CalMac staff rally to help customers after fire onboard vessel

MV Lord of the Isles, which was operating the 2pm service between Mallaig and Lochboisdale, suffered an engine problem following the incident yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 6 August).

Crew promptly dealt with the fire and there were no injuries reported - however, this caused the starboard main engine to fail, and the vessel was required to divert to the nearest port of Armadale using the port engine.

CalMac's emergency team was mobilised, and Police Scotland and Highland Council were notified in case of the potential requirement for a rest centre.

All passengers were supported on arrival with hot food and drinks, with onward transport and accommodation provided for those who needed it. Customers were also offered support with onward travel on the CalMac network. This included offering travel Oban-Castlebay and via the Sound of Barra to get to South Uist. CalMac has put on an additional Uig-Lochmaddy sailing tonight and on Thursday morning.

Engineers are attending MV Lord of the Isles in Armadale and arrangements are being made to move her to a dock in Greenock for further investigation.

While sailings on the Mallaig-Lochboisdale route were cancelled due to weather today, all sailings have now been cancelled up until and including this Saturday. Alternatives options are currently being explored, and any affected customers are being contacted and offered alternative sailings.

Finlay MacRae, Head of Operations for CalMac, said: "We can confirm MV Lord of the Isles was diverted to Armadale port after a small fire in the engine room. The fire was quickly extinguished using the vessel's fire suppression system and there were no injuries, but it led to the loss of power in the starboard engine.

"This was a long night for our customers, and I apologise for the disruption caused to them. Their safety was our priority, and we made sure that everyone was spoken to individually so that our crew and port staff could make sure they had all the support they needed in terms of food, onward journeys, and accommodation.

"An investigation is underway to establish the full facts of what led to the fire and the extent of the damage. A tug is on route to escort the vessel to a repair berth on the Clyde for further assessment and repairs, with more information being provided once available.

"Moving the vessel to a berth with full repair facilities will allow for these to be completed more efficiently than transporting engineers and equipment to Armadale and avoids further disruption to Mallaig-Armadale sailings."