CalMac hired ferry, MV Alfred, confirmed for Western Isles sailings

MV Alfred is due to pick up North Uist sailings from Friday CalMac has confirmed.

The vessel will operate a twice daily Tarbert - Lochmaddy link to support a vital supply line for Uist.

The latest plan is to deploy the Alfred to ensure lifeline connections between Lewis/ Harris and Uist.

With the looming prospect of the rest of the season being dominated by widespread cancelled sailings on the Berneray - Leverburgh link, CalMac is faced with the problem of ensuring people, health and emergency personnel, foodstuffs, and essential supplies get through to Uist and Barra.

Sailings have regularly been cancelled over days on end - creating backlogs of stranded traffic - since an engine breakdown manifested on Sound of Harris vessel, MV Loch Portain. Passenger-only travel has been provided by a hired boat, weather permitting.

In favourable weather conditions, MV Loch Portain will continue to operate first come first served however this will be managed on a day-by-day basis.

The Alfred was recently ruled out for the Stornoway - Ullapool service.

But Hebrides News reported berthing trials were carried out to evaluate deployment of the ship on a substitute Tarbert - Lochmaddy sailing while the Sound the Harris route is regularly hit by outages.

Lochmaddy was previously tested by MV Alfred in April but a second berthing trial was instructed as pier dimensions have altered following improvement works.

The 85-metre-long ship - hired from Pentland Ferries at a cost of £1 million a month - will sail northwards to take up station at Tarbert.

A sizeable amount of inter-island trade depend upon the Leverburgh - Berneray link with many essential goods and services transported in a north to south direction for Uist and Barra.

Over the past weeks, a series of mass cancellations caused by a significant engine fault on MV Loch Portain resulted in severe disruption.

An ongoing issue with the Loch Portain means it can only operate on three out of four engines, and it is not able to run to its normal weather limitations.

CalMac hired ferry, MV Alfred, confirmed for Western Isles sailings

8 November 2023