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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
CalMac Glen Sannox's ferry - will it help Arran bounce back?
This is not to declare the decision in the procurement process, led by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, that it should be a dual-fuel ferry capable of operating on marine diesel and liquefied natural gas did not add unnecessary and lamentable complexity. Rather, it is to observe the scale of the vessel, including its capacity, and the passenger experience. The mood on the packed vessel was no doubt helped by the fact that the sailing was on a Saturday at the peak of the recent long sunny spell, arguably a heatwave by Scottish standards. The stillness of the water was a lot more reminiscent of the Greek islands than the west of Scotland, and its colour, while not quite as vivid as the Aegean perhaps, was as impressive as it was uncharacteristic. There were seals swimming close to a buoy as the ferry departed. And the water in the distance at the base of Arran appeared almost white. CalMac's roll and bacon and potato scone was of the usual high standard. Memories of the coffee from the days when I travelled on CalMac ferries regularly when working for The Oban Times were of a large mug of strong black coffee. These days, you can purchase a latte in a takeaway cup featuring CalMac's yellow and red logo. The boat is very well fitted out, and the passenger experience is undoubtedly a good one, comparing it with some very pleasant ferry crossings throughout Europe. It was impossible, even in the relaxed atmosphere and glorious sunshine, not to contemplate briefly the effect on Arran of the Glen Sannox at last being in service. In this context, it is worth bearing in mind that the Glen Sannox is for now sailing between Troon and Brodick. And the Troon experience is quite different for a foot passenger arriving by rail from the arrangements at Ardrossan, where the train station is right next to the ferry terminal. CalMac will be operating the returning Caledonian Isles between Ardrossan and Brodick during its summer timetable, while the Glen Sannox will continue sailing between Troon and Arran. Clearly, residents on Arran have had to get used to a lot of upheaval in recent years, and the island has undoubtedly been hit hard by the unreliability of ferry services as it waited for the Glen Sannox. The Glen Sannox started sailing on the Troon to Brodick route in January (Image: Ian McConnell) Years late too is the Glen Rosa, which is also being built at Ferguson Marine and is now not expected to be in service on the Troon to Arran route until the second quarter of next year. Colin Morrison, finance director and company secretary of Auchrannie Resort, highlighted in an interview with The Herald in January the effect of the lack of reliability of ferry services in recent winters, and crucially also the publicity around this, in making people less confident about visiting. Mr Morrison, noting the new vessel's greater capacity and ability to operate in weather conditions in which the smaller Isle of Arran ferry could not, said then: 'It is good to see it in service. Certainly in the first couple of weeks it has been sailing in winds which would have prevented the Isle of Arran from sailing.' Read more It has been difficult to escape the impression that some politically motivated observers who have delighted in what has become known as Scotland's 'ferry fiasco' might almost have been hoping the arrival of the Glen Sannox on the route would be less smooth than has been the case. That said, minor issues have generated huge headlines. This is perhaps not surprising, given the high profile of the vessel caused in large part by the monumental cost overruns and delays in the building of it as well as the effect of this woe on CalMac services. However, what is surely important now is that Arran recovers from the troubles caused by ferry service disruption in recent years, and that tourism providers and others on the island can benefit from the arrival of the Glen Sannox, and eventually also the Glen Rosa when it turns up. It was interesting to catch up with the management of Auchrannie this week to find out about the resort's experience of the Glen Sannox, now that the vessel has been operating on the Troon to Brodick route for more than four months. And it was good to hear this experience has generally been positive. Auchrannie is obviously a business which relies so much on the CalMac ferry services. It has over the decades worked closely with the ferry operator, including offering packages inclusive of CalMac sailings. Tom Jessop, head of finance at the employee-owned Auchrannie Resort, said this week that 'ferry reliability has improved significantly since Glen Sannox entered service'. He did note that 'the weather since then has also been comparatively favourable'. Mr Jessop revealed that '2025 occupancy and forward bookings at the resort are up 5% on last year'. He added: 'We believe this is due to improved ferry reliability and capacity, better weather conditions, and less negative press coverage, which translates to an increase in customer confidence. With all of that said, signs look good that the Glen Sannox can sail in more challenging conditions than older ferries, and this bodes well for the future.' While there are obviously lessons to be learned from the delays and cost overruns in building the Glen Sannox and the Glen Rosa, what matters for people and businesses on Arran is what happens from here. In this regard it is most heartening to hear Auchrannie, a major employer on Arran which works closely with other businesses on the island and plays a big part in attracting visitors, express positive sentiments about the experience so far of the Glen Sannox sailing on the route and the outlook.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Arran hotel reveals Glen Sannox ferry uplift for bookings
Commenting in January on an increase in losses at Auchrannie in the year to March 2024, finance director and company secretary Colin Morrison had said: 'Probably ferries have been a bigger impact than the economic climate. There has been a lot of ferry disruption over the last few winters. It has obviously knocked consumer confidence a bit. If people have come one winter and have been hit, they are less likely to come the following winter.' Read more The Glen Sannox finally entered service between the mainland and Arran in mid-January - years later than planned following major delays and cost overruns in its construction at the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow. Asked this week by The Herald about Auchrannie's experience of the Glen Sannox since the ferry came into service, the resort's head of finance, Tom Jessop, said: 'Ferry reliability has improved significantly since Glen Sannox entered service, but the weather since then has also been comparatively favourable. 2025 occupancy and forward bookings at the resort are up 5% on last year. 'We believe this is due to improved ferry reliability and capacity, better weather conditions, and less negative press coverage, which translates to an increase in customer confidence. With all of that said, signs look good that the Glen Sannox can sail in more challenging conditions than older ferries, and this bodes well for the future.' Auchrannie Resort saw its pre-tax losses widen to £474,260 in the year to March 31, 2024, from £111,447 in the prior 12 months, partly because of increased staff and interest costs. Turnover rose marginally, from £10.44 million to £10.64m Mr Morrison in January highlighted hopes of an improvement in Auchrannie's financial performance in the year to March 2025, noting then that it was on course to be significantly better than expected, through containing costs as opposed to revenue growth.
The Herald Scotland
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
CalMac Scotland ferries news huge relief amid litany of woe
We have had to endure a litany of UK privatisation disasters. This has included the privatisation of the former British Rail, which has led to no end of trials and tribulations for many of the train operating companies and of course their customers. This privatisation also took in the setting up and collapse of infrastructure company Railtrack. On the nuclear power front, we had the sorry saga of British Energy. Then there has been the privatisation of the English water sector. And the UK electricity and gas sector privatisation has surely not delivered for consumers. In the early 1990s, when working for The Oban Times and travelling regularly to remote and island communities, I covered the story on talk at that stage that the CalMac operation could be privatised. Thankfully, this did not happen. There are many problems with privatisation when it comes to services of vital importance, and we have seen some of these displayed in spectacular style in the aforementioned litany of woe. CalMac has, of course, not had its troubles to seek in recent times with its ageing fleet having resulted in significant breakdowns and disruption. Also in the headlines has been the long delay in the building of two vessels for CalMac by Ferguson Marine at Port Glasgow, the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa. These problems have not, of course, been the fault of CalMac. The contract to build these ferries has been a matter for Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited - which awarded and has managed it and like CalMac is owned by the Scottish Government - and Ferguson Marine. The matter has obviously affected CalMac's services, given these two new vessels had been expected much earlier, and that has added to the challenges facing the ferry operator. And many of CalMac's customers might perceive all the problems arising from the ageing fleet are of the ferry operator's making, even though that is not the case given the Scottish Government holds the purse strings and CMAL procures the new vessels. It is easy to understand islanders' frustration in particular. They are so reliant on the lifeline crossings provided by CalMac and we must not underestimate the effect on islanders of disruptions to services. Island economies, and the businesses operating within them, are also affected heavily by any disruption. In this regard, it was interesting in January to hear the views of the finance director of Auchrannie Resort at Brodick on Arran, Colin Morrison. He highlighted ferry disruption 'over the last few winters', and declared: 'If people have come one winter and have been hit, they are less likely to come the following winter.' Auchrannie highlighted hopes of a rebound in winter occupancy with the arrival of Caledonian MacBrayne's Glen Sannox ferry, after the resort saw its pre-tax losses widen to £474,260 in the year to March 31, 2024, from £111,447 in the prior 12 months. Mr Morrison in January revealed an improvement in the financial performance in the year to March 31, 2025, declaring: 'We have done a lot of work on containing costs this year. We are hoping we will finish 2024/25 not quite break-even but hopefully a lot closer to it than we originally thought.' However, looking to the future, what is clearly important for Auchrannie is a reliable ferry service to help drive up occupancy. And Auchrannie in January revealed hopes that it could - if ferry services proved more reliable over the following 18 months to two years and enabled year-round occupancy to return to pre-pandemic levels of 90%-plus - then consider further expansion. Read more Mr Morrison said of the increase in losses in the year to March 2024: 'Probably ferries have been a bigger impact than the economic climate. There has been a lot of ferry disruption over the last few winters. It has obviously knocked consumer confidence a bit.' He expressed hopes that the arrival of the Glen Sannox, which started sailing between Troon and Brodick in January, would mean disruption is 'reduced quite considerably'. Mr Morrison, noting the new vessel's greater capacity and ability to operate in weather conditions in which the smaller Isle of Arran vessel could not, said of the Glen Sannox: 'It is good to see it in service. Certainly in the first couple of weeks it has been sailing in winds which would have prevented the Isle of Arran from sailing.' His comments highlight just how crucial ferry services are for people and businesses alike on the islands and the importance of these being reliable. Read more What has been striking about CalMac over the decades, covering the ferry operator and the communities it serves as a journalist and also travelling on its services, is its deep connection with the islands and its employees' knowledge of the people who are its customers, including businesses reliant on sending their goods out or receiving vital supplies from the mainland. These personal relationships are often longstanding. Of course, the age of CalMac's fleet has needed attention. However, there are hopeful signs on this front with Ms Hyslop last week highlighting investment in an additional 12 vessels for the network, even if waiting for the benefits of the orders being placed for new ships will require some patience. And, yes, there is undoubtedly a case for looking at whether the current procurement structure for vessels for CalMac is the best one or not. However, amid understandable frustrations over disruption to crossings in recent years, the last thing that needs to happen is for the baby to be thrown out with the bathwater through a tendering process which results in a private sector player taking over these vital ferry services. The CalMac network includes many services which have to be subsidised. Ms Hyslop highlighted a move, with the direct award of the new, 10-year contract which runs from October 1 this year for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services, to 'a model more focused on the delivery of a public service' to communities. She said: 'I fully expect the direct award to be a catalyst for positive change across the Clyde and Hebrides network, based on a more efficient, flexible model of delivery that fully reflects community interests. Discussions will continue with staff, island residents, businesses and communities and trade unions on the arrangements to ensure the services can best meet local needs and wants.' Clearly, all of this will be easier said than done but such engagement should surely help drive progress. Ms Hyslop said: 'This direct award fundamentally changes the ethos of the service by shifting from a commercial arrangement to a model more focused on the delivery of a public service engaged on the particular needs of the communities it serves.' That sounds like a very positive step. And the last thing anyone needs right now is for a private company to be allowed to wade in to run the ferry services and - on top of the recent difficulties endured by communities served by CalMac arising from issues around an ageing fleet which are being addressed anyway - start trying to wring out a substantial profit. If anyone is any doubt about that, they need only look at the shambles that has ensued since the privatisation of British Rail, and ask if they would really want that for communities which have generally been served well by CalMac for decades.
