THE return of CalMac's MV Caledonian Isles ferry to the Ardrossan to Arran route has been delayed again due to a last-minute issue picked up during sea trials.
The ferry has been out of action since January 2024 due to a series of faults found in its annual overhaul.
It was initially meant to return to service on Thursday, but this was postponed until Friday due to adverse weather conditions.
However, the return of the Caley Isles has been delayed again "due to issues picked up during sea trials".
The ferry operator said that while trials have gone well, a "gearbox issue relating to pressure levels" still needs to be resolved.
Once the issue is fixed, the vessel will need to go undergo sea trials again before it can return to service.
The MV Caledonian Isles will not be back in service before Tuesday, June 17 at the earliest. CalMac said it would provide an update on June 16.
In the meantime, the MV Glen Sannox and MV Alfred will continue to provide a two-vessel replacement service from Troon until further notice.
A CalMac spokesperson said: “Whilst this will be disappointing news, a two-vessel service from Troon will remain in place for now, to ensure Arran has a reliable service with appropriate capacity.
“We carry out sea trials to identify and address issues and that is what we’ve done here. It’s been a long road to get to this point with MV Caledonian Isles and, in the context of where we’ve been, we are still confident we will see her carrying passengers between Ardrossan and Brodick imminently.”
