Customer update - Kennacraig - Islay services
Customer Update, Islay services
Updated 16 October 2024
Within our last update to customers, we indicated we'd share a further update with you before 17 October regarding service plans and vessel deployment on the network. We're now able to share the latest information with you.
Latest information on Islay service plans
MV Finlaggan will continue to operate a single vessel timetable from Friday 18 October 2024, as published.
MV Lord of the Isles will operate an additional sailing from Port Ellen to Kennacraig on Friday 18 October at 0700, prior to her redeployment to Arran.
As always, please check our Service Status & Information pages with the very latest details before you travel. You can also follow our X (formerly Twitter) feed - @CalMac_Updates, and subscribe to our SMS text subscription services.
Customer bookings
Should your booking be affected, our team will be in contact with you.
Thank you for your continued patience
Thank you for your continued patience while we work to support the return of one of our major vessels, MV Caledonian Isles, to service. This has meant redeployments of vessels around the network.
Again, we sincerely apologise to our customers and communities who have been affected by this disruption.
Update 08 October 2024
We want to share the latest information with customers regarding our services to and from Islay/Kennacraig.
Latest information on Islay service plans
MV Lord of the Isles will remain deployed on services between Kennacraig and Islay until Thursday 17 October 2024. On 18,19 and 20 October, MV Finlaggan will operate as a single vessel on the service, while MV Lord of the Isles departs for her return to South Uist.
As per our update below, this is taking place while MV Hebridean Isles is deployed to Arran to support services there given that MV Caledonian Isles is continuing to undertake further repairs until at least mid November, and while MV Isle of Arran undergoes overhaul.
Full details on services to and from Islay/Kennacraig during this period can be viewed on our Service Status & Information pages.
Customer bookings
If you have a booking for travel for this period, we will contact you should your booking be affected. We are working through bookings in date order of sailing, prioritising the earliest sailings between Thursday 10 and Friday 11 October in the first instance.
We understand it is a busy time for travel to and from events like this year's Mod and we really appreciate your patience with our teams while work through any affected sailings and reservations.
While this work is underway, it may seem that some sailings are not available to book / amend. New bookings and amendments between Thursday 10 and Thursday 17 October are currently closed. This is temporary. Please do check back.
Keep up to date with the latest information
As always, our Service Status & Information pages will keep you up to date with the very latest details. You can also follow our X (formerly Twitter) feed - @CalMac_Updates, and subscribe to our SMS text subscription services.
An important note on vessel deployment across the network
We are revisiting our vessel deployment plan for the weeks and months ahead. We have a plan in place for the winter timetable, but this must also now account for the further delay to MV Caledonian Isles' return which is now not expected until at least mid November. We are reviewing all options open to us for the period.
We will provide a further update to customers on 17 October 2024.
It has been a long and challenging time for those communities who rely on MV Caledonian Isles, and for those who are affected by vessel redeployment around the network. We are disappointed to be sharing news which delay the return of MV Caledonian Isles even further. We share your disappointment. That said, we stay focused on minimising disruption to you wherever we can, and we appreciate your continued patience and understanding.
Updated 01 October 2024
We are keen to provide you with the latest information regarding our services to and from Islay/Kennacraig.
Latest information on Islay service plans
MV Lord of the Isles will remain deployed on services between Kennacraig and Islay while MV Hebridean Isles remains on the Ardrossan-Brodick service until at least 9 October 2024.
As per our update below, this is taking place while repairs are made to MV Caledonian Isles and while MV Isle of Arran undergoes overhaul.
On Saturday 5 October, the Kennacraig-Islay service will be diverted to Port Ellen in the evening, on return from Colonsay and there will be a delayed departure on Sunday due to being unable to berth overnight at Port Askaig.
Services will continue to operate to the published timetable.
Customer bookings
If you have a booking for travel for this period, we will contact you should your booking be affected. We are working through bookings in date order of sailing, prioritising Thursday 3 October and Friday 4 October in the first instance. We really appreciate your patience with our teams.
While this work is underway, it may seem that some sailings are not available to book / amend. This is temporary. Please do check back.
Keep up to date with the latest information
As always, our Service Status & Information pages will keep you up to date with the very latest details. You can also follow our X (formerly Twitter) feed - @CalMac_Updates, and subscribe to our SMS text subscription services.
We are sorry for the inconvenience
We do apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers travelling on this or any other affected route.
Our team continues to work with external contractors to ensure that MV Caledonian Isles which ordinarily operates the Arran service returns to service as swiftly as possible. In addition to that, our focus remains on minimising disruption, using the vessels we have available to us.
Update 24 September 2024, 17:15
This information was further updated on 25 September to reflect an amendment to service plans for Wednesday 25 September.
We want to share with you details about significant disruption on our network which will affect our services to and from Islay from Wednesday 25 September.
This disruption is due to a technical problem with MV Caledonian Isles, which ordinarily operates the Ardrossan - Brodick (Arran) service, that has resulted in the vessel being removed from service for repairs.
Following a careful review of our vessel deployment options, and consultation with the affected communities, this disruption will have a knock-on effect on services to/from Arran - as well as Islay and South Uist.
Effect on Islay services
Wednesday 25 September
MV Hebridean Isles will operate a normal service up to/including the 10:00 Kennacraig - Islay sailing (which will operate to Port Ellen instead of Port Askaig). The vessel will then depart to Arran to support services there while MV Caledonian Isles undertakes further repairs, and MV Isle of Arran undergoes its annual overhaul.
MV Lord of the Isles is being redeployed from South Uist, and will operate a 13:00 Oban - Colonsay - Port Askaig service, before picking up the service to and from Islay, beginning with the 18:00 Port Askaig - Kennacraig service.
This means that the 12:35 Port Askaig - Kennacraig and 15:30 Kennacraig - Port Askaig sailings will be cancelled on Wednesday 25 September. We do apologise for this inconvenience - a decision which is necessary to support vessel deployment and services around the network.
Other sailings on the Kennacraig - Islay route, operated by MV Finlaggan, remained unaffected.
Thursday 26 September - Wednesday 2 October (inclusive)
MV Finlaggan and MV Lord of the Isles will operate the published Kennacraig - Islay timetable - as always, please keep in touch with our Service Status & Information pages for the latest, up-to-date service information.
Customer bookings
If you have a booking which is affected by this disruption, our teams be in touch with you directly. This work will take time, so please do be patient - we really appreciate it. Please be assured that we'll do everything we can to support you.
Passenger Rights
Customers with existing bookings which are affected by service disruption retain certain rights and entitlements in line with The Merchant Shipping (Passengers' Rights) (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
Customers are advised that this disruption is due to technical reasons, and therefore the following Passenger Rights criteria apply (within the parameters detailed at the Passenger Rights section of our website):
Snacks, meals and refreshments
Overnight accommodation
Additional mileage incurred
Compensation based at a percentage rate of the ticket price you paid for the disrupted leg of your journey
Find out what you may be entitled to in the event of a disruption or cancellation to your sailing at the Passenger Rights section of our website, which also includes a link to our online claim form.
Vessel deployment decisions
Unfortunately, we do not have spare vessels within the fleet we operate so, during periods of significant disruption, we must make difficult decisions regarding vessel deployment. There are no easy options, and we understand the impact of these decisions on our customers, and the communities that we serve.
As mentioned above, the two vessels which ordinarily operate the Ardrossan - Brodick (Arran) service are both unavailable - MV Caledonian Isles is undergoing repairs for a technical issue, and MV Isle of Arran is required to undergo its statutory annual overhaul.- an activity which cannot be delayed due to the vessel's certification dates
As a result, MV Hebridean Isles, which is normally the second vessel on the Kennacraig - Islay route, is being redeployed to the Arran route.
Consequentially, MV Lord of the Isles, which normally operates the Mallaig - Lochboisdale (South Uist) service, is being redeployed to Islay to temporarily replace MV Hebridean Isles.
The vessel deployment plan for this period of disruption has been evaluated against our Route Prioritisation Framework - and community feedback from across the network. This framework guides decision making around services on our major vessel routes during periods of disruption. You can find out more about this, including details of a recent public consultation on proposed changes to the framework, here.
We've shared more details for these services in individual route updates on our website:
Keep up to date with the latest information
As always, our Service Status & Information pages will keep you up to date with the very latest details. You can also follow our X (formerly Twitter) feed - @CalMac_Updates, and subscribe to our SMS text subscription services.
We are sorry for the inconvenience
We regret that these redeployments have resulted in cancellations for Wednesday 25 September 2024 on the service to/from Islay.
Our teams are doing everything they can to restore services to normal as soon as possible, and to support customers who will be affected in the coming days. This is also a challenging time for them, and we know you'll show kindness when interacting with them.
We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused to customers, and the affected communities.