Glen Rosa

The origins of Glen Rosa can be traced back to the announcement that CalMac were to receive two new dual-fuelled ferries, one to serve the Arran route and the other to replace Hebrides on the Uig - Tarbert - Lochmaddy triangle route. Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd (FMEL) were announced as the preferred bidder for the £97m contract back in 2015 - a decision that was subsequently dogged by allegations of corruption and even the focus of a BBC Scotland investigative documentary, such was the evidence to support the claims, though emphatically denied by all those in power then and since. (At the time of writing the documentary can still be viewed on BBC iPlayer, for anyone curious)

The delays and controversy surrounding the two ferries, hulls 801 and 802 are well documented elsewhere, so we'll skip to the early 2020s by which time the powers that be had decided that two ships was not enough. Hull 802 was no longer to serve Uig and instead had been earmarked for Arran alongside the now-named Glen Sannox. At 102m in length and designed to carry 127 cars and 852 passengers, the two new ferries would bring with them the highest capacity the island had ever seen.

Following the myriad problems encountered by FMEL when fitting out the Glen Sannox, the Glen Rosa was substantially more complete by the time she was finally launched on 9th April 2024, and was easily the heaviest vessel to venture forth down the slipway at the yard. Lessons learned from the Glen Sannox had been applied to the Glen Rosa and indeed Glen Rosa came to her elder twin's rescue within months of launch - parts were stripped from the Rosa to fit to the Sannox!

We will update this history in due course, but the current estimation is that Glen Rosa will be delivered in September 2025, with entry into service a few months after that. It is anticipated she will run from Troon to Brodick and there is also talk of her taking on a relief role in the winter months - though it must be pointed out that this is purely speculation at this time.