands, celebrations were mounted ashore to mark the 40th anniversary of her launch and service on 2 December 2023.
West Loch Tarbert is a long, narrow sea loch on the western side of the Kintyre Peninsula, in Argyll and Bute, west of Scotland.
MV Pioneer is a stern / side loading ferry built in 1974, in service for 29 years covering nearly all of Caledonian MacBrayne's routes. She now serves the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe in the Gulf of Guinea and was chartered to rescue Liberian refugees.
MV Orion is a ro-ro passenger and vehicle ferry. Saturn was operated by Caledonian MacBrayne in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland between 1978 and 2011, for the first decade of her career on the Rothesay crossing. Later, she also saw service on the Dunoon and Brodick crossings, as well as on short cruises around the Clyde.
MV Pentalina-B was a ferry which operated on a variety of Scottish routes. Launched in 1970 as MV Iona, she was the first drive-through roll-on/roll-off ferry built for the David MacBrayne fleet. She was the first ship in the company's history to have bridge-controlled engines and geared transmission, rather than direct drive. During her career she inaugurated more endloading linkspans than the rest of the fleet put together. Purchased by Pentland Ferries in 1997, she was renamed MV Pentalina-B and operated across the Pentland Firth until the arrival of their new vessel. In 2009, she was sold to a Cape Verde owner.
MV Coruisk is a Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited ferry built in 2003, operated by Scottish ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne and serving the west coast of Scotland.
MV Finlaggan is a drive-through vehicle and passenger ferry built in Poland for Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited. From 2011, she has been operated by Caledonian MacBrayne on the Islay service from Kennacraig.
MV Arran was a pioneering Firth of Clyde vehicle ferry introduced by Caledonian Steam Packet Company in 1953. She spent fifteen years on the Upper Clyde crossings, followed by five years at Islay. Initially hoist-loading, via side ramps, these were replaced by a stern ramp in 1973. During her final years with CalMac, she relieved across the network. Several unsuccessful attempts were made to turn her into a floating restaurant, before she was scrapped in 1993.
David MacBrayne is a limited company owned by the Scottish Government. Formed in 1851 as the private shipping company David Hutcheson & Co. with three partners, David Hutcheson, Alexander Hutcheson and David MacBrayne, it passed in 1878 to David MacBrayne.
Argyll Ferries Ltd was a ferry company formed in January 2011 by the Scottish Governments department of Transport Scotland via the parent company David MacBrayne Ltd to tender for the Dunoon-to-Gourock public service route. Argyll Ferries were announced as the preferred bidder at the end of May 2011, contracts were exchanged on 7 June 2011 for the service, the service then commenced 23 days later on 30 June 2011.
MV Argyll Flyer is a passenger ferry in the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet, which along with MV Ali Cat provides a service in Scotland, across the Firth of Clyde from Dunoon to Gourock pierhead and railway station.
Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited owns the ferries, ports, harbours and infrastructure for the ferry services serving the west coast of Scotland, the Firth of Clyde and the Northern Isles.
MV Claymore is a roll-on/roll-off vehicle and passenger ferry currently under construction for use on Caledonian MacBrayne routes on the west coast of Scotland. She is the third of four ferries being built at Cemre Shipyard in Turkey for Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, and is expected to be delivered in the third quarter of 2025. She will operate services on the "Uig Triangle" routes linking Tarbert in Harris and Lochmaddy in North Uist with Uig in Skye.
MV Lochmor is a roll-on/roll-off vehicle and passenger ferry currently under construction for use on Caledonian MacBrayne routes on the west coast of Scotland. She is the fourth of four ferries being built at Cemre Shipyard in Turkey for Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, and is expected to be delivered in the final quarter of 2025. She will operate services on the "Uig Triangle" routes linking Tarbert in Harris and Lochmaddy in North Uist with Uig in Skye.