MV Isle of Arran
Encyclopedia
MV Isle of Arran is a ferry owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited
and operated on the west coast of Scotland
by Caledonian MacBrayne
. Built for the Arran service, she has more recently been at Kennacraig
and the winter relief vessel.
at the end of 1983. After fitting out, she made her way down to Gourock
, where she showed the flag and tested her bow ramp on the linkspan
. After further berthing trials at Ardrossan
and Brodick, she eventually took over the route on 13 April 1984 from , which itself had recently replaced the failed . She became a great asset to the Clyde-based fleet, with a crossing time to Arran of 55 minutes. Her winter relieving vessels included the MV Iona
of 1970 and even the elderly Glen Sannox.
However, by the turn of the decade, it was clear that Isle of Arran was becoming inadequate for the role for which she was built. Less than ten years after her launch she made way for the mighty and left for the Kennacraig
to Islay
crossings. Replacing , she brought drive-through capabilities to that route. Despite a much larger vehicle capacity, she could discharge a full load and take on another in the same, if not less time than the Claymore. Throughout the summer she made two or three return trips each day to Islay. On Wednesdays during high summer, her roster took her on past Port Askaig to Colonsay
and Oban
, returning to Kennacraig into the night. The winter months saw Claymore or Iona on the Islay sailings and Isle of Arran took on a general relief role for the other large vessels at Oban
, Ardrossan
, Ullapool
and Uig
. She saw service on the majority of the drive-through routes on the west coast, while continuing to have her own commitment to Islay during the summer. From the end of 1998, Clansman took the Arran and Lewis relief sailings and Isle of Arran relieved where needed.
With the introduction of on the "Uig triangle" in March 2001, moved south to become the regular Islay ship, and Isle of Arran became the spare vessel. An army charter took her from Ardrossan
to Campbeltown
in the autumn of 2001.
In 2002 she took up an experimental summer arrangement as a third large ship based in Oban, along with and MV Clansman. Isle of Arran was able to improve several routes, carrying out additional sailings on a new roster incorporating runs to Colonsay, Coll, Tiree, Barra, South Uist and Mull. A new weekly sailing on a Thursday took her to Scarinish on Tiree, through the Gunna Sound and across the Minch to Castlebay
for mid-afternoon before retracing her steps to arrive back in Oban late in the evening. This new duty was a big success with islanders and tourists alike. Isle of Arran pioneered this new duty roster but was to continue it in 2003, once the new arrived at Mallaig. The duty allocations were redefined with Clansman taking the majority of the Coll and Tiree sailings, and LOTI concentrating mainly on the Outer Isles and Colonsay.
2003 and 2004 saw Isle of Arran back at Islay for the high summer, partnering her replacement, on a two-ship roster. There was essentially double capacity on this route and Islay could still be served on a Wednesday, while Hebridean Isles was off to Colonsay and Oban. These additional sailings to Islay were marked as such in the timetable, and could be cancelled at short notice if the vessel was required elsewhere; Isle of Arran was still the relief vessel. Prior to the start of the 2004 season she spent a good deal of time in the James Watt Dock undergoing fairly major work to completely replace her car deck. At the end of that season she ventured north to Stornoway
, where she had previously begun a new duty – relief for the freight vessel . During this spell, idle on Lewis she was joined by the Clansman – herself relieving on the main ferry roster.
2005 saw Isle of Arran doing the back-up duties, with quite a number of calls to Oban, to cover for the Clansman, Lord of the Isles and the Isle of Mull at different times. Berthing trials at the new linkspan at Dunoon
, allowed her to relieve there while the Streakers were all at Rothesay
. The middle of the summer saw Isle of Arran handling all Islay traffic for a few days when Hebridean Isles went off to the Tiree and Outer Isles rosters in place of the broken down Clansman. As the season ended the Isle of Arran was once more on the Islay route, covering for the Hebridean Isles refit.
Isle of Arran has seen complete contrasts in her regular employment over the years - a ship which started out as the main ferry on a busy route and then was overwhelmed by her own success - redeployed to another route where she brought ro-ro capabilities and finally transferred to a new role which sees her as one of the most well-travelled members of the fleet. She remains a real workhorse providing an essential service.
In February 2010, Isle of Arran was involved in an incident where she struck her link span at Kennacraig
, whilst travelling at a speed of over 8 knots. No passengers or crew were harmed but there was damage to the vessel and her link span.
The small main entrance square lies between the aft cafeteria and the forward lounge and the bar lounge. A popular addition was the open foredeck, accessible under the bridge wings. Above the cafeteria is an open deck with red plastic seating.
Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited
Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited owns the ferries, ports, harbours and infrastructure for the ferry services serving the west coast of Scotland and the Clyde Estuary.CMAL is wholly owned by the Scottish Government, with Scottish Ministers as sole shareholders.-History:Until...
and operated on the west coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
by Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast...
. Built for the Arran service, she has more recently been at Kennacraig
Kennacraig
Kennacraig is a hamlet situated on West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, a few miles south of Tarbert on the Kintyre peninsula.Caledonian MacBrayne ferries sail from the terminal, on the rocky islet Eilean Ceann na Creige, to Port Ellen or Port Askaig on Islay and to Colonsay....
and the winter relief vessel.
History
MV Isle of Arran was launched on the ClydeRiver Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
at the end of 1983. After fitting out, she made her way down to Gourock
Gourock
Gourock is a town falling within the Inverclyde council area and formerly forming a burgh of the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It has in the past functioned as a seaside resort on the Firth of Clyde...
, where she showed the flag and tested her bow ramp on the linkspan
Linkspan
A linkspan or link-span is a type of drawbridge used mainly in the operation of moving vehicles on and off a RO-RO vessel or ferry.Linkspans are usually found at ferry terminals where a vessel uses a combination of ramps either at the stern, bow or side to load or unload cars, vans, trucks and...
. After further berthing trials at Ardrossan
Ardrossan
Ardrossan is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in south-western Scotland. The name "Ardrossan" describes its physical position — 'ard' from the Gaelic àird meaning headland, 'ros' a promontory and the diminutive suffix '-an' - headland of the little promontory...
and Brodick, she eventually took over the route on 13 April 1984 from , which itself had recently replaced the failed . She became a great asset to the Clyde-based fleet, with a crossing time to Arran of 55 minutes. Her winter relieving vessels included the MV Iona
MV Pentalina-B
MV Pentalina-B was a fast and extremely versatile ferry operated on a variety of Scottish routes. Launched in 1970 as MV Iona, she was the first drive-through roll-on/roll-off ferry built for the David MacBrayne Ltd fleet. She was the first ship in the company's history to have bridge-controlled...
of 1970 and even the elderly Glen Sannox.
However, by the turn of the decade, it was clear that Isle of Arran was becoming inadequate for the role for which she was built. Less than ten years after her launch she made way for the mighty and left for the Kennacraig
Kennacraig
Kennacraig is a hamlet situated on West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, a few miles south of Tarbert on the Kintyre peninsula.Caledonian MacBrayne ferries sail from the terminal, on the rocky islet Eilean Ceann na Creige, to Port Ellen or Port Askaig on Islay and to Colonsay....
to Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
crossings. Replacing , she brought drive-through capabilities to that route. Despite a much larger vehicle capacity, she could discharge a full load and take on another in the same, if not less time than the Claymore. Throughout the summer she made two or three return trips each day to Islay. On Wednesdays during high summer, her roster took her on past Port Askaig to Colonsay
Colonsay
Colonsay is an island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, located north of Islay and south of Mull and has an area of . It is the ancestral home of Clan Macfie and the Colonsay branch of Clan MacNeill. Aligned on a south-west to north-east axis, it measures in length and reaches at its widest...
and Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
, returning to Kennacraig into the night. The winter months saw Claymore or Iona on the Islay sailings and Isle of Arran took on a general relief role for the other large vessels at Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
, Ardrossan
Ardrossan
Ardrossan is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in south-western Scotland. The name "Ardrossan" describes its physical position — 'ard' from the Gaelic àird meaning headland, 'ros' a promontory and the diminutive suffix '-an' - headland of the little promontory...
, Ullapool
Ullapool
Ullapool is a small town of around 1,300 inhabitants in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest settlement for many miles around, and is a major tourist destination of Scotland. The North Atlantic Drift passes by Ullapool, bringing moderate temperatures...
and Uig
Uig, Skye
The village of Uig lies at the head of the sheltered inlet of Uig Bay on the west coast of the Trotternish peninsula on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Uig is situated partly on the raised beach around the head of the bay and partly on the steep slopes behind it...
. She saw service on the majority of the drive-through routes on the west coast, while continuing to have her own commitment to Islay during the summer. From the end of 1998, Clansman took the Arran and Lewis relief sailings and Isle of Arran relieved where needed.
With the introduction of on the "Uig triangle" in March 2001, moved south to become the regular Islay ship, and Isle of Arran became the spare vessel. An army charter took her from Ardrossan
Ardrossan
Ardrossan is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in south-western Scotland. The name "Ardrossan" describes its physical position — 'ard' from the Gaelic àird meaning headland, 'ros' a promontory and the diminutive suffix '-an' - headland of the little promontory...
to Campbeltown
Campbeltown
Campbeltown is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula. Originally known as Kinlochkilkerran , it was renamed in the 17th century as Campbell's Town after Archibald Campbell was granted the site in 1667...
in the autumn of 2001.
Castlebay
Castlebay is the main village and a community council area on the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It is located on the south coast of the island, and overlooks a bay in the Atlantic Ocean dominated by Kisimul Castle, as well as nearby islands such as Vatersay.- Church :The...
for mid-afternoon before retracing her steps to arrive back in Oban late in the evening. This new duty was a big success with islanders and tourists alike. Isle of Arran pioneered this new duty roster but was to continue it in 2003, once the new arrived at Mallaig. The duty allocations were redefined with Clansman taking the majority of the Coll and Tiree sailings, and LOTI concentrating mainly on the Outer Isles and Colonsay.
2003 and 2004 saw Isle of Arran back at Islay for the high summer, partnering her replacement, on a two-ship roster. There was essentially double capacity on this route and Islay could still be served on a Wednesday, while Hebridean Isles was off to Colonsay and Oban. These additional sailings to Islay were marked as such in the timetable, and could be cancelled at short notice if the vessel was required elsewhere; Isle of Arran was still the relief vessel. Prior to the start of the 2004 season she spent a good deal of time in the James Watt Dock undergoing fairly major work to completely replace her car deck. At the end of that season she ventured north to Stornoway
Stornoway
Stornoway is a burgh on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.The town's population is around 9,000, making it the largest settlement in the Western Isles and the third largest town in the Scottish Highlands after Inverness and Fort William...
, where she had previously begun a new duty – relief for the freight vessel . During this spell, idle on Lewis she was joined by the Clansman – herself relieving on the main ferry roster.
Dunoon
Dunoon is a resort town situated on the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll, Scotland. It sits on the Firth of Clyde to the south of Holy Loch and to the west of Gourock.-Waterfront:...
, allowed her to relieve there while the Streakers were all at Rothesay
Rothesay, Argyll and Bute
The town of Rothesay is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It can be reached by ferry from Wemyss Bay which offers an onward rail link to Glasgow. At the centre of the town is Rothesay Castle, a ruined castle which dates back to the 13th...
. The middle of the summer saw Isle of Arran handling all Islay traffic for a few days when Hebridean Isles went off to the Tiree and Outer Isles rosters in place of the broken down Clansman. As the season ended the Isle of Arran was once more on the Islay route, covering for the Hebridean Isles refit.
Isle of Arran has seen complete contrasts in her regular employment over the years - a ship which started out as the main ferry on a busy route and then was overwhelmed by her own success - redeployed to another route where she brought ro-ro capabilities and finally transferred to a new role which sees her as one of the most well-travelled members of the fleet. She remains a real workhorse providing an essential service.
In February 2010, Isle of Arran was involved in an incident where she struck her link span at Kennacraig
Kennacraig
Kennacraig is a hamlet situated on West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, a few miles south of Tarbert on the Kintyre peninsula.Caledonian MacBrayne ferries sail from the terminal, on the rocky islet Eilean Ceann na Creige, to Port Ellen or Port Askaig on Islay and to Colonsay....
, whilst travelling at a speed of over 8 knots. No passengers or crew were harmed but there was damage to the vessel and her link span.
Layout
Of drive-through design, Isle of Arran has an open plan car deck with space for 76 cars in 5 lanes. She is fitted with a bow visor and bow and stern ramps. The open stern allows her to carry tankers and other such vehicles at the same time as passengers. There is insufficient height for lorries and coaches down either side of the car deck due to a gallery deck. From the car deck it is necessary to go outside to access the passenger accommodation.The small main entrance square lies between the aft cafeteria and the forward lounge and the bar lounge. A popular addition was the open foredeck, accessible under the bridge wings. Above the cafeteria is an open deck with red plastic seating.
Service
| 1984 - 1993 | Ardrossan Ardrossan Ardrossan is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in south-western Scotland. The name "Ardrossan" describes its physical position — 'ard' from the Gaelic àird meaning headland, 'ros' a promontory and the diminutive suffix '-an' - headland of the little promontory... - Brodick |
| 1993 - 1998 | Kennacraig Kennacraig Kennacraig is a hamlet situated on West Loch Tarbert, Argyll, a few miles south of Tarbert on the Kintyre peninsula.Caledonian MacBrayne ferries sail from the terminal, on the rocky islet Eilean Ceann na Creige, to Port Ellen or Port Askaig on Islay and to Colonsay.... - Islay Islay -Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far... (summer) and winter relief |
| 1998 - 2001 | Kennacraig - Islay |
| 2002 | Oban Oban Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban... 3rd vessel |
| 2003 - 2007 | general relief and Islay 2nd summer vessel |
| since 2007 | Kennacraig - Islay |
See also
- Caledonian MacBrayne fleetCaledonian MacBrayne fleetThe Caledonian MacBrayne fleet is the largest fleet of car and passenger ferries in the United Kingdom. With 30 units in operation, the company provides lifeline services to 22 islands off the west coast of Scotland, as well as operating routes across the River Clyde.Caledonian MacBrayne vessels...
- Calmac website