MV Corran's return delayed - again

The return of the main Corran Ferry across Loch Linnhe, the MV Corran, has been delayed again until the end of August, The Highland Council has announced.

 

The 23-year-old MV Corran went away for its overhaul since October 2022, and has yet to come back. The smaller, 48 year-old back up vessel, the MV Maid of Glencoul, broke down at Easter and did not return for two months. It then broke down again for a week, returning on June 28.

 

The Maid is currently the sole vessel serving the peninsular communities of Ardgour, Morvern, Sunart, and Ardnarmurchan, and the Isle of Mull, via the Ro-Ro CalMac ferry from Lochaline to Fishnish - a vital link when CalMac ferries between Oban and Craignure are disrupted.

 

The Highland Council, which runs Scotland's busiest single vessel route, has pushed back the MV Corran return date several times this year. The vessel was expected back in mid August, according to its update in June. In this week's paper, we reported local concerns that the MV Corran would not be back by this date.

 

Today (August 3) The Highland Council said there would be a further two week delay. "Unfortunately, due to capacity constraints at the boat yard, the MV Corran vessel is unlikely to be ready to return to service before the end of August," a spokesperson said.

 

"The Highland Council is working to a return of the vessel as soon as possible but until then, the Maid of Glencoul vessel will continue providing the daily car and passenger ferry service across the Corran Narrows in Lochaber.

 

"The council will provide more details for the return of the MV Corran once a definitive programme for her return to service can be confirmed. Until then the Council thanks the ferry staff providing the current service and the local communities for their understanding."

 

This week we reported that The Highland Council is advertising four jobs to “stabilise” and “maintain” the Corran Ferry service across Loch Linnhe, following “resignations and retirements”.

 

The Corran Ferry operator, The Highland Council, is now advertising for four permanent jobs – two ferry forepersons, a ferry engineer, and a ferry purser/boatmaster – with a closing date of August 14.

 

A council spokesperson said: “There have been changes in the crew and day-to-day management due to resignations and retirements therefore we need to re-enforce the team, to ensure that we stabilise the current situation and maintain service delivery.”