MV Loch Tarbert is a Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited

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...

 ro-ro car ferry, built in 1992 and currently operated 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...

. She has spent her whole career on the seasonal Claonaig

Claonaig

Claonaig is a small village on the east coast of the Kintyre peninsula in western Scotland, linked to Lochranza on the Isle of Arran by ferry .From Claonaig, Tarbert is 10 miles away via the minor B8001 road and the A83...

 – Lochranza

Lochranza

Lochranza is a village located on the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The population, somewhat in decline, is around 200 people....

 crossing.

Layout

Loch Tarbert is a variant on 's design. Her car deck has capacity for 18 cars. Passenger accommodation for 150 passengers is in a starboard lounge and on two outer decks. A large funnel on the opposite side to her wheelhouse is painted in CalMac livery.

Service

MV Loch Tarbert replaced on the seasonal Claonaig

Claonaig

Claonaig is a small village on the east coast of the Kintyre peninsula in western Scotland, linked to Lochranza on the Isle of Arran by ferry .From Claonaig, Tarbert is 10 miles away via the minor B8001 road and the A83...

 – Lochranza

Lochranza

Lochranza is a village located on the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The population, somewhat in decline, is around 200 people....

 crossing in July 1992. She has operated this crossing in summers ever since. In winters she has relieved at Fishnish

Fishnish

Fishnish is a ferry terminal for the ferry on the Isle of Mull, roughly half way between Tobermory and Craignure. It is owned and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne...

, Colintraive

Colintraive

Colintraive is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Ferries sail between Colintraive and Rhubodach on the Isle of Bute. It is located on the Kyles of Bute or Loch Riddon on the west coast of the Cowal peninsula...

 and Largs

Largs

Largs is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" in Scottish Gaelic....

. She provided additional dangerous loads sailings from Largs

Largs

Largs is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" in Scottish Gaelic....

 to Lochranza

Lochranza

Lochranza is a village located on the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The population, somewhat in decline, is around 200 people....

 until the service from Tarbert

Tarbert, Argyll and Bute

Tarbert is a village in Scotland. It is built around East Loch Tarbert, an inlet of Loch Fyne, and extends over the isthmus which links the peninsula of Kintyre to Knapdale and West Loch Tarbert...

 to Arran

Isle of Arran

Arran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and with an area of is the seventh largest Scottish island. It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire and the 2001 census had a resident population of 5,058...

 started.

In early 1996, she opened the new Otternish

Otternish

Otternish is the former North Uist terminal for the ferry to Berneray. The slipway lies 6 miles north of Lochmaddy. When the causeway was completed in December 1998, the slipway was no longer needed. Ancient human remains were found here in 1870....

 – Leverburgh

Leverburgh

Leverburgh is the second largest village, after Tarbert, on the island of Harris in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.-History:In his 30's, English businessman William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme had taken a boat trip and fallen in love with the Western Isles of Scotland...

 route across the Sound of Harris

Sound of Harris

The Sound of Harris is a channel between the islands of Harris and North Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.-Geography:Approximately in width, the Sound of Harris provides the main sea passage through the Hebridean archipelago, from the Atlantic Ocean to The Minch. There are many islands and...

, awaiting new .
During a seaman's strike in 2000, Arran traffic was diverted to the Loch Fyne

Loch Fyne

Loch Fyne is a sea loch on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It extends inland from the Sound of Bute, making it the longest of the sea lochs...

 and Claonaig

Claonaig

Claonaig is a small village on the east coast of the Kintyre peninsula in western Scotland, linked to Lochranza on the Isle of Arran by ferry .From Claonaig, Tarbert is 10 miles away via the minor B8001 road and the A83...

 crossings. Loch Tarbert was joined by to cope with the traffic.

At the end of recent summers, Loch Tarbert has moved to Tarbert

Tarbert, Argyll and Bute

Tarbert is a village in Scotland. It is built around East Loch Tarbert, an inlet of Loch Fyne, and extends over the isthmus which links the peninsula of Kintyre to Knapdale and West Loch Tarbert...

 to start a winter service to Portavadie

Portavadie

Portavadie is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.The Portavadie complex was built with the help of local labour from the fishing village 'Tarbert' that lay due west across Loch Fyne. The locals from Tarbert who worked there were told that oil had been found on the west shores Loch...

, with a lunchtime sailing to Arran. The service is usually taken over by one of the smaller Loch Class. Loch Tarbert usually relieves at Largs

Largs

Largs is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" in Scottish Gaelic....

, but spends most of the winter as a spare vessel.