A NEW ferry built for Scotland’s Little Minch routes was launched on Saturday at the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Yalova, Turkey.
MV Lochmor is the first of two ships that will operate between Uig on Skye, Tarbert (Harris), and Lochmaddy (North Uist), increasing service from one vessel to two.
“Communities and businesses in Skye, Harris and North Uist will prosper with these new vessels in service,” Duncan Mackison, chief executive of CalMac, said.
“The uplift in capacity and reliability MV Lochmor and MV Claymore will bring is long overdue.”
MV Lochmor can carry up to 450 passengers and 100 cars, or 14 commercial vehicles, significantly boosting capacity on the route.
The ferry was officially launched by Kay MacLeod, a long-serving CalMac employee at the Tarbert terminal.
Mackison said that the vessel is one of 12 new ferries due to join the fleet by 2029, adding: “I am delighted that, in Kay MacLeod, MV Lochmor has been launched by a long-standing CalMac employee who has a steadfast commitment to the islands this vessel will serve.
"Kay (below), who has been with CalMac for more than three decades, was the perfect candidate to mark this milestone in recognition for the hard work that she and other local colleagues put in to providing a reliable service on our Uig-Tarbert-Lochmaddy route."
“The communities to be served by these vessels will notice a significant improvement in capacity and reliability when MV Lochmor comes into service,” he said.
Transport Scotland provided £115 million for the Little Minch ferries project in 2022, which also includes port upgrades to accommodate the new designs.
The construction contract was officially awarded to Cemre Marin Endustri later that year amid controversies about delays to two CalMac ferries being built in Port Glasgow, which were severely delayed and overbudget.
MV Lochmor is one of four standardised ferries being built at the Turkish shipyard as part of a wider investment in Scotland’s ferry network.
The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, said: “I’m delighted to see the successful launch of the MV Lochmor.
“It marks another significant milestone in our efforts to renew the ferry fleet serving the Clyde and Hebrides network.”
Hyslop said that the Scottish Government is committed to delivering a two-vessel service connecting Uig, Tarbert and Lochmaddy, with improvements to frequency, capacity and resilience.
Following the launch, MV Lochmor will undergo outfitting and system installation ahead of sea trials. The vessel is scheduled to arrive in Scotland in late 2026.
Once in Scotland, crew training and local operational testing will take place before officially entering service.
A community event will be held in Tarbert next year to allow residents and stakeholders to tour the new ship.
MV Isle of Islay, the first of the four vessels built at Cemre, will be the first to enter service later this year.
CMAL says it continues to work closely with Cemre and CalMac to ensure delivery of all four ships as soon as possible.
