Ferry Services

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

Transport Scotland works alongside our partners CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL) and Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) to bring you the vital ferry services serving the West coast of Scotland and the Clyde Estuary.

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.

For information on Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) please visit their website.

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 the year round passenger, vehicle and freight ferry service from the mainland to Orkney and Shetland via the Northern Isles Ferry Services Contract.

Northern Isles ferry services (NIFS) contracts:

• NIFS3 - 8 years (30 June 2020 to 30 June 2028). View the contract.

Operator - Serco NorthLink Ferries

Areas served - Ferry services between (a) Aberdeen, Kirkwall and Lerwick and (b) Scrabster and Stromness.

Value: The value of the contract, based on the full-life duration of eight-years is worth £349,645,798 exclusive of VAT.

• NIFS2 - 6 years (July 2012 to April 2018). View the contract.

This contract was extended to ensure continuity of services during the procurement process of the new Northern Isles Ferry Services contract that commenced 30 June 2020.

Operator - Serco NorthLink Ferries

Areas served - Ferry services between (a) Aberdeen, Kirkwall and Lerwick and (b) Scrabster and Stromness.

• In 2019, the Scottish Government commissioned an Action Plan to help improve the performance of our ferry services
• You can read about the plan for the future of our ferry services in the Scottish Ferries Plan 2013-2022
• Transport Scotland work alongside Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) who own the ferries serving the Northern Isles. CMAL are wholly owned by the Scottish Government with Scottish Ministers as the sole shareholder.

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
• Western Ferries
• Argyll & Bute Council
• Pentland Ferries

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

Local Authority Ferries Replacement Task Forces

In December 2022, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery committed to setting up Task Forces to discuss how Orkney Islands Council and Shetland Islands Council could progress proposals for the long term renewal of their ferry fleets.  Minutes of Task Force meetings and other relevant documents will be posted here with the agreement of these local authorities.

Terms of reference and remits

• Terms of reference and remit of Shetland Islands Task Force (August 2023)
• Terms of reference and remit of Orkney Islands Task Force (February 2023)

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