Caledonian MacBrayne welcomes MV Loch Portain to the fleet

03 June 2003

Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne will this week welcome the latest addition to its Hebridean and Clyde fleet in a series of events on Thursday, June 5. MV Loch Portain, which will connect the communities of North Uist and Harris between Berneray and Leverburgh, was officially named by Mrs Marion Mills, wife of Caledonian MacBrayne Chairman Dr Harold Mills, at McTay’s yard in Bromborough on the Wirral peninsula on April 23. MV Loch Portain is named after a loch in North Uist, maintaining the tradition of her predecessor.

The ship has now reached North Uist, having successfully completed ramp trials at Fishnish over the weekend, and berthed at Oban on her way north. MV Loch Portain left Oban at 1045 on Sunday morning and arrived in North Uist in the evening. She will now undergo familiarisation work on the route and final preparations for her inaugural sailing on Thursday.

Dr Mills said: “I am delighted to welcome the new ship into the fleet and I know that the communities of Harris and North Uist are eagerly awaiting her introduction – and indeed further south in Barra and Eriskay, the arrival there of Loch Bhrusda. Visitors to the Hebrides can now take their cars in comfort from Vatersay to Ness on state of the art ferries. I am pleased also that we are unveiling a specially commissioned painting of a scene from North Uist - “Croft and Peat Stack, North Uist” - by John Lowrie Morrison – JoLomo whose father was from Harris.”

A decision will be taken later in the week once the final preparations are compete on when precisely MV Loch Bhrusda will be going south to the Sound of Barra. She will continue to operate on the Sound of Harris until the final preparations are complete.

MV Loch Portain, which cost nearly £5million, can carry 36 cars and 200 passengers and at 49 metres in length, she is considerably bigger than her pioneering predecessor’s 35.4 metres. The car-carrying capacity on the route will now be doubled. The new ship was part of £12.6million order for two ferries the other is MV Coruisk which is due to take up the summer Mallaig/Armadale service shortly and will operate on the Clyde in the winter. CalMac has now invested £50million in ships in the Outer Hebrides in the last eight years.

Local community representatives, including school children, have been invited to join CalMac Board members on Thursday on board the new ship as they visit the area while holding one of their meetings in Benbecula. Entertainment will be provided by young pipers from North Uist and a young singer from Northton, Marjory Hutton.

For further information on the contents of this News Release, please contact Hugh Dan MacLennan, Public Affairs Manager, Caledonian MacBrayne. Tel: 0776 435 4021; e-mail hugh.maclennan@calmac.co.uk

Issued: Monday, June 2, 2003

MV Loch Portain : Additional information:

Length overall 50m approx; Breadth Mid 14m; Depth 3.0m

Load draft 1.5m; No of passengers 200; No of cars 32; Deadweight 160 tonnes

Contract speed 10.5 knots; Gross tonnage 800 Approx

The ship is equipped to carry 44-tonne vehicles and dangerous goods. Accommodation for passengers is in a single lounge with all-round visibility straddling the car deck.

There is separate enclosed seating for those with mobility impaired.