CMAL takes delivery of Isle of Islay in Turkey

CMAL Ferries has taken delivery of its newest vessel, Isle of Islay, at a handover ceremony at Cemre Marin Endustri in Yalova, Turkey.

The ferry is the first of four ferries to be built for the Scottish operatorby the shipyard. It has capacity for up to 450 passengers and 100 cars, or 14 commercial vehicles.

“The vessel’s arrival, and the subsequent arrival of its sister vessels, will enhance resilience across the whole major vessel fleet and increase our capability to provide consistent, reliable services for multiple island communities,” said Duncan Mackison, CEO of CalMac.

Isle of Islay has been given Maritime Coastguard Agency approval and passenger certification and will spend the next two weeks travelling from the Sea of Marmara to Scotland. Once in Scotland, Isle of Islay will undergo a period of crew familiarisation and local operational trials before entering service, sailing routes between the Scottish Hebridean islands of Islay and Jura.

“Taking ownership of the Isle of Islay marks a great step forward in our plan to rejuvenate the Scottish ferry fleet,” said Kevin Hobbs, chief executive at CMAL. “Its arrival in Scotland and subsequent entry into service will be welcomed by the island communities. The team at Cemre have worked tirelessly to deliver this vessel under difficult global circumstances, and we’ll continue to work closely with them as they finish the sister vessel, Loch Indaal, and subsequent ferries Lochmor and Claymore, destined for the Skye Triangle.”

“The formal handover of the MV Isle of Islay from Cemre to CMAL is an important milestone in the delivery of improvements to our lifeline ferry services,” said Fiona Hyslop, cabinet secretary for transport in the Scottish Government. “Full focus is now on preparing the vessel for entry into service for the benefit of our island communities and businesses as soon as possible. Isle of Islay is the first of the four new Islay-class vessels set to serve Scotland’s ferry network, underlining the Scottish Government’s commitment to investing in our fleet and related port infrastructure. I very much look forward to Isle of Islay entering service in the coming weeks.”…Read more by Laura Hyde