MV Loch Awe

History
Name	Loch Awe
Namesake	Loch Awe
Owner	Caledonian Maritime Assets
Operator	Caledonian MacBrayne
Port of registry	Glasgow
Route	TBC
Ordered	March 2025
Builder	Remontowa Shipbuilding, Gdańsk, Poland
Yard number	B621/1 [1]
Laid down	December 2025 [2]
Status	Under construction
General characteristics
Type	Ro-ro vehicle and passenger ferry
Tonnage	135 dt [3]
Length	49.9 m (163 ft 9 in) [3]
Beam	12.5 m (41 ft 0 in) [3]
Draught	2.14 m (7 ft 0 in) [3]
Installed power	750 kW [4]
Speed	9 kn (17 km/h) [3]
Capacity	150 passengers and 24 cars, or [3] 250 passengers and 15 cars

MV Loch Awe (Scottish Gaelic : Loch Obha) is a roll-on/roll-off vehicle and passenger ferry currently under construction in Poland for use on Caledonian MacBrayne routes on the west coast of Scotland. She is the first of the seven vessels comprising Phase 1 of Caledonian Maritime Assets' small vessel replacement project (SVRP), which will replace the existing ferries serving seven Caledonian MacBrayne routes. ^[5] She is designed to be predominantly electrically powered, though may require to be run on diesel until shore power can be fully set up. ^[6]

History

Planning for the small vessel replacement project begain in 2021, ^[5] and in March 2025 a contract to build seven vessels was awarded to Remontowa Shipbuilding of Gdańsk in Poland, the same shipyard that built MVs Argyle, Bute and Finlaggan . ^{[7] [6]} The first steel was cut for the first of the vessels in September 2025. ^[8] The vessel's keel was laid in December, at which point CMAL announced that she would be named Loch Awe. ^[9] Other vessels in the class will also be named after Scottish lochs, with the seven names to be used selected following a public vote. ^[10] Delivery is currently expected in 2027. ^[7]

Layout and facilities

All vessels in Phase 1 of the SVRP share the same basic design, being similar to the "loch class" vessels they are to replace. This features a single open vehicle deck, with a passenger lounge located alongside. An open passenger deck is situated above the lounge, with a single tower-style wheelhouse located above this. The design is double-ended, however the passenger lounge is nominally situated on the starboard side of the vessel. There are to be two deck variants depending on the nature of the route to be served, as certain routes carry larger numbers of foot passengers. ^{[4] [11]} As of January 2026 it had not been confirmed which configuration was to be used for Loch Awe.

• Design A, accomomdating approximately 150 passengers and 24 cars, features three lanes of traffic and a narrower passenger lounge.
• Design B, accomomdating approximately 250 passengers and 15 cars, features two lanes of traffic and a wider passenger lounge.

Loch Awe is intended to operate as an electrically-powered vessel, however a backup diesel generator is included for use in case of emergencies or for range extension. She will have approximately 5 MWh of battery storage, sufficient to allow her to operate a full day on battery power, charging up overnight. ^[3]

Service

The seven routes to be served by the vessels of Phase 1 of the SVRP are listed below. ^{[11] [4]} As of January 2026 it had not been confirmed which route Loch Awe was destined to serve.

• Design A
  • Colintraive – Rhubodach, replacing MV Loch Dunvegan
  • Lochaline – Fishnish, replacing MV Lochinvar (to be cascaded elsewhere in the network)
  • Tayinloan – Gigha, replacing MV Loch Ranza
  • Tarbert (Loch Fyne) - Portavadie, replacing MV Isle of Cumbrae
  • Sconser – Raasay, replacing MV Hallaig (to be cascaded, probably to Cumbrae, to replace MV Loch Riddon as second summer vessel, with a possibility for a higher passenger capacity)
• Design B
  • Iona – Fionnphort, replacing MV Loch Buie
  • Tobermory – Kilchoan, replacing MV Loch Tarbert

References

1. "B621/1-7". Remontowa Shipbuilding. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
2. "Small Vessel Replacement Programme reaches next build milestone". Caledonian Maritime Assets. 23 December 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
3. "Small Vessel Replacement Programme (SVRP) Phase 2 – Public Engagement Events" (PDF). Caledonian Maritime Assets. January 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
4. "Small Vessel Replacement Programme PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WEBINAR NO 2" (PDF). Caledonian Maritime Assets. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
5. "Major Calmac Ferry Replacement Project Begins". NI Ferry Site. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
6. "Ferguson shipyard misses out on new CalMac ferry order". BBC News. 17 March 2025. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
7. "SVRP: Lead Bidder Identified for Small Vessels Contract". Caledonian Maritime Assets. 17 March 2025. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
8. "SVRP: Construction of seven small vessels gets underway". Caledonian Maritime Assets. 25 September 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
9. "Small Vessel Replacement Programme reaches next build milestone". Caledonian Maritime Assets. 23 December 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
10. "Names of 7 new CalMac electric ferries for Scotland Revealed". The National. 3 December 2025. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
11. "SVRP: Event presentations and storyboards (Colintraive–Rhubodach)" (PDF). Caledonian Maritime Assets. Third Quarter 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2026.