The Caledonian MacBrayne fleet is the largest fleet of car and passenger ferries in the United Kingdom, with 34 ferries in operation, 2 on charter and another 6 on order. 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 Argyle is a ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne on the route between Wemyss Bay on the Scottish mainland and Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. She is the seventh Clyde ship to have the name Argyle.
MV Jupiter was a passenger and vehicle ferry in the fleet of Caledonian MacBrayne in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. She was the oldest of three "streakers" and the third River Clyde ship to bear the name 'Jupiter'. Her open car deck was accessible by stern and side ramps ro-ro. She entered service in 1974, and operated the Gourock to Dunoon crossing for much of her career. In 2006, she became the oldest vessel in the CalMac fleet and continued in service with them until 2010. Jupiter was sold for breaking in 2011.
MV Isle of Cumbrae is a Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited ro-ro car ferry, built in 1976 and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne. For ten years she was at Largs and operated the Loch Fyne crossing from 1999 to 2014. She was replaced by the MV Lochinvar in 2014, a new diesel-electric hybrid ferry capable of holding 23 cars and 150 passengers. She returned to Tarbert in 2016 after MV Lochinvar was moved to the Mallaig - Armadale station. She is now the oldest vessel in the Calmac fleet.
MV Juno was a passenger and vehicle ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne on the Firth of Clyde, Scotland between 1974 and 2007. She was the middle of three vessels nicknamed "streakers", the first in the Calmac fleet to be fitted with Voith Schneider Propellers. Juno left service in early 2007 and was laid up at Rosneath for 4 years. On 18 May 2011, she was beached there for scrapping and was gone by the end of July.
MV Lochmor was the David MacBrayne Ltd Outer Isles mail steamer from 1930 until 1964. She was superseded by a new generation of car ferries.
MV Lochiel was the Islay mailboat operated by David MacBrayne Ltd from 1939 until 1970. Sinking in West Loch Tarbert in 1960, she was refloated and repaired. She became MacBrayne's last surviving mailboat, seeing out her life as a floating bar in Bristol.
MV Loch Seaforth was the Stornoway mailboat operated by David MacBrayne Ltd, from 1947 until 1972. Running aground and sinking in 1973, she blocked the Tiree pier, until removed for scrapping.
MV Maid of Argyll was a passenger ferry operated by Caledonian Steam Packet Company, initially based at Craigendoran. Rendered redundant by the car ferry revolution, she was sold to Greek owners in 1975. She caught fire in 1997 and was left to decay.
MV Maid of Skelmorlie was a passenger ferry operated by Caledonian Steam Packet Company from 1953. Rendered redundant by the car ferry revolution, she was sold to Italian owners in 1973. After conversion to stern-loading, she operated, as Ala in the Bay of Naples for 20 years.
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.
MV Claymore (II) was David MacBrayne's last mail boat built in 1955. She served on the Inner Isles Mail on the west coast of Scotland until 1972. Subsequently sold for day cruising in the Greek Islands until 1993, she sank at her mooring in 2000.
TS King George V was a pioneering Clyde passenger turbine steamer, built in 1926. She was a popular boat, seeing service to Inveraray and later based in Oban, and withdrawn in 1974.
TS Queen Alexandra was a MacBrayne turbine steamer built in 1912 and operating cruises on the Clyde. Following extensive modifications, in 1935, as Saint Columba, she took over the "Royal Route" from Glasgow to Ardrishaig until scrapped in 1958.
MV Lochnevis was a MacBrayne mail steamer, built in 1934 for the West Highland service. She was withdrawn in 1969, sold to Dutch owners in 1970 and scrapped in 1974.
MV Lochearn was a mail steamer operated by David MacBrayne from Oban to Barra and South Uist from 1930 until 1955. She then became the Sound of Mull mail steamer until 1964, when she was superseded by a new generation of car ferry and sold for further service in the Greek Islands.
SS Lochness was a David MacBrayne Ltd mail steamer launched in 1929. She served Stornoway until 1947 and as relief vessel until 1955. As Myrtidiotissa, she survived in the Aegean until the 1970s.
MV Lochinvar is a pioneering diesel electric hybrid ferry built for Caledonian MacBrayne. Initially, she operated between Tarbert and Portavadie, was moved to the Mallaig to Armadale route in 2016 and currently operates on the Lochaline to Fishnish route. She is one of only three passenger and vehicle roll-on, roll-off ferries in the world to incorporate a low-carbon hybrid system of diesel electric and lithium ion battery power and is the second hybrid ferry commissioned and owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets. The ferries are sea-going and are 43.5 m (143 ft) long, accommodating 150 passengers, 23 cars or two HGVs. The first ferry, MV Hallaig, entered service on the Sconser to Raasay route in October 2013. The third sister ship, MV Catriona, entered service in 2016.
MV Catriona is a pioneering diesel electric hybrid passenger and vehicle roll-on, roll-off ferry built for Caledonian MacBrayne for the Claonaig–Lochranza crossing. She is the third hybrid ferry commissioned and owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets, one of three such ferries in the world to incorporate a low-carbon hybrid system of diesel electric and lithium ion battery power. The ferries are sea-going and are nearly 46 metres (150 ft) long, accommodating 150 passengers, 23 cars or two HGVs.