Block aid! CalMac ferry could become production Lego model with public support
A member of the public has nominated a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry to be immortalised in Lego.
Serving the Isle of Cumbrae from Largs on the Ayrshire coast, MV Loch Shira is 54 metres in length and can carry 250 passengers and 36 cars. A CalMac and Lego enthusiast has turned her into a great wee model under the title 'Off to the Scottish Isles'. Caledonian MacBrayne operates the UK's largest ferry network and MV Loch Shira is one of 32 vessels within that fleet.
The Cumbrae route was CalMac's second busiest for passengers in 2014, carrying a total of 706,172, as well as 135,013 cars and 5,315 commercial vehicles.
On Lego's website, there is a section where members of the public can put forward their ideas for possible development and production by the company. If a nominated model gets a following of 10,000 or more people, it is put forward for review by Lego and could find its way into production.
Each nomination gets a full 365 days to round up 10,000 supporters and the CalMac model has been on the site for about three weeks, so there's plenty of time left.
Designed, built and nominated by Lego Ideas site user Lukeebee1, MV Loch Shira is quite a new addition to the Ideas area of the site and has so far gained almost 340 supporters. Not bad in the space of quite a short time, but there's a long way to go yet.
"We are absolutely thrilled that a member of the public has developed and nominated this great model of a CalMac ferry," said Guy Dale-Smith, Caledonian MacBrayne's Head of Marine. "We had absolutely no idea this was going on until someone alerted us. Our ferries and the CalMac brand are iconic sights the length and breadth of Scotland's west coast and we are really excited to see whether we can build on the enthusiasm of this nomination and get the blocks in place for MV Loch Shira to be on the shelves.
"That would be a ferry impressive achievement for all our friends and fans."
Anyone interested in supporting the model on the Ideas page can go to https://ideas.lego.com/projects/99373
ENDS
*Picture courtesy of, and used by permission from LEGO Group and Lukeebee1
Notes to editors:
1) Further information about CalMac is available at www.calmac.co.uk
2) Caledonian MacBrayne and CalMac are trading names of CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL). Caledonian MacBrayne , CalMac and the lion rampant device are registered trademarks of Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL)and are used under licence by CalMac Ferries Ltd.