Latest news with #SoundofSeil
The Herald Scotland
09-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
It's a family affair as Crieff Hydro unveils new look
Last month I interviewed the Hydro's long-standing chief executive, Stephen Leckie, who took me through the rationale behind a £5.2 million investment to rejuvenate the food and drink operation at the resort. Mr Leckie joked that his forebears would be 'turning in their graves' at the changes, which include a new 'secret' speakeasy that can be accessed – via a bookcase wall, naturally – from the new Ballroom Bar. More seriously, the veteran hotelier pressed home why continual reinvestment is needed in destinations such as Crieff to ensure guests keep coming back, and to persuade lapsed consumers to return. The widespread changes include renovations of the hotel's Meikle restaurant, where the Hydro's famous buffet breakfast is served, Winter Garden and Loggia, as well as the introduction of an Asian, small plates menu that is now available throughout. Mr Leckie, whose wife Fiona is the Crieff hotel group's head of interiors, also explained the project was something of a milestone for the Leckie family, who have run the hotel for six generations. Sons Richard and Charlie played a driving role in creating the concepts for the new food and drink offer, while daughters Sarah and Louisa work in events and marketing at the group. 'The fact is I have just turned 60,' Mr Leckie told The Herald. 'This is the start of a transition as I consider the latter working years of my life. 'I plan on working until I am 70 or more, assuming I am able, but I have to allow the new generation the chance to make their mark on the business and continue the success of the business. 'And it is not just about Crieff – it's about Peebles Hydro, the Isle of Glencoe and Ballachulish on the west coast and Scottish Highland Safaris which all four children are getting involved with, even down to the uniforms, the type of pens that we want to have customers use in our conference rooms and in reception when they check in. The family needs to have a role in these little things.' Elsewhere in April I had an exclusive story on the decision by Western Ferries (Scotland) to name a Merseyside shipyard as preferred bidder for two new vessels – a move seen by some as a blow to Ferguson Marine, the last remaining commercial shipyard on the lower Clyde. Western, which operates a frequent shuttle service between Gourock and Dunoon, said APCL Cammell Laird had been chosen after making the 'most commercially compelling case for the new vessels'. Read more: The English yard had previously built, designed and delivered the Sound of Seil and Sound of Soay ferries for Western in 2013. The privately owned company, which runs around 32,000 sailings of the 20-minute crossing per year, expects the new vessels to be delivered in the autumn of 2026. Managing director Gordon Ross said: 'Western Ferries is pleased to announce the preferred bidder statement of a new vessel construction contract to leading UK shipbuilder APCL Cammell Laird, reinforcing a strong and trusted partnership rooted in British maritime excellence. 'APCL Cammell Laird was selected as the preferred bidder due to the strength of their proposal, demonstrating exceptional value in cost, expertise, and the quality of its shipbuilding facilities. Their bid was immensely strong on all fronts, and with their heritage of maritime excellence, we are confident that they will deliver vessels of the highest quality, on time and on budget.' Meanwhile, the AGM season for stock market-listed companies was in full swing last month and I reported on the latest shareholder gathering of NatWest Group in Edinburgh. Investors in the owner of Royal Bank of Scotland voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new remuneration policy that could see chief executive Paul Thwaite earn nearly £8m per year. Chairman Rick Haythornthwaite told reporters after the AGM that the bank had been 'very measured' in its approach to the new executive pay policy. He said: 'We just feel, as step one, let's do that and make sure we are competitive, so we do attract the best talent and keep the best talent. 'But let's not open up the floodgates of risk exposure and forget the lessons of pre-2008 when it all got a bit out of sync. 'We don't think we are close to testing the limits of that. It was a good opportunity to make the shift and remain in sensible territory, with the recognition that others are pushing the boundaries.'
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Ferguson shipyard misses out on Clyde small ferries contract
A contract to build two new small ferries for the River Clyde has gone to a shipyard in MerseysidePrivately-owned Western Ferries announced that Cammell Laird, based at Birkenhead, was preferred bidder to build the vessels for its Gourock to Dunoon announcement is a disappointment for the nationalised Ferguson Marine shipyard which had hoped to win the Port Glasgow based firm has no new orders beyond the CalMac ferry Glen Rosa, but is pursuing contracting work on the Type 26 frigates currently being built by BAE Systems in Glasgow. Western Ferries currently operates four small ferries, two of them built by Ferguson's in 2001 and 2003 when the yard was privately owned by the Dunnet other two ferries, Sound of Seil and Sound of Soay, were previously built by Cammell Laird in Ferries last year carried 1.2 million passengers and 600,000 cars on the Gourock to Dunoon route and employs about 60 people. Ferguson's employs about 300 workers and apprentices in an area of high deprivation and has built six out of the 10 largest ships currently in CalMac's the firm has struggled with construction of MV Glen Sannox and MV Glen Rosa, the first dual-fuel ferries built in the UK capable of running on liquefied natural challenges, disputes over rising costs and an acrimonious stand-off with the customer CMAL saw the firm return to administration in 2019 when it was nationalised, with problems continuing under public Glen Sannox - which started carrying passengers in January - has been praised by ferry users on the Arran the ship was unexpectedly taken out of service in March after a hairline crack in a weld on its hull led to a small fault was quickly repaired and the ship resumed sailings two days second ship MV Glen Rosa is in the final stages of construction and is due for delivery in the autumn.
The Herald Scotland
25-04-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Mersey shipyard to build new vessels for CalMac rival
Western, which has built a strong reputation for the reliability of its frequent Gourock to Dunoon service, expects both new vessels to be delivered to the Firth of Clyde in the autumn of 2016. The new additions will lower the average age of the Western fleet to just over six years when they come into service. Privately owned Western has a four-strong fleet which operates a frequent shuttle service between McInroy's Point in Gourock and Hunter's Quay in Dunoon. It runs around 32,000 sailings of the 20-minute crossing per year, with sailings taking place 365 days per year. Its decision to name APCL Cammell Laird as preferred bidder for its next two ferries builds on a successful relationship between the two parties, which was established in 2013 when the shipyard built, designed, and delivered the Sound of Seil and Sound of Soay for the company. Western, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, declared the vessels have since proven to be 'stalwarts' of its fleet, with their 'proven reliability and, importantly, commercial performance' key factors in confirming APCL Cammell Laird as preferred bidder. Western managing director Gordon Ross said: 'Western Ferries is pleased to announce the preferred bidder statement of a new vessel construction contract to leading UK shipbuilder APCL Cammell Laird, reinforcing a strong and trusted partnership rooted in British maritime excellence. 'APCL Cammell Laird was selected as the preferred bidder due to the strength of its proposal, demonstrating exceptional value in cost, expertise, and the quality of its shipbuilding facilities. Their bid was immensely strong on all fronts, and with their heritage of maritime excellence, we are confident that they will deliver vessels of the highest quality, on time and on budget.' The shipbuilder, which part of the APCL Group, has secured the work for Western as it moves into the final stages of constructing the latest Mersey Ferry. The company built the RRS Sir David Attenborough and along with the wider APCL Group is delivering units for HMS Belfast Ship 3 and HMS Birmingham Ship 4 of the new Type 26 class of frigates. These programmes are being delivered on behalf of BAE. David McGinley, group chief executive of APCL Group, said: 'APCL Group welcomes the announcement of this latest contract with Western Ferries, further developing the partnership between both companies. 'We would like to thank Western Ferries for its ongoing confidence in our facilities and our shipbuilding capabilities. This contract marks the next major milestone in APCL Group being recognised as the UK's leading commercial shipbuilder. 'Continued orders from British companies to British shipyards ensure that the UK remains as a leader of commercial shipbuilding on the world stage.' The latest accounts for Western Ferries (Clyde), published in December, showed an increase in pre-tax profits to £2.87 million for the year to March 31, 2024, up from £2m the year prior. Speaking to The Herald at the time, Mr Ross said although profits increased Western continued to be in recovery mode following the Covid-19 pandemic, which had a huge impact on tourism in the Cowal peninsula and wider Argyll and Bute region. The company has long-held ambitions to operate other routes on Scotland's west coast, but to date has been thwarted because of CalMac's long-running contract with Transport Scotland to run the entire Clyde and Hebrides network.
