Ferry Services

Transport Scotland is responsible for several different ferry services. This page looks at the subsidised routes and the contractors undertaking them.

Both sides of the Cowal Peninsula are linked by a subsidised passenger-only ferry service that travels between Dunoon town centre and Gourock town centre.

Following a Ministerial statement on 12 December 2018, from 21 January 2019, the passenger-only service was transferred from Argyll Ferries Ltd to Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) under the terms of the current Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract, with the same timetable arrangements.

We'll aim to encourage greater use of public transport and sustainable travel options linking up with the Gourock railhead. We'll also consider upgrading passenger facilities at the harbours in the future. Consideration will also be given to future vessel and service requirements to ensure we are best placed to deliver a safe, reliable, efficient and sustainable ferry service into the future.

CalMac Ferries Ltd provide the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services under tendered contract with Scottish Ministers. You can read about the plan for the future of these services in the Scottish Ferries Plan 2013-2022.

The contract for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services runs from 2016 until 2024:

• Clyde and Hebrides contract: 8 years (October 2016 to October 2024)

CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of David MacBrayne Ltd, which is wholly owned by Scottish Ministers.

Contracts and evaluations

On 17 February 2015, the Contract Notice was submitted to the Official Journal of the European Union, signalling the Scottish Government’s intention to take forward a competition that will see a contract awarded at the end of May 2016 for the provision of the services from October 2016.

• View contract tender documentation
• Action Plan – CalMac Ferries Communication Paper - August 2019

The service is regularly evaluated. Read the results of those evaluations below:

• AMFC process evaluation Mallaig report March 2016 Undertaken by Why Research
• AMFC monitoring evaluation Campbeltown March 2016 Undertaken by Vector Research with JMP Consultants

The Scottish Government subsidise ferry services from the mainland to Orkney and Shetland via the Northern Isles Ferry Services Contract, which over the course of the six year Public Service Contract from July 2012 to April 2018, was worth £223 million. Serco NorthLink Ferries won the tender against competition from the previous public sector operator, NorthLink Ferries Ltd. The contract has been extended for a period of 18 months, due to expire on 31 October 2019.

Northern Isles ferry services contract

Operator

• Serco NorthLink Ferries

Contract

• 6 years (July 2012 to April 2018)

Minute of Extension and Variation

• 18 Months (April 2018 to October 2019)

Action plan

• Action Plan – Northlink Ferries Communication Paper - August 2019

Tendering of 2019-2027 contract

On 21 February we confirmed that the Invitation to Tender for the next contract to operate the Northern Isles Ferry Services had been published.

We have also confirmed that Pentland Ferries, the commercial operator on the Pentland Firth, has lodged a Petition for Judicial Review of Scottish Ministers’ decision to subsidise the provision of public services in relation to Northern Isles Ferry Services. The company has also lodged a related complaint with the European Commission.

The Invitation to Tender was issued on 17 January 2019 to three potential bidders: CalMac Ferries Ltd, Förde Reederei Seetouristik GmbH & Co. KG (FRS) and Serco NorthLink Ltd.

Scottish Ministers will defend our position in relation to the continued provision of subsidy in support of these lifeline ferry services. The procurement process will continue as planned, pending the outcome of the Judicial Review and complaint to the European Commission from a commercial operator.

• ITT Vol 1 - Instructions to Participants
• ITT Vol 2 - Specification of Requirements

Areas served

• Ferry services between (a) Aberdeen, Kirkwall and Lerwick and (b) Scrabster and Stromness.

For more information visit the Northlink Ferries website

Public consultation

A public consultation on options for future Northern Isles ferry services was conducted from 11 June to 30 September 2010.

The relevant consultation documents are available for information only below.

• Northern Isles Ferry Services – Consultation Document 2010
• Northern Isles Ferry Services - Analysis of Written Responses
• Scottish Ferries Review and Northern Isles Tendering Consultation: Update Paper March 2011
• Northern Isles Consultation Responses

MV Hamnavoe

• A copy of the report into the breakdown of the MV Hamnavoe in April 2013

Northern Isles freight contract

Operator

• Shetland Line 1984 Limited, part of the Streamline Shipping Group

Contract length

• 6 years (May 2008 to May 2014). View the contract

Areas served

• Freight shipping service between Aberdeen, Kirkwall and Lerwick

Next Northern Isles Ferry Service Contract

Following the Minister for Transport and the Islands announcement in the Scottish Parliament on 20 December in relation to the Ferry Services Policy Procurement Review, both the Minister and Transport Scotland officials will conduct extensive consultation with key stakeholders and members of the local community, at which point, a decision in relation to the next Northern Isles Ferry Service Contract will be taken.

The Craighouse to Tayvallich ferry service is a small summer only 12-seater passenger ferry service that operates in the Sound of Jura between Craighouse, Jura and Tayvallich on the Knapdale Peninsula. The Jura Passenger Ferry connects with local bus services in Tayvallich to Lochgilphead and, from there, with CityLink services to Glasgow on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays (except school holidays, please see website for alternative times).

The Jura Passenger Ferry is overseen and promoted by the Isle of Jura Development Trust. The Trust is a community organisation in its 20th year, set up by local residents to ensure that the social and economic development of Jura is successful and sustainable. 

For more information, please visit the Jura Passenger Ferry and Community Land Scotland websites.

The following links provide information about major ferry services which are not funded by the Scottish Government:

• Orkney Islands Council
• Shetland Islands Council
• Highland Council
• Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
• Western Ferries
• Argyll & Bute Council
• Western Isles Council
• Pentland Ferries

There are also a number of privately owned operators who provide local ferry services throughout the Highlands and Islands.

Ferries provide a vital lifeline to our valued island and rural mainland residents and help to support thriving business and employment opportunities on the islands. The lifeline services on the Clyde and Hebrides network, the Northern Isles network and the Gourock – Dunoon service are provided under Public Service Contracts.

Transport Scotland’s Ferries Unit is responsible for overarching ferries policy, the procurement of the Public Service Contracts, contract management of these contracts and policy on future vessel and infrastructure investment. The Public Service Contracts specify the routes and timetables which the operator is required to provide, as well as the fares which apply.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) is a public body wholly owned by Scottish Ministers. It owns the ferries, ports and harbours and infrastructure necessary for vital ferry services serving the West coast of Scotland and the Clyde Estuary. It procures and owns the vessels, which are funded by the Scottish Government and owns and maintains 22 harbours. It leases the vessels to the ferry operator for use under the Public Service Contracts, which is mostly, but not wholly, under the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract. The operators of the Public Service Contracts, CalMac Ferries Ltd, Serco NorthLink Ferries and Argyll Ferries Ltd, deliver the ferry services to the islands. They are responsible for local consultation on various matters, such as timetables, with local communities, reporting back to Transport Scotland.

CMAL is also classified as a public corporation and subject to the governance arrangements applied to Scottish public bodies.  These are set out in a Management Statement and Financial Memorandum.

Consequently Transport Scotland, on behalf of the Scottish Government, is actively engaged in a number of groupings with a range of key stakeholders to ensure that these ferry services are managed and developed in a way that is consistent with those aims.

In carrying out its various functions, Transport Scotland engages formally with different groups. A list of these groups and their membership is set out below. This list is not exhaustive and Transport Scotland engage with many other groups on an ad hoc basis.

Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services

Northern Isles Ferry Services

Audit Scotland published Transport Scotland’s ferry services on 19 October 2017. We welcomed the report and are working to implement its recommendations.

PAPLS committee session

• Thursday 1 February 2018
• Thursday 23 November 2017