The troubled Glen Rosa ferry project has hit yet another setback, with Ferguson Marine shipyard confirming a further delay and a sharp rise in costs. The vessel, originally due for delivery in 2018, will now not be handed over until the second quarter of 2026, with its price-tag swelling to a maximum of £185 million-more than four times the original estimate for both Glen Rosa and its sister ship, Glen Sannox.
Ferguson Marine’s new chief executive, Graeme Thomson, announced that Glen Rosa’s delivery has been postponed by up to nine months, with completion now forecast between April and June 2026. The cost has jumped from £150 million to £172.5 million, with an additional £12.5 million contingency, bringing the maximum projected spend to £185 million.
“This is not the announcement we wanted to be making at this stage and cannot overstate our understanding of the importance of providing realistic handover schedules to support CalMac to provide a more reliable and robust service to the communities it serves,” Thomson said.
“No one wants to see the swift delivery of MV Glen Rosa more than Ferguson Marine and we are committed to working hard to ensure the vessel is delivered within this window. We apologise unreservedly to islanders for this additional delay and want to assure everyone that we are working extremely hard to deliver a quality vessel that showcases the skill and experience of Clydebuilt ships. Once delivered, MV Glen Rosa will be transformative for our island communities.”
The repeated delays have drawn sharp criticism from islanders, politicians, and ferry users.
Bill Calderwood, secretary of the Isle of Arran Ferry Committee, told BBC Scotland: “The community is at a loss for words regarding the ongoing mismanagement of this project. The timeline has shifted from delay to delay, with little apparent accountability for the management or others involved in these failures.”
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes expressed her “disappointment and frustration” to the Ferguson Marine board, stating: “Taxpayers, and the communities which depend on the island ferries service, deserve better. I have instructed that a new weekly review group be established, chaired by Ferguson Marine and comprising the yard and our independent technical advisers, CMAL, to scrutinise the vessel’s delivery plan and ensure it is realistic, efficient and cost-effective.”
Scottish Conservative MSP Sue Webber called the situation “a catastrophic blow for islanders, who have been betrayed at every turn by the SNP’s incompetence,” while Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Jamie Greene said, “The MV Glen Rosa should have been delivered back in 2018, now islanders might have to wait until after the next Scottish parliament election before this vessel enters service, which is a disgrace.”
A history of delays and overruns
The Glen Rosa and Glen Sannox ferries were commissioned in 2015 as the UK’s first LNG-powered ferries, with an initial budget of £97 million and a planned delivery in 2018. However, the project quickly ran aground due to design disputes, management changes, and technical challenges, including issues with the installation of specialised cryogenic piping for the dual-fuel engines.
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The shipyard entered administration in 2019 and was subsequently nationalised, but delays and cost overruns persisted. Glen Sannox was eventually delivered in late 2023, but only after parts were reportedly cannibalised from Glen Rosa to expedite its completion.
Both ferries are too large for the existing Ardrossan Harbour, necessitating an £80 million upgrade and forcing services to be temporarily diverted to Troon, reducing the number of daily round trips and impacting the Arran community and its economy.
The Road (or Sea) Ahead
While Ferguson Marine insists it is working to restore trust and deliver Glen Rosa within the new timeline, further reviews are planned in six months to assess progress. The yard is also seeking new contracts to ensure its future beyond Glen Rosa.
