The cost of completing three CalMac ferries being built at Turkey’s Cemre shipyard has increased by about £20 million, while their delivery dates have slipped again. The vessels are intended to strengthen west-coast services and reduce pressure on CalMac’s ageing fleet, so the delays prolong reliability concerns for island communities.

MV Loch Indaal is now expected in October 2026, roughly 20 months later than planned; MV Lochmor and MV Claymore are due in the first and second quarters of 2027 respectively. CMAL formally took ownership of the unfinished vessels in June to safeguard public investment, and says it is working with the yard and suppliers to secure the earliest possible completion; only one of four ships ordered from Cemre, MV Isle of Islay, has entered service, more than a year late.