Ferguson Marine: Firm 'mitigating risks' affecting Glen Rosa delivery

The Herald Scotland

17-07-2025

But the summer timetable for tourists and islanders alike is usually valid from the end of March.
And Graeme Thomson, the new chief executive of Ferguson Marine was unable to be clear on when the ferry would finally arrive for user by state-owed ferry operator CalMac although he said he remained "confident" of meeting the latest of what he called targets.
He told MPs: "We have a target date of quarter 2 of 26 and I'm sticking with that. What I mean is we're working to schedule and still have risks that we have to manage.
"So while that schedule is getting worked, I'm very conscious that we will need to mitigate the risks that will affect that schedule any further.
"So although we'll keep driving the programme to be as early in quarter two, we have risks that may manifest despite the effort to mitigate them, and that has potential to move that delivery out to later in quarter 2."
He also said he was committed to "refine" the delivery window by the end of this year and the costs "based on the success we have in mitigating the risks that we perceive at the moment that aren't yet sentenced and mitigated".
Last year wellbeing economy secretary Màiri McAllan said nationalised Ferguson Marine considered the latest delays and costs forecasts - which had Glen Rosa ready to use in September - was the "final position" after the firing of chief executive David Tydeman.
David Tydeman (Image: Ferguson Marine) Glen Rosa and its sister ship Glen Sannox were both due to be online within first seven months of 2018, to serve Arran.
In the midst of the delays and soaring costs, Ferguson Marine, under the control of tycoon Jim McColl, fell into administration and was nationalised at the end of 2019 with state-owned ferry and port-owning agency Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and the yard's management blaming each other.
Mr Thomson, appearing before the UK Parliament Scottish Affairs Committee repeated an "unreserved apology to the island communities".
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He said: "It must be acutely frustrating for them to hear this and hear it again in May, given that we had said previously, September 25.
"I'm confident in what we've done. We are confident we'll make it for quarter two of 2026, but we do need to mitigate some risk before we can actually narrow that down."
A ferry user group official said that there was concern that the "goalposts appear to be being repositioned on delivery once again".
"Nobody wants anything but to for Ferguson Marine to finally deliver on the last of the ferries," he said. "But what are these risks that could affect scheduling.
"Most of us would want to see Glen Rosa after all the years of delay finally ready for the summer of next year, but if April is the earliest that it can be delivered, then it will, of course, miss the start of that and there are already signs that the timings are being pushed back and back, which has to affect CalMac planning."
Graeme Thomson (Image: Ferguson Marine) Ferguson Marine said Mr Thomson had spent his first weeks studying the delivery plans, working with finance and project management teams to challenge the assumptions on key milestones, critical paths, resource hours and costs to ensure the assessments are robust and well-informed with an appropriate level of risk attached.
In February, Ferguson Marine interim chief executive John Petticrew admitted to MSPs there was a risk of further delays to Glen Rosa and there were fears then of a six-month hold up.
He expected a full update on a "bottom-up exercise" on Glen Rosa with a view to provide a new schedule including updated costs by the end of February - but it and any amended costs and delay information did not emerge until now.
Glen Sannox finally entered service in January, some seven years behind schedule.
But in March, the Inverclyde shipyard was dealt a major blow after losing out to a Polish yard on a contract to build seven CalMac electric ferries, raising concerns over its future viability.
However, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said if the first phase of the small vessel replacement programme - responsible for building ferries capable of servicing short routes on the west coast of Scotland - had been awarded directly to Ferguson Marine, without any competition, it would have introduced 'substantial risk' and the prospect of court action.
Four days earlier, Mr Petticrew had resigned as chief executive for "personal reasons".
He initially took on the chief executive's role for six months after the firm's board dismissed his predecessor a year ago, but had agreed to stay on until Easter.
Ferguson Marine declined to explain what the "risks" were.