VIDEO: Glen Sannox walkthrough as CalMac boss says 'lessons have been learned'

CalMac chief executive Duncan Mackison admitted there was a “big sigh of relief” as the vessel formally entered service - and insisted important lessons have been learned from the fiasco that has seen the boat arrive seven years late and run wildly over budget.

Mr Mackison was asked if lessons from the building of the Glen Sannox could be learned to help bring the Glen Rosa into service quicker. 

He said: “We’d certainly like to do that and there have been lots of lessons learned, not just about the construction of the vessels and how best to do that, but also bringing them into service and how they operate when they are in service.

“So we are optimistic that will add some value to this process.”

As previously mentioned, several of CalMac’s ferry services were cancelled on Monday due to the weather, but the Sannox was still able to sail.

Mr Mackison said that was because it was a “modern” and “resilient vessel”. 

Asked what it meant for Arran, he said: “I think for the people that live on Arran it really means two things.

“It means a modern, large vessel with a lot of capacity, and secondly, perhaps more importantly, it means a more resilient vessel, a vessel which is able to sail in more challenging conditions.”

The CalMac chief added that the Glen Sannox’s dual fuel system were both working well, describing the system as “reliable, flexible and easy to operate”.

Scotland’s transport secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said: “The initial entry into service of the MV Glen Sannox from Troon is very welcome news. This will support the people and economy of Arran, as well as enhancing resilience on the wider ferry network due to cascade of other vessels."

“As with any new vessel, the first few months of service will allow crew and passengers to fully experience the facilities and performance while CalMac continues to monitor systems, making changes and fixing any issues where required.

“The longer term plans for deployment of MV Glen Rosa and additional improvements to port facilities will also benefit communities in Ayrshire as well as Arran, and I look forward to updates on progress over the next few months.”