By Professor John Robertson, Talking-up Scotland’s International Ferry Correspondent and Factchecker

In the Herald today:

Six of CalMac’s ageing ferry fleet were placed out of action at the weekend as a new breakdown ‘calamity’ has deepened.

Thirty-three-year-old MV Loch Buie, the 11-year-old pioneering diesel electric hybrid ferry MV Lochinvar and CalMac’s oldest ferry 48-year-old MV Isle of Cumbrae, joined MV Caledonian Isles, MV Loch Shira and MV Isle of Lewis on the sidelines since Friday as a new wave of problems hit the state-owned ferry company’s fleet.

Here’s the thing. State-owned and because it is, CalMac has the resources to deal with this and cause minimal disruption.

Over the weekend, CalMac delivered 99.7% reliability on Sunday and on 93.1% on Saturday.

On the Saturday, 35 out of 507 sailings were cancelled but 14 of those were merely reductions in the planned 62 sailings from Gourock to Dunoon. There were still 48 sailings on in one day!

Another two cancellations were from the 20, from Fishnish to Lochaline (population 200).

18 cancellations were from the planned 30 to tiny Iona (population 120) from Fionnphort on Mull.

That leaves 1 – from Castlebay (Barra) to Oban. Not exactly a lifeline daily commute.

4 out of 37 services affected but not completely.

The other 33 including the major Arran, Rothesay, Islay, Mull and Lewis services? 100%.

Source: https://www.calmac.co.uk/calmac-performance-data-browser?date=27%2F04%2F2024