MV Loch Seaforth is understood to be on track to resume the Stornoway - Ullapool route on Monday night.
Successful sea trials put her engines through their paces and they performed satisfactorily, providing Cal Mac sufficient confidence to aim at reinstating the vessel onto the Minch service.
However, crucial inspections of her engines are being carried out now she has completed 50 hours of testing at sea following the fitting of new components.
Examination of the engine units will continue into Monday and official approval sought to recommence commercial sailings.
All going well, the Seaforth is pencilled in to carry out the overnight freight sailings out of Stornoway tomorrow (Monday) evening.
MV Isle of Lewis will operate the passenger service on Monday daytime.
Cal Mac chief executive, Robbie Drummond, said: “We are working intensively to bring the network back up to normal.”
He added: “We do appreciate how hard and disruptive the loss of the Loch Seaforth has been for our communities and customers and we apologise again.”
MV Isle of Lewis and MV Hebridean Isles will be released from their Stornoway relief duties.
The Lewis is due to return to Castlebay by Wednesday. Her appearance will permit MV Lord of the Isles - which has been operating a special combined South Uist and Barra service, diverted to Oban - to undertake shorter Uist to Mallaig sailings.
During the changeover, new reservations on a number of routes may be unavailable as Cal Mac gives priority to existing bookings.
Latest on reinstating Loch Seaforth on Minch service
30 May 2021
