Calmac / Northlink Ferry discussion

[Grinner]

I suspect they aren't cancelling the route as they have long-term future aspirations to run it again, but presumably once they've got a bit more stability within the fleet and they'll undertake some birthing trials with a couple of vessels other than the Isle of Aaron and resume

Finlaggan is only slightly larger than Isle of Arran, and will become available once the new Islay vessels are in service, so I would think she might be a possibility for the Campbeltown service for 2026.

 

[Indigo Soup]

Finlaggan is only slightly larger than Isle of Arran, and will become available once the new Islay vessels are in service, so I would think she might be a possibility for the Campbeltown service for 2026.

In principle anything in the CalMac fleet will fit into Campbeltown - the Ro-Ro berth has a maximum length of 120 metres and is cleared to 5 metres below chart datum, which exceeds the size of LOCH SEAFORTH. And HAMNAVOE, for that matter. In practice, the safety of the berthing operation would still need to be demonstrated before revenue service could start, though I doubt there'd be any issue.

I'd expect that the Campbeltown service will continue to be run by the second Arran ship once GLEN ROSA (and probably the four Turkish ships) enter service, rather than running a third ship out of Ardrossan or Troon.

 

[AlastairFraser]

An intimation has appeared on the Caledonian MacBrayne website stating the Ardrossan to Campbeltown service will not operate this summer. The reason is that the only major vessel which can operate into Campbeltown Harbour ( " Isle of Arran " ) is required to provide life line services on other parts of the network.

In all honesty, I understand why they have chosen to chop this one when you can still shorten the road route to Campbeltown by travelling via Troon/Ardrossan - Brodick and Lochranza - Claonaig with a car.

 

[43055]

Do we know what route the Isle of Arran will be doing this summer?

On that note, do we know what the second Cumbrae vessel will be this year?

Currently down to do:
Troon - Arran until 3rd March
Oban - Mull 8th March-2nd April
Kennacraig - Islay from 4th April (presumably until the Isle of Islay arrives).

Images below show the full plan for the other 'major' vessels shared on a public Facebook group.

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[paul1609]

In all honesty, I understand why they have chosen to chop this one when you can still shorten the road route to Campbeltown by travelling via Troon/Ardrossan - Brodick and Lochranza - Claonaig with a car.

Is there actually much demand these days for the Campbeltown route? Ive driven it loads of times but never been on the ferry. Even the Citylink bus manages to get there from Buchanan Street in around 4 hours with a lengthy fag stop. I reckon by car you could do it in around 3 hours its only 135 miles. I can understand people wanting to hold on to these old traditions but I think the subsidy would be better used elsewhere on Calmac or even sorting out the road at rest and be thankfull.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Is there actually much demand these days for the Campbeltown route? Ive driven it loads of times but never been on the ferry. Even the Citylink bus manages to get there from Buchanan Street in around 4 hours with a lengthy fag stop. I reckon by car you could do it in around 3 hours its only 135 miles. I can understand people wanting to hold on to these old traditions but I think the subsidy would be better used elsewhere on Calmac or even sorting out the road at rest and be thankfull.

You've identified that the road route is poor quality. Campbeltown does need a non-road alternative (and if one of those is not a direct connection to Glasgow, it may be useful). They currently have the Loganair flight into Glasgow, but if that and the ferry went, connections would be difficult.
I suspect the ferry may survive in future with flights in the winter as part of an environmental drive.

 

[thejuggler]

Is there actually much demand these days for the Campbeltown route? Ive driven it loads of times but never been on the ferry. Even the Citylink bus manages to get there from Buchanan Street in around 4 hours with a lengthy fag stop. I reckon by car you could do it in around 3 hours its only 135 miles. I can understand people wanting to hold on to these old traditions but I think the subsidy would be better used elsewhere on Calmac or even sorting out the road at rest and be thankfull.

Roads carry more than people in cars. All towns and cities rely on freight deliveries and there are 2-3 new whisky distilleries planned in the area making products I'll be keen to try!

 

[Indigo Soup]

Is there actually much demand these days for the Campbeltown route? Ive driven it loads of times but never been on the ferry. Even the Citylink bus manages to get there from Buchanan Street in around 4 hours with a lengthy fag stop. I reckon by car you could do it in around 3 hours its only 135 miles. I can understand people wanting to hold on to these old traditions but I think the subsidy would be better used elsewhere on Calmac or even sorting out the road at rest and be thankfull.

It isn't a particularly old route, in fact: it was started as in 2013 as a trial for three years, and proved sufficiently popular that it was taken forward. There's an ambition to make it year-round once the new ships are in full service.

 

[paul1609]

Roads carry more than people in cars. All towns and cities rely on freight deliveries and there are 2-3 new whisky distilleries planned in the area making products I'll be keen to try!

As it happens most of my road trips to Cambeltown were doing my emergency road tanker driver training from Grangemouth so Im pretty au fait with the nature of the route despite living at the other end of the country. Did the ferry ever actually carry any road freight or was it almost entirely tourist orientated? i suspect the nature of road haulage costs means the ferry would need to be free to attract any hgv traffic.

 

[Indigo Soup]

i suspect the nature of road haulage costs means the ferry would need to be free to attract any hgv traffic.

The restrictions on carrying dangerous goods would probably make it nonviable for a lot of traffic even if it was free. Historically, dangerous goods for Arran has had to go the long way around as the Ardrossan ferries couldn't take petrol tankers, gas canisters etc.

 

[Southsider]

The restrictions on carrying dangerous goods would probably make it nonviable for a lot of traffic even if it was free. Historically, dangerous goods for Arran has had to go the long way around as the Ardrossan ferries couldn't take petrol tankers, gas canisters etc.

That was down to the enclosed car deck on Caledonian Isles. Isle of Arran, Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa have open car decks.

 

[Albaman]

According to the Caledonian MacBrayne website, MV " Caledonian Isles " is now expected to re-enter service at the end of May 2025.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Well, let's hope it happens or they're going to struggle over the summer again, especially if one of the other larger ones breaks down