2 ferries for Brodick - Ardrossan route as MV Alfred enters service
The Arran- Ardrossan ferry route is set to have a 2 ferry service again.
Last updated 12th May 2023
The Ardrossan to Brodick ferry route is set to have a two-vessel service again.
The MV Alfred – a catamaran that has served the Orkney Islands – will enter service on Friday 12 May.
The Scottish Government has provided £9m for the loan of the vessel, owned by Orkney-based Pentland Ferries, on a nine-month basis.
CalMac bosses say the new ferry will focus on resilience to allow the notoriously disrupted route between Arran and the mainland to return a sense of reliability to the local community.
The MV Alfred will start on a non-bookable, turn up and go basis for the first two weeks to allow for familiarisation and to see if the passage time and turnaround times are realistic.
It will run two return services a day.
No-frills service
However, due to the focus of the service being on resilience, the ferry operator says onboard catering will not be provided on the MV Alfred.
They have also stated that they will be assessing other service routes as it continues to operate on the southwest coast of Scotland, and have warned it could be redeployed elsewhere if there are other issues with the CalMac fleet.
Robbie Drummond, Chief Executive of CalMac, said: “We very much welcome the introduction into service of MV Alfred and the resilience that she will offer.
“Her addition should mitigate the impact of disruption or when certain islands are reduced to single vessel service.
“The main route to and from Arran has been operating with one vessel for some time, so the addition of MV Alfred will provide much-needed support to the local community.”
The timetable of the new ferry can be viewed here.