The long-awaited ferry Glen Sannox has formally entered service with CalMac, after completing its first voyage with passengers a day earlier than scheduled.
The crew officially welcomed passengers on board as the vessel began its service to the island of Arran at around 7am on Monday.
Originally due for delivery in 2018, the ferry and sister ship Glen Rosa have endured a saga of costly delays and technical problems at shipyard Ferguson Marine.
But after completing the first voyage on Sunday, CalMac said it has overcome some last-minute snags on the vessel.
However, part of the anchor system requires a replacement which is expected to arrive in early February.
There are also questions around whether its sister ship, the 3,000-tonne Glen Rosa, will face further delays to its handover to the government agency which owns the vessels.
The state-owned shipyard, Ferguson Marine, is conducting a “lessons-learned exercise” and is set to provide an estimated completion date.
Officials have previously said they are targeting a handover in September.
The Glen Sannox’s first voyages are nevertheless an important milestone in the procurement of the two ferries.
The cost of the two vessels is expected to be more than triple the original price tag of £97 million.
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During the test run on Sunday, with crossings between Troon and Brodick, Glen Sannox carried a maximum of 154 foot passengers, 53 cars and two commercial vehicles.
Duncan Mackison, chief executive of CalMac, said earlier: “Operating a test run with MV Glen Sannox gave the crew a fantastic opportunity to stress test the vessel and ensure the experience people have aboard is optimal before she formally enters service.
“A massive effort has gone into getting MV Glen Sannox to this stage, and everyone at CalMac is excited to have her in the fleet and serving Arran.”
Ahead of the first official sailing, Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie said: “This must be Scotland’s most haunted ship: years late, millions of pounds over budget, a fake launch and now last-minute glitches and even more delays to its sister ship.
“Islanders will need to see the Glen Sannox setting sail for themselves before they can believe it.
“After years of delays and excuses, island communities won’t forget the SNP’s neglect of them any time soon.”
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