MV Isle of Arran
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| History | |
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 United Kingdom
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| Name: | MV Isle of Arran |
| Owner: | Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited |
| Operator: | Caledonian MacBrayne |
| Port of registry: | Glasgow, United Kingdom |
| Route: |
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| Builder: | Ferguson Ailsa Ltd, Port Glasgow |
| Yard number: | 491 |
| Launched: |
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| Maiden voyage: | 13 April 1984 |
| Identification: |
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| Status: | in service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | vehicle and passenger ferry |
| Tonnage: | 3,269 |
| Length: | 84.92 m (278.6 ft) |
| Beam: | 16.24 m (53.3 ft) |
| Draft: | 3 m (9.8 ft) |
| Propulsion: | 2 x 8MB275 diesel engines, each developing 2310bhp |
| Speed: | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) (service) |
| Capacity: |
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| Crew: | 20 |
| Notes: | |
MV Isle of Arran is a drive-through ferry owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited and operated on the west coast of Scotland by Caledonian MacBrayne. Built in 1983, she served on the Arran service for ten years before being moved to Kennacraig. She returned to her original route in 2012, supplementing the MV Caledonian Isles in summer and becoming a relief vessel in winter. In 2013, she started a new pilot route from Ardrossan to Campbeltown, which became a permanent fixture by 2015.
Over the years, MV Isle of Arran has seen complete contrasts in her regular employment - a ship which started out as the main ferry on a busy route, where she was overwhelmed by her own success - redeployed to another route, where she brought ro-ro capabilities and latterly transferred to a role in which she was one of the most well-traveled members of the fleet. She has been a real workhorse, providing an essential service for over 30 years.
Isle of Arran was launched on the Clyde at the end of 1983. After fitting out, she made her way down to Gourock, where she showed the flag and tested her bow ramp on the linkspan. After further berthing trials at Ardrossan and Brodick, she eventually took over the route on 13 April 1984 from MV Glen Sannox, which itself had recently replaced the failed MV Clansman. She became a great asset to the Clyde-based fleet, with a crossing time to Arran of 55 minutes (the scheduled time for many years). Her winter relieving vessels included the MV Iona of 1970 and even the elderly Glen Sannox.
However, by the turn of the decade, it was clear that Isle of Arran was becoming inadequate for the role for which she was built. In 1993, less than ten years after her launch, she made way for the mighty MV Caledonian Isles and left for the Kennacraig to Islay crossings. Replacing MV Claymore, she brought drive-through capabilities to that route. Despite a much larger vehicle capacity, she could discharge a full load and take on another in the same, if not less, time than the Claymore. Throughout the summer she made two or three return trips each day to Islay. On Wednesdays during high summer, her roster took her on past Port Askaig to Colonsay and Oban, returning to Kennacraig after dark. The winter months saw Claymore or Iona on the Islay sailings and Isle of Arran took on a general relief role for the other large vessels at Oban, Ardrossan, Ullapool and Uig. She saw service on the majority of the drive-through routes on the west coast, while continuing to have her own commitment to Islay during the summer. From the end of 1998, Clansman took the Arran and Lewis relief sailings and Isle of Arran relieved where needed.
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