26:
47:
465:, and more passengers. The new ferry is more stable in heavier seas (being designed to sail in winds up to Force 7/8) and also significantly quieter than her predecessor. The route has proved far more popular than predicted and reservations are advised for vehicles. In Summer 2006, the service started to operate seven days per week, making it the first route to operate a Sunday service to the northern half of the Western Isles.
660:
392:
s car deck provides space for up to 34 cars. Passenger accommodation, above the car deck, contains several internal seating areas, forward and aft external seating areas, toilets, information boards and a basic vending machine. A passenger lift and 2 MES systems were installed in
Birkenhead in
481:
was en route to her annual dry docking and was due to dock alongside in Largs for the night. After getting permission, she was able to take up the run and help clear the backlog of traffic. She continued the run the next morning, until another relief vessel arrived.
450:
is full of islands, sandbacks and rocks, and the route followed by the ferry covers nine nautical miles in an hour. From
Leverburgh the ferry skirts the islets near the Harris coast before heading south to North Uist. Close to the island of
698:
443:
on North Uist, until the
Berneray Causeway opened in April 1999, when the ferry's southern terminus moved to a purpose-built slipway at the northern end of the causeway.
439:
had started the service in 1996, but could only carry 18 cars and soon proved inadequate. Initially, the service connected
Leverburgh with a slipway at
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684:
664:
319:
73:
393:
February 2016. Her bridge, above the passenger lounge, provides a grandstand view - essential on the tortuous Sound of Harris route.
190:
361:, it became apparent that a new vessel was required. This was built, as another large variant on the successful Loch Class, by
25:
1366:
380:
was fitted with a passenger lift and 2 MES evacuation systems, 1 port and 1 starboard, whilst dry docking in
Birkenhead.
1376:
721:
513:
489:"made contact" with the sea bed in the Sound of Harris, resulting in a short spell in dry dock undergoing repairs.
401:
928:
421:
1318:
1217:
1124:
1095:
103:
46:
970:
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570:
477:
broke down alongside in Largs leaving hundreds of passengers and in excess of 100 vehicles stranded.
425:
327:
83:
1371:
760:
1044:
1304:
1210:
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1132:
1081:
1073:
837:
816:
239:
194:
184:
1224:
633:
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1339:
1231:
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1154:
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1011:
548:
179:
1088:
1325:
879:
844:
830:
949:
942:
865:
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746:
447:
433:
355:
351:
331:
111:
1332:
1140:
1051:
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858:
455:
it takes a sharp right turn and heads nearly due west to the southern tip of
Berneray.
335:
51:
600:
1360:
935:
914:
886:
472:
233:
509:
373:
on 23 April 2003 and undertook sea trials, before arriving in North Uist on 1 June.
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127:
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131:
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1066:
1030:
397:
339:
1253:
1117:
753:
93:
366:
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219:
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A lack of depth in the Sound of Harris led to the adoption of a
1293:
989:
719:
680:
1023:
996:
542:
692:
354:service started in 1996 using the new vessel
8:
432:) route and has operated there since 2003.
1290:
986:
716:
699:
685:
677:
537:
535:
533:
531:
471:came to the rescue in February 2015 when
595:
593:
591:
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587:
498:
504:
502:
20:
44:
7:
628:
626:
624:
622:
400:propulsion system, rather than the
461:carries twice as many cars as the
376:During January and February 2016,
320:Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited
259:14.4 m (47 ft 3 in)
74:Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited
14:
404:of the other Loch Class ferries.
267:1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
658:
45:
24:
1:
369:. The new ferry was named MV
283:10.5 kn (19.4 km/h)
275:Schottel Water Pump Jets x 4
1393:
514:Caledonian Maritime Assets
291:146 passengers and 34 cars
1300:
1289:
985:
728:
715:
210:
39:
23:
636:. Undiscovered Scotland
634:"Sound of Harris Ferry"
326:car ferry, operated by
251:49 m (161 ft)
211:General characteristics
34:, Harris on 9 May 2016.
402:Voith Schneider units
322:water-jet propulsion
1367:Caledonian MacBrayne
709:Caledonian MacBrayne
667:at Wikimedia Commons
328:Caledonian MacBrayne
84:Caledonian MacBrayne
1377:Ferries of Scotland
673:on www.calmac.co.uk
16:2003 Scottish ferry
1295:Under construction
1219:Maid of Skelmorlie
549:Miramar Ship Index
416:was built for the
299:5 Winter, 6 Summer
1354:
1353:
1350:
1349:
1285:
1284:
1024:Sold into service
981:
980:
972:Lord of the Isles
663:Media related to
607:. Ships of Calmac
510:"MV Loch Portain"
485:In October 2015,
310:
309:
1384:
1291:
987:
762:Caledonian Isles
717:
701:
694:
687:
678:
662:
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334:crossing in the
330:, built for the
90:Port of registry
54:
49:
28:
21:
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1387:
1386:
1385:
1383:
1382:
1381:
1357:
1356:
1355:
1346:
1296:
1281:
1212:Maid of Cumbrae
1019:
992:
977:
839:Isle of Cumbrae
818:Hebridean Isles
724:
711:
705:
671:MV Loch Portain
665:MV Loch Portain
655:
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561:
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541:
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519:
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448:Sound of Harris
410:
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352:Sound of Harris
350:Soon after the
348:
332:Sound of Harris
112:Sound of Harris
50:
35:
17:
12:
11:
5:
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1205:Maid of Ashton
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1198:Maid of Argyll
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689:
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653:External links
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618:
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336:Outer Hebrides
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170:Identification
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52:United Kingdom
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948:
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930:Loch Seaforth
927:
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918:
917:
913:
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910:
906:
904:
903:
899:
897:
896:
892:
890:
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885:
883:
882:
881:Loch Dunvegan
878:
876:
875:
871:
869:
868:
864:
862:
861:
857:
855:
854:
850:
848:
847:
846:Isle of Lewis
843:
841:
840:
836:
834:
833:
832:Isle of Arran
829:
827:
826:
822:
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819:
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749:
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738:
736:
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731:
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727:
723:
722:Current fleet
718:
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672:
669:
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442:
438:
437:
431:
427:
423:
419:
415:
407:
405:
403:
399:
394:
391:
390:Loch Portain'
383:
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333:
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247:
246:
241:
237:
235:
231:
230:
229:
226:
225:
222:vehicle ferry
221:
218:
215:
214:
209:
205:
202:
201:
196:
192:
189:
186:
183:
181:
177:
174:
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156:
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149:24 March 2003
148:
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61:
58:
57:
53:
48:
43:
38:
33:
27:
22:
19:
1340:
1333:
1326:
1319:
1312:
1305:
1275:
1268:
1261:
1254:
1247:
1240:
1232:
1225:
1218:
1211:
1204:
1197:
1190:
1183:
1176:
1169:
1162:
1155:
1148:
1141:
1133:
1125:
1118:
1111:
1103:
1096:
1089:
1082:
1074:
1067:
1060:
1052:
1045:
1038:
1031:
1012:
1004:
991:Former fleet
971:
964:
957:
951:Loch Tarbert
950:
944:Loch Striven
943:
936:
929:
922:
915:
909:Loch Portain
908:
907:
901:
894:
887:
880:
873:
867:Loch Bhrusda
866:
859:
853:Isle of Mull
852:
845:
838:
831:
824:
817:
810:
803:
796:
789:
782:
775:
768:
761:
754:
748:Argyll Flyer
747:
740:
733:
640:13 September
638:. Retrieved
609:. Retrieved
603:Loch Portain
602:
574:. Retrieved
565:Loch Portain
564:
557:
518:. Retrieved
487:Loch Portain
486:
484:
479:Loch Portain
478:
473:
469:Loch Portain
468:
467:
463:Loch Bhrusda
462:
459:Loch Portain
458:
457:
446:The shallow
445:
436:Loch Bhrusda
435:
414:Loch Portain
413:
411:
395:
389:
387:
378:Loch Portain
377:
375:
371:Loch Portain
370:
363:McTay Marine
358:Loch Bhrusda
357:
349:
315:Loch Portain
314:
312:
311:
128:McTay Marine
64:Loch Portain
63:
30:Approaching
18:
1334:Loch Indaal
1320:Glen Sannox
1126:Glen Sannox
923:Loch Riddon
902:Loch Linnhe
860:Loch Alainn
191:MMSI number
165:5 June 2003
138:Yard number
132:Bromborough
1372:2003 ships
1361:Categories
1156:Kilbrannan
937:Loch Shira
916:Loch Ranza
888:Loch Frisa
611:18 January
520:23 January
493:References
474:Loch Shira
430:North Uist
418:Leverburgh
272:Propulsion
206:in service
176:IMO number
162:In service
108:Leverburgh
32:Leverburgh
1313:Glen Rosa
1061:Caledonia
1046:Bruernish
1039:Broadford
965:Lochnevis
958:Lochinvar
895:Loch Fyne
874:Loch Buie
804:Finlaggan
783:Chieftain
707:Ships of
544:"9274824"
453:Grodhaigh
441:Otternish
398:water-jet
238:170
232:950
195:235008928
154:Completed
141:McTay 129
1306:Claymore
1184:Lochalsh
1170:Laig Bay
1163:Kyleakin
1134:Hebrides
1083:Claymore
1075:Clansman
997:Scrapped
825:Hebrides
790:Clansman
776:Catriona
769:Carvoria
434:MV
426:Berneray
356:MV
340:Scotland
288:Capacity
185:Callsign
157:May 2003
146:Launched
122:Feniks,
104:Berneray
80:Operator
1341:Lochmor
1276:Suilven
1269:Scalpay
1241:Portree
1233:Pioneer
1226:Morvern
1191:Lochmor
1104:Coruisk
1097:Columba
1013:Jupiter
811:Hallaig
797:Coruisk
734:Ali Cat
576:25 June
408:Service
365:on the
346:History
264:Draught
227:Tonnage
187:: VQKE8
180:9274824
178::
119:Builder
94:Glasgow
40:History
1262:Saturn
1248:Raasay
1235:(1974)
1149:Keppel
1136:(1963)
1128:(1957)
1106:(1969)
1077:(1964)
1055:(1954)
1015:(1973)
1007:(1974)
741:Argyle
571:CalMac
422:Harris
384:Layout
367:Mersey
248:Length
203:Status
124:Gdańsk
1177:Largs
1112:Cowal
1068:Canna
1032:Arran
424:) to
324:ro-ro
318:is a
304:Notes
280:Speed
220:Ro-Ro
100:Route
70:Owner
1255:Rhum
1142:Iona
1119:Eigg
1090:Coll
1053:Bute
1005:Juno
755:Bute
642:2009
613:2021
578:2017
563:"MV
522:2020
296:Crew
256:Beam
126:and
59:Name
516:Ltd
412:MV
388:MV
338:of
313:MV
240:DWT
62:MV
1363::
621:^
586:^
569:.
547:.
530:^
512:.
501:^
342:.
234:GT
193::
130:,
106:-
700:e
693:t
686:v
644:.
615:.
605:"
601:"
580:.
567:"
551:.
524:.
428:(
420:(
114:)
110:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
