FERGUSON Marine have reached a major milestone this afternoon as the heavily delayed MV Glen Sannox berthed in Arran for the first time.
The vessel has been out on sea trials this week as the anticipated date for its handover to Scottish Government ferry procurement body CMAL draws ever closer.
Residents of Brodick on the Isle of Arran were treated to a first glimpse of the ferry that is soon to serve their community as she successfully berthed at Brodick Pier.
The event drew in not only ferry fanatics, but also the wider community of the island as dozens flocked around the CalMac ferry terminal to welcome the vessel.
This is the latest milestone for the controversial ferry and follows Ferguson Marine successfully bunkering Glen Sannox’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel on board the vessel twice in the last fortnight.
The bunkering of the LNG was the first operation of its kind carried out in the UK.
The news of Glen Sannox's visit to Arran comes after a hitch with the vessel's LNG fuel system forced the yard to push the previous September 30 handover date back by two weeks.
Bosses at Ferguson Marine say they will hold a week-long exercise to discuss "lessons learned" from the construction of the six-year-late MV Glen Sannox after its delivery, which is currently scheduled for mid-October.
The yard’s interim CEO John Petticrew updated the Scottish Parliament's Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee earlier this month, revealing that key officials from Ferguson's, CalMac and procurement body CMAL will all take part in the exercise.
