Ferries

This page will contain the first hand account of the writer and his experience of ferries, including the Argyll to Antrim campaign to restart that service – which was, and is critical to the two economies on either side of the North Channel.

MV Sound of Islay: Commissioned By Friend, Mentor & Fellow Company Director John Rose

This ship inaugurated the car ferry service between Argyll & Antrim in 1970 & ran until 1973. In 1988 John Rose & I commenced efforts to restart the route with the incorporation of the new company, Argyll Ferries (Mull of Kintyre) Ltd.

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Before the anonymous armchair social media critics blog inaccurate comment elsewhere please reflect on whether you have gone to the effort to persuade 3,323 people to sign a petition supporting CalMac? I am more than happy to debate with anyone who doesn’t hide behind an anonymous web-forum name about supporting CalMac and the issues challenging the iconic Scottish ferry company.

Click Here To View Ferry Petition SUPPORTING CalMac

Petition PE188
Petition calling for the Scottish Parliament to enable Caledonian MacBrayne the state owned Scottish Ferry company to take over the Campbeltown to Ballycastle route which is critically important to the fragile economies of Argyll and Antrim. Petitioner: Mr Russ McLean

Click Here To View Covering Letter To Scottish Parliament SUPPORTING CalMac

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The full account of what happened in relation to restarting the Argyll-Antrim ferry service; to our campaign supporting CalMac to run this route; then the problems with our efforts in buying MV Pioneer from CalMac. The subsequent actions to find a solution whereby islanders have fair ferry services is still ongoing, 38 years after the company my friend, John Rose and I, incorporated.

CalMac Enigma

Thankfully, CalMac did come round to the idea of helping out the fragile economies of Argyll and Ardrossan by pacing on a ferry service between these two harbour towns

Sadly, the lack of “major unit” vessels, caused by the 7 years it has taken to build MV Glen Sannox has meant the loss of many local jobs and ghe lack of any “spare” major-unit ferries to keep the Campbeltown-Ardrossan service operating. Much to the distress of local folk..

Fortunately, in 2026/2027 plans to replace the smaller “Loch” class ferry as operated by CalMac will release several excellent ferries that can GUARANTEE a ferry service from Campbeltown.

Though it will be a new service between Campbeltown and Blackwaterfoot on the island of Arran, with a “through” ticket from Brodick (Arran) to Ardrossan.

If CalMac are disinclined to guarantee this new, viable route, then the HNW funding is in place for a private ferry operator to run the new Campbeltown-Blackwaterfoot ferry service…

^^ MV Loch Tarbert At Lochranza (North Arran) ^^

The proposal, given the chronic senior management problems at CalMac + Transport Scotland + CMAL + Fergusson Shipbuilders that have impacted so adversely on the reliability of the main Ardrossan~Brodick ferry service, the “back-door” service at Lochranza~Claonaig has helped save the economy of the island of Arran.

So the proposal is to ADD a second service (NOT replace Lochranza~Claonaig) and for the benefit of the Campbeltown + Arran + Ardrossan economies, the proposal is to respectfully ask CalMac to start a new Campbeltown~Blackwaterfoot ferry root, with onward ticket from Brodick to Ardrossan…

^^ The Proposed Treble AAA ^^
^^ Tourism & Local Amenity Ferry Service ^^

Argyll ~ Arran ~ Ayr

Ferry Service

Here in this following video, is a “Loch” class ferry berthing at Lochranza slipway.

A very similar slipway could be built south of Blackwaterfoot ~ (south so as not to overly disturb the gentle ebb and flow of village life).

Whilst on the other side of the Kilbrannan Sound is an unused ferry terminal and slipway, the responsibility of which used to fall, in part on the author of these words when he served as a harbourmaster at this location.

For the purposes of this narrative, here is the Lochranza slipway on the island of Arran and MV Loch Tarbert illustrating what a new slipway south of Blackwaterfoot would look like. It is worth remembering this would go a long way to restoring jobs and the economies of island of Arran, plus Kintyre and Ayrshire…

If CalMac Ferries and/or ferry owner CMAL Ltd., are unwilling to introduce this new Campbeltown~Blackwaterfoot ferry service, the subscribers, consisting of experienced master mariners, chief engineers, shipowners and locally born and bred HNW financiers are more than happy to purchase three of the soon-to-be-sold “Loch” class ferries from CalMac/CMAL and start the route themselves.

BUT ONLY of a majority or residents at Argyll + Arran + Ayf vote for this service.

More news soon.

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We will be including a précis of the proposed new Campbeltown~Blackwaterfoot service here in due course…

Argyll ~ Arran ~ Ayr

Ferry Service

Please check back soon for more details. Thank you. This can be done by Googling just two words…

CalMac Enigma

MV Lochmor – Photo Copyright Russ McLean

Rather than just write about these matters, the subscribers actually went out and bought, plus certified a Class IIa ferry up to full UK Registry of Shipping and MCA standards.