MV Alfred at Brodick for the first time, berthing there having made its way to the Isle of Arran from the pentland Firth, where its regular route was between Orkney and Caithness.
MV Pentalina took over from MV Alfred at the Orkney route for Pentland Ferries, but ran aground this evening at St Margaret's Hope, requiring 60 passengers to be rescued! Another big story in itself.
I went to Brodick with Bob Haddow (a long-time resident on Arran since the early 1940's) to watch it berthing around 11pm in the drizzle.
MV Alfred is a catamaran which was built in Vietnam in 2019, and can carry 98 cars and 430 passengers.
It is the first catamaran to be used on the Western Isles, so it's presence here is big news.
It has been chartered along with its crew for 9 months by Calmac, and Ayr is being suggested as a potential base for the ferry.
Time will tell if it, and therefore other catamarans as well, are deemed suitable for the Western Isles routes.
@davetheraverovingtherock

свернуть