'Almost every island' facing disruption due to ferry shortage, warns CalMac

West coast ferry operator CalMac has said "almost every island served by a major vessel" is facing disruption as it grapples with an "unprecedented" shortage of ships.

Three large ferries - including its two newest vessels MV Glen Sannox and MV Isle of Islay - are still unavailable whilel faults are investigated, and four other ships are away for annual maintenance.

But some relief has come to Arran after a fourth major vessel, MV Caledonian Isles, was repaired and resumed services from Ardrossan.

The state-owned firm said it had established an incident management team which would be on hand throughout the weekend to help manage services and repairs.

CalMac chief executive Duncan Mackison said that despite repairs to Caledonian Isles and a smaller vessel, MV Coruisk, the operator was still dealing with an "unprecedented level of challenges on our network."

"This disruption is affecting virtually every island served by a major vessel and we are profoundly sorry for that," he added.

"We are doing what we can to restore these services as quickly as possible."

MV Glen Sannox, which sails to Arran from Troon, developed a problem with a flexible coupling in its exhaust system early on Thursday.

A quick repair allowed it to return for one sailing but the problem re-occurred so it has now been withdrawn until Tuesday for a permanent fix and checks to ensure it is available for Easter weekend.

A separate recurring issue with an engine warning light which began shortly after its return from annual maintenance in Merseyside is believed to have been remedied.

CalMac suspects it was due to incorrect oil levels and an electrical fault which have now been addressed.

MV Isle of Islay, the first of four new ferries built in Turkey, was meant to enter service on the Islay route on Friday but that has been pushed back until at least Monday.

A specialist engineer has been brought in to investigate an engine management system fault and other "snagging issues" are also being looked at.

MV Isle of Arran, a 42-year-old ship affectionately known as the Auld Trooper, has a problem with its fire suppression system.

Other faults have since been found with a coupling and a bow thruster, and it is likely to be out of action until early next week.

Four other vessels - MV Hebrides, MV Loch Frisa, MV Isle of Lewis and the chartered catamaran MV Alfred - are all away for scheduled maintenance or repairs.

Mackison said a decision would be taken on Sunday on whether the new ferry MV Isle of Islay was ready to start carrying its first passengers the following day.

He said: "We're making progress with MV Isle of Islay's outstanding snagging issues, and we're taking MV Glen Sannox off service until Tuesday to try and permanently resolve the exhaust issue.

"Our aim is to get services back to planned levels ahead of and during the upcoming Easter weekend and holidays, and we'll continue to keep island communities informed of our efforts to do so."