Meeting of the Parliament 04 March 2026 [Draft]
I first pay tribute to the cabinet secretary, Fiona Hyslop. Today we heard her last speech after 27 years serving her constituents in this Parliament, 17 of them in government. To be known as a woman who got things done, including the redevelopment of Ardrossan harbour and serving flourishing communities, will be one of her many positive legacies. We will miss you, Fiona. [Applause.]
I will discuss some of the ferry problems that are impacting my constituents, as it is important to recognise those. However, it is also important to recognise that there have been tangible improvements in our ferry services since 2007. Across the network, passenger and car numbers before the Covid pandemic were up by 25 per cent and 43 per cent respectively. That was thanks to the SNP Government’s introduction of road equivalent tariff in 2014, in relation to which I campaigned to ensure the inclusion of the Clyde islands. Return fares from Ardrossan to Brodick today are £10.20 for passengers and £41 for cars. When Labour and the Liberal Democrats left office 19 years ago, those fares were £10.30 and £75. Had those fares risen with inflation, trips to Arran would be completely unaffordable. That is the reality of Labour-Lib Dem ferry policy.
The implementation of RET was visionary. It led to cheaper fares, boosting employment and businesses in many fragile island communities. In 2007, Brodick had only one service, backed by the geriatric MV Saturn, for six weeks each summer, during which an average of 14.2 per cent of sailings were lost due to mechanical failure. How things have changed since then. We have seen £32 million invested in Brodick harbour. Arran’s Lochranza service has improved markedly, with six Sunday return sailings to Claonaig and Tarbert in winter, instead of just one, on the much bigger MV Catriona. That has increased the number of visits to Lochranza, its distillery and the rest of Arran, which has boosted local employment.
However, we cannot gloss over some substantial problems, which have been exacerbated by increasing demand. Arran has seen constant vessel redeployment and timetable changes, with far too few sailings from Ardrossan. Reliance on using the facilities at Troon last year meant fewer sailings and longer journey times. It curtailed day-tripper numbers, making it more difficult for islanders to attend mainland hospital appointments and funerals and to visit family. Supply chains and commuting patterns, including for NHS and care workers travelling to Arran, were disrupted.
Yesterday and today saw all Arran to Ardrossan sailings cancelled, as the MV Caledonian Isles developed yet another technical failure barely five months after returning from previous repairs. The Glen Sannox has been out for more than four months for warranty works, and vibrational issues must be sorted out for both that vessel and the Glen Rosa. However, to put that into context, even in 2025—which was one of the worst years that I can recall for disruption—there were more sailings to and from Brodick than in any year that Labour and the Lib Dems were in office. For Cumbrae, CalMac proposes to change the way that the route has functioned for 40 years and to double vessel turnaround time. Health and safety issues were recently cited, but they were not in 2024, when the cabinet secretary vetoed an identical move. It is a move that islanders want rejected, and one that the Cumbrae ferry users group and I will discuss with the cabinet secretary next week.
With Ardrossan harbour safely back in public hands, millions of pounds will be invested in redeveloping it to deliver the regular, accessible and reliable ferry services that Arran needs, bringing prosperity to both the island and Ardrossan.
At last night’s meeting of the Ardrossan harbour task force, the cabinet secretary committed to delivering compensation to businesses that will be impacted when Ardrossan harbour undergoes full redevelopment. In due course, the Scottish ministers will outline who will qualify, together with the resource allocation. It would be helpful if the Lib Dems could explain in their closing remarks which communities, such as Dunoon and Ardrossan, which are mentioned in their motion, should be compensated now, as they propose, the mechanism for that delivery, how much it will cost and from where in the budget funding for it should be found.
In addition to the MV Isle of Islay, which is shortly due to enter service, 11 vessels are currently under construction. That will increase CalMac’s fleet capacity, improve reliability and strengthen network resilience. Things have not been easy for our island communities in recent years, but with record investment and CalMac operating more sailings to Arran and serving more routes than ever before, the future now looks brighter.