New vessels for Islay
In April 2018, Scottish Ministers announced that Islay would be next in line for new vessels to replace the MV Hebridean Isles. The new vessels will complement MV Finlaggan, although it will be designed with a clear focus on freight, and sufficient passenger accommodation will be designed to meet anticipated demand. The first vessel is expected to be delivered by October 2024 and will enter service following sea trials and crew familiarisation. The second vessel will follow in early 2025.
Second Islay ferry successfully launched
8 June 2024
MV Loch Indaal was launched today (Saturday 8 June) at Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Yalova, Turkey.
The vessel is the second of four ferries being built at the yard and will serve Islay and Jura alongside sister vessel, MV Isle of Islay, which was launched in March.
MV Isle of Islay official launch date announced
12 January 2024
CMAL has announced the launch of MV Isle of Islay on 16 March 2024 at the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Yalova, Turkey.
It is the first of four ferries being built at the yard, and marks a major milestone in CMAL’s commitment to delivering new ferries to serve the Scottish islands—with the hull now structurally complete, all blocks for the vessel have been erected and surveyed.
The launch will see the vessel move from the slipway into the water, where work will continue onboard. In line with the shipyard build programme, the vessel will remain on the slipway until March, where installation of pipework, equipment, machinery, electrical works, and outfitting will be progressed. Subsequently, underwater hull coatings will be applied, and propulsors installed before launching.
Read more and see the photographs›
Update on New Vessels for Islay
19 May 2023
Progress on the first vessel is well underway, with a number of blocks now assembled on the slipway. The second vessel will have its keel laid on 24th May 2023, where units will start to be assembled on the slipway next to the first vessel. The keel laying ceremony will take place at Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Turkey, where the two vessels are being built for Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL).
The planned delivery dates for the vessels to CMAL are October 2024 and February 2025, respectively. The vessels will then have to be transited back from Turkey and undergo crew familiarisation and local operational trials before entering into service.
New names for Islay vessels decided by public vote
18 May 2023
Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has today announced Isle of Islay and Loch Indaal as the names for the two new ferries to serve Islay and Jura following a public vote.
CMAL, which owns the ferries, produced a shortlist of names, each of which has ties to the landscape and history of Islay and Jura, and those with an interest in the ferries were encouraged to vote over a two–week period.
Over 1,300 votes were cast, with Isle of Islay being the most popular name, and Loch Indaal and Pioneer in close second and third place.
Help us name the new Islay ferries!
24 April 2023
Voting is now open to help us name the two new ferries to serve Islay and Jura.
Anyone with an interest in the ferries is welcome to vote—remember they are sister vessels, so you’ll need to select two names from the list.
Voting closes at midnight on 14th May 2023.
Vessel progress documented
6 March 2023
Vessel 1: Engine Control Room & Stabiliser Room
Vessel 1: Forward Machinery Areas and Voids
Vessel 1: Start of New Unit for Auxiliary Machinery Spaces
Vessel 1: Battery Room, Provision Stores Area & Voids
Vessel 1: Battery Room & Fuel/Fresh Water Tanks
Vessel 1: Battery Room, Provision Stores Area & Voids
Two new ferries for Islay reach next construction milestones
13 January 2023
The construction of two new ferries for Islay reached key construction milestones this week.
The first ferry in the production timeline has had its keel laid, while steel-cutting for the second vessel has also begun – three weeks earlier than planned.
A ceremony to mark both events took place at Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Turkey, where the two vessels are being built for CMAL. You can read the full news release here.
First steel is cut for new vessels
4 October 2022
The construction of the two new ferries for Islay is officially underway after the first piece of steel was cut yesterday (3 October 2022). The steel-cutting ceremony took place at Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Turkey, where the two vessels are being built. You can read the full news release here.
Artist Impressions of New Islay Vessels’ Interiors Revealed
24 May 2022
New images showing artist impressions of the public areas planned for the new Islay vessels have been revealed.
The images, by the project’s design consultant naValue, have been produced as part of the concept design stage of the vessel build. The artist impressions depict concepts for the passenger areas on board.
Further details and images will be presented at engagement events to be held over summer (dates tbc).
Images shown as follows:
Deck 6 fwd. dining area:
Main staircase between deck 5 and deck 6:
Quiet lounge:
Dining area on deck 6 showing passenger food servery:
Contract signed for new Islay vessels
29 March 2022
Following a 10 day standstill period, the contract to build two new ferries has been signed by CMAL and Cemre Marin Endustri at the shipyard in Turkey.
The first vessel is expected to be delivered by October 2024 and will enter service following sea trials and crew familiarisation. The second vessel will follow in early 2025.
The new vessels will bring an almost 40% increase in vehicle and freight capacity on the Islay routes, a reduction in emissions and improve the resilience of the wider fleet.
CMAL will now work closely with the yard to advance to the next step of the procurement process.
Preferred bidder identified
11 March 2022
The preferred bidder has been named for the contract to build two new ferries to help support the community and economy on Islay.
Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd intends to award the contract to the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Turkey, following a 10 day standstill period.
The new vessels will bring an almost 40% increase vehicle and freight capacity on the Islay routes, a reduction in emissions and improve the resilience of the wider fleet.
The first vessel is expected to be delivered by October 2024 and will enter service following sea trials and crew familiarisation. The second vessel will follow in early 2025.
You can read the full news story on our news page, here.
Tender responses for Islay vessels received
17 December 2021
Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd has received four compliant bids for a tender to build two new vessels for Islay and Jura.
Four shipyards were invited to tender for the work in September; Damen Shipyards in Romania, Remontowa Shipbuilding in Poland, and Sefine Denizcilik Tersanecilik Turizm, and Cemre Marin Endustri in Turkey.
Each submission will now be rigorously assessed against quality, technical and commercial criteria, and the contract will be awarded to the winning shipyard at the end of March 2022.
You can read the full news story on our news page, here.
Contract awarded for vessel enabling works
1 December 2021
We have awarded a contract to engineering firm Mott MacDonald to support the detailed design of pier infrastructure upgrade works. The £1.5 million contract, which has been awarded following a public sector procurement process, covers design consultancy services for vessel enabling works at Port Ellen and Port Askaig in Islay, Kennacraig and Colonsay.
Mott MacDonald will work with us to secure and manage the required planning consents and licences, support stakeholder and community engagement, conduct and commission site surveys and investigations, create detailed design of works required at all four sites, and help prepare tender documents to appoint construction contractors. The design and planning stage is expected to last around a year, with construction estimated to begin in 2023.
You can read the full news story on our news page, here.
Four shipyards invited to tender for vessels
14 September 2021
We have reached the next stage in the procurement process for a new vessel to serve Islay. Following extensive consultation with Transport Scotland, CalMac, and communities on Islay, a decision has been made to build two vessels, which will provide much needed new tonnage in the fleet and improve the resilience of the network.
Four shipyards have been invited to tender for the work, and will now submit their technical and commercial proposals for the design and construction of the two vessels. You can read the full story on our news page, here.
Procurement process underway
22 June 2021
The Islay vessel procurement process is now fully underway, with a contract notice now live on the Public Contract Scotland (PCS) website. This will allow us to identify suitably qualified and experienced shipyards for the project, and is expected to take three months. Following this, those who qualify will be invited to stage two of the process, the invitation to tender, in late Summer. We expect to award the work to the successful shipyard in late March 2022
Q&A from second virtual community meeting
12 April 2021
A Q&A document has been published following the community meeting on 23 March 2021:
- Islay vessel project Q&A – April 2021 (PDF, 684KB)
Further questions can be submitted by email to islayvessel@cmassets.co.uk or in writing to Jim Anderson, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, Municipal Building, Fore Street, Port Glasgow, PA14 5EQ.
Presentation from second virtual community meeting
24 March 2021
We held a second virtual community meeting on Tuesday 23 March to provide communities with an update on the project. A copy of the presentation and a recording of the online meeting are available to view:
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- New Islay vessel presentation 24 March 2021 (PDF, 2MB)
Second virtual community meeting
16 March 2021
We will hold an online community consultation meeting on Tuesday 23rd March 2021, 6.30pm to 8.30pm to engage island communities and community stakeholders in the design and planning process for the new vessel to service Islay and Jura.
The event is open to everyone with an interest in the new vessel. To participate, attendees must register in advance: https://www.cmassets.co.uk/NewIslayFerryMeeting
Questions or any other queries regarding the project in advance of the meeting are encouraged, and can be emailed to islayvessel@cmassets.co.uk Alternatively, you can write to Jim Anderson at Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, Municipal Buildings, Fore Street, Port Glasgow, PA14 5EQ.
All presentations will be available on this project page after the meeting and an updated Q&A document will be published.
Q&A from virtual community meeting
5 February 2021
A Q&A document has been published following the community meeting on 14 January 2021:
- Islay vessel project Q&A – February 2021 (PDF, 544kb)
We received a large volume of questions during and after the meeting and it took longer than expected to compile the Q&A document. We have given them full consideration to ensure responses are robust, with input from several parties for some responses.
Further questions can be submitted by email to islayvessel@cmassets.co.uk or in writing to Jim Anderson, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, Municipal Building, Fore Street, Port Glasgow, PA14 5EQ
Presentation from virtual community meeting
15 January 2021
We held a virtual community meeting on Thursday 14 January to provide communities with an update on work completed to date and to invite views from the community. A copy of the presentation and a recording of the online meeting are available to view:
Lots of questions have been submitted before and during the meeting. We didn’t have time to address all of them during the meeting. However, we will answer all of them and publish a Q&A here as soon as possible.
Further questions and comments can be emailed to islayvessel@cmassets.co.uk Alternatively, write to Jim Anderson at Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, Municipal Buildings, Fore Street, Port Glasgow, PA14 5EQ.
Virtual community meeting
16 December 2020
We will hold an online community consultation meeting on Thursday 14 January 2021, 6.30pm to 8.30pm to engage island communities and community stakeholders in the design and planning process for the new vessel to service Islay and Jura.
The virtual event will be hosted on Microsoft Teams, which is free to download online. To participate, please register via Eventbrite at www.islayvessel.eventbrite.co.uk The event is open to everyone with an interest in the new vessel.
The meeting will provide an update on the new vessel feasibility studies, which have been ongoing throughout 2020. Key considerations in the extensive range of studies have included: passenger and vehicle requirements; maximising vehicle capacities – particularly for freight; forecast demand; operational requirements; requirements and arrangements for passengers and crew; accessibility; vessel operating speed and timetable; port fits, limitations and improvements; emission and fuel consumption analysis; air quality; reliability, manoeuvrability and seakeeping; shore power and overnight noise; benefits and disbenefits, and costs (capital and operational).
Options for vessel capacities will be presented based on the outcomes of the feasibility studies. Attendees will have the opportunity to share their views and comments and ask questions during the meeting.
All presentations will be available on this project page after the meeting and an updated Q&A document will be published.
Questions, or any other queries, regarding the project can be emailed to islayvessel@cmassets.co.uk Alternatively, write to Jim Anderson at Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, Municipal Buildings, Fore Street, Port Glasgow, PA14 5EQ.
New questions added to project Q&A
3 November 2020
The project Q&A document has been updated following additional questions submitted via email to CMAL. You can read the new questions and responses here:
Further questions not covered in the Q&A can be emailed to islayvessel@cmassets.co.uk
Q&A provides project update
8 July 2020
An update in the form of a Q&A document has been created to maintain engagement with the Islay community on the new vessel project:
Further questions not covered in the Q&A can be emailed to islayvessel@cmassets.co.uk
Two community meetings due to take place in Bowmore and Port Ellen at the end of March had to be postponed due to the coronavirus lockdown. We have so far been unable to rearrange the community engagement meetings, but hope to reschedule them for later in the summer, subject to coronavirus restrictions and safety guidelines. We are working with local community groups to make this possible and dates and venues will be published soon.
Community meetings postponed
17 March 2020
Community engagement meetings have been postponed due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Following revised guidance from the Scottish and UK Governments this week, we have decided to postpone the meetings, which were due to take place on 23 March at Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle (ICCI) in Bowmore, 24 March at Ramsay Hall in Port Ellen, and 25 March at Jura Village Hall.
The meetings will be rescheduled to later in the year and we will provide an update as soon as new dates are confirmed.
Community meetings
28 February 2020
Two meetings will be held in Islay to engage with communities on the requirements and specification of the new ferry to operate between Kennacraig and Islay.
The meetings will take place on 23 March at Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle (ICCI) in Bowmore and on 24 March at Ramsay Hall in Port Ellen. The two-hour meetings will start at 5.30pm and include a 30-minute presentation followed by a Q&A session with representatives from CMAL, CalMac and Transport Scotland.
The new Islay ferry is the next major vessel to be ordered for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service. It will complement the service provided by MV Finlaggan, although it will be developed with a clear focus on freight.
Design consultants appointed
August 2019
In August 2019, we appointed naval architecture consultants, Navalue to support design development. Navalue specialises in custom ferry design and have significant experience of vessel design, having led on the design of MV Loch Seaforth, which operates on the Stornoway-Ullapool route.
Stakeholder meetings
August 2019
A meeting with stakeholders from the community was held in Islay in August 2019, attended by CMAL, Transport Scotland and CalMac, to present details of the current status of the project. A copy of the presentation is available to view below. The stakeholders had the opportunity to ask any questions they had about the new Islay vessel. We plan to hold further meetings with the extended Islay community in the near future.
You can view the presentation from our community meeting here: