THIS is the moment passengers swigged beer as CalMac’s newest ferry finally set sail after years of repeated delays and spiralling costs.
The MV Glen Sannox welcomed its first passengers onboard for its first service as it travelled from Troon, Ayrshire, to the Isle of Arran this morning.
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The vessel docked in Brodick around 8.10am after being put through its paces during a choppy crossing across the Firth of Clyde.
Passengers looked relaxed as the ferry made its maiden voyage.
Kenny and Nicky Browne who have a house on Arran celebrated the occasion with a bottle of fizz.
And a group of hillwalkers knocked back cans of Tennent’s as they looked ahead to hiking Goatfell, Arran’s highest peak.
Sid Bird, 52, told The Scottish Sun: “Brilliant, can’t wait. Looking forward to it.
“It’s a team-building exercise. We designed garden rooms and landscapes and we’re climbing Goatfell.
“Fingers crossed we get there in one piece and come back in one piece.”
Another member of the group said: “Buzzing, good. Been looking forward to it.
“It’s been planned for a wee while. Wee work day out for us all climbing up Goatfell.”
Stevie Matson travels regularly from the Ayrshire mainland to Arran.
The freelance chef said: “My family are on the island so I’m back and forward quite regularly. I was curious to see what the new boat was like.
“Obviously it’s cost a lot more than they expected. But I think people will soon forget about that if it goes well and it’s a good service for the island.
“The boat’s cancelled quite regularly and sometimes it’s difficult to get a booking. But I always get there one way or another.”
Jane Ritchie, 65, and her husband Neil, 67, have been visiting Arran for 32 years.
She said: “We’re regular visitors to Arran and we both drive for Arran Cancer, so it’s a very special island to us. We just thought, ‘Why not, it would be a nice thing to be on the maiden voyage’.
“I’m really excited for the islanders to hopefully have a reliable ferry. That’s my most concern.”
“I hope it improves it because it’s been really deteriorating badly over the last few years. For the islanders themselves it would be great if it improves it, and the tourism industry as well.”
Kenny Brownlie, 64, who lives in Sandhurst, Berkshire and is originally from Motherwell, said: “It is fantastic. It is a great relief that it is here eventually.
“It has taken a long time but it is here now so we forget the past and look forward to the future.
“It’s really impressive, it’s beautiful. It’s big and spacious and I think people of Arran are really going to enjoy being on this boat.
“Unfortunately, the first one is a wee bit late but we’ll let them off with.”
Newly retired Lesley Duncan, 63, from Troon, was travelling with her friend Elaine Smith, 65.
Lesley said: “We’ve been disrupted many times with boats being cancelled in the last two, three years with the Caledonian Isles being out of service and the Alfred not always being reliable.
“I’m really hoping for the islander’s sake that the service is going to be more reliable and it will bring people back, people will feel more confident about coming over for a trip and tourism will recover.”
Asked about the ferry fiasco, she added: “I think it’s disgraceful. I think it’s very questionable, there’s been so much money, this has cost so much money, I’m absolutely horrified by it.
“But at the same time that seems to happen again and again with projects nowadays. There’s been successive governments to blame, Covid didn’t help matters.”
CEO of CalMac, Duncan Mackison, said he was “over the moon” that the Glen Sannox has entered full service.
He said: “The delivery to operations phase over the last few months has gone really well. We made a decision late over the weekend just to try her quietly on one of the routes yesterday which was a big success.
“Everything is working, crew are happy, she’s handling really well so couldn’t be better, so really really pleased.”
Asked if if he believed the vessel was fit to serve communities for the next 30 years, he replied: “Yeah, absolutely. There’s a whole load of compliance agencies which get involved making sure that vessels are fit for purpose and she more than meets that criteria.
“Few last things that need to get done but that’s no different to any new vessel going into service so we’re delighted to be here and really confident about the future.”
He added: “It’s a lot more capacity, she’s a much bigger boat, she’s a much faster boat, she’s more capable.
“More than anything else it’s resilience. We’re moving around today, it’s a windy day, this vessel is more than comfortable in that, she’s got lots of power, very manoeuvrable at both ends and in passage.
“I think people on Arran are going to get some long-deserved resilience out of this which we’re pleased about.”
Asked about Glen Sannox’s sister ship the Glen Rosa, which is still under construction, Mr Mackison said: “We want to get new vessels in as soon as we can but we are if nothing not resilient. We’re keen to get her but if she’s a bit delayed, so be it, we’ll find a way to work round that.
“But she’s not the only new vessel coming in. There are four others coming from Turkey and the small vessel replacements are on their way as well so she’s part of a much bigger picture.”
He added: “Come on board, experience it. She’s smooth, she’s capable, all the services are here, nice new vessel, and make your own mind up.”
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The Glen Sannox was due to be in service in 2018 but the Ferguson Marine shipyard which was building the vessel ran into trouble.
It was nationalised by SNP ministers the following year but costs have skyrocketed from £97million to around £400m for the ship and the Glen Rosa.
