Fleet Facts
CMAL currently owns 37 ferries. Thirty-two ferries are operated by Calmac Ferries Ltd on routes to the islands and peninsulas of the West of Scotland, while three are operated by Serco Northlink Ferries to Orkney and Shetland.
The smallest vessel can carry one car (MV Carvoria) and the largest ferry can carry up to 130 cars or 20 HGVs (MV Loch Seaforth). The total fleet value at 2017 is £130m (excluding vessels under construction).
Largest ferry
Clyde and Hebrides Islands fleet:
The largest ferry in the fleet is the MV Loch Seaforth, which was built by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft MBH and Co KG, Flensburg, Germany in 2014. The MV Loch Seaforth serves the Ullapool – Stornoway (Lewis) route, and can accommodate 130 cars and 700 passengers.
Sister ferries MV Hrossey and MV Hjaltland are the largest in the Northern Isles fleet. Both were constructed in 2002 at Aker Finnyards in Finland. The vessels were built specifically for the Orkney and Shetland routes, and came under ownership of CMAL in April 2018.
Most recent addition
MV Loch Frisa entered service in June 2022 and will support the MV Isle of Mull on the Oban – Craignure route year-round. MV Loch Frisa, a second-hand vessel purchased from Norled, Norway, in 2021, has undergone a £4.5m refurbishment and can carry 199 passengers, and 35 cars.
Oldest ferry
The oldest of the fleet is MV Isle of Cumbrae, built in 1976 by Ailsa Shipbuilding Co, Troon and entered service in April 1977.
Under construction
LNG ferries
Two dual fuel ferries are currently being built by Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd (FMEL), a project worth £97 million. The new 100m, roll on roll off vehicle passenger ferries are designed to carry 127 cars or 16 HGVs or a combination of both and up to 1,000 passengers. The ships will be capable of operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and marine gas oil. LNG is significantly cleaner and has been adopted by ferry operators in Northern Europe in response to tighter emissions regulations.