CalMac reveals timeline for all major vessels to return to service following 'challenging' few weeks

CalMac has revealed a timeline for all major vessel routes to return to service after a number of ferries required repairs.

MV Hebrides is due to return to service on the Little Minch on Wednesday afternoon following work to address a leak on her bow visor seal, which came at the end of her planned annual overhaul.

By the end of this week, CalMac expects all major vessel routes to have planned levels of service.

It comes after CalMac experienced a “challenging” few weeks after a third of its ferry fleet was out of service last month.

Usual vessels will now be in place on Coll, Colonsay, Mull, South Uist and Tiree, the ferry company said.

All other routes served by major vessels are already operating normally.

However MV Isle of Lewis and MV Finlaggan are still to return from planned overhauls taking place this month.

CalMac CEO Duncan Mackison said: “The return of MV Hebrides gets us back to a welcome stable service across the routes served by major vessels and allows us to restore planned service levels to five islands.

“This includes an increase in capacity and resilience to Coll, Tiree and Colonsay, greater capacity on Mull and the restoration of a direct service to South Uist.

“The past few weeks have been immensely challenging, and my sincere thanks go to my hardworking colleagues at CalMac, and to people across the island coastal communities we serve who have been very understanding and supportive of the scale of that challenge.

“We still have two major vessels due to return from planned overhauls this month, MV Isle of Lewis and MV Finlaggan, and that will mark the end of our annual maintenance programme and further bolster the fleet.”

MV Isle of Lewis, which had her drydock extended by three months for additional steelwork, is due to undertake sea trials later this week.

CalMac will confirm whether she can return to service earlier than planned, originally slated by the end of May, following those trials.