MV Alfred’s CalMac charter extended

CalMac has announced that its charter of a Pentland Ferries catamaran has been extended into next month.

The current hire of mv Alfred to the Western Isles ferry service was due to come to an end on Saturday, February 28.

Today, CalMac said an agreement has been reached with Pentland Ferries to extend the charter, until mv Glen Sannox returns to service.

A CalMac spokeswoman said: “To support operations to and from Arran, Pentland Ferries have agreed to defer mv Alfred’s scheduled pre-overhaul activities to allow the vessel to continue to operate on the Troon – Brodick service until March 8 as required. 

“We are currently reviewing deployment plans for return of mv Glen Sannox and for remainder of overhaul season, and further details will be shared with colleagues, customers and stakeholders early next week.”

It was in March 2023 when it was announced that mv Alfred would be heading to the West Coast, departing the following month. Since then, mv Pentalina has served on the Pentland Firth crossing. 

Originally announced as a nine-month charter to CalMac, the catamaran’s loan has been extended several times, as it supports the Western Isles ferry service. CalMac has previously said the cost of chartering mv Alfred had been “around £1 million a month.”

Pentland Ferries announced yesterday that its Resident Discount Scheme (RDS) will become a permanent feature of its fares from April 1.

Managing director Helen Inkster said: “We know how vital ferry travel is for families, businesses and essential services across Orkney. Since introducing the Resident Discount Scheme, we’ve seen the real difference it has made. We’re proud to now make that support permanent for our local community.”

Resident fares on Pentland Ferries will remain unchanged at £14 for a passenger journey and £44 for a car journey.

To help sustain the scheme and meet increasing operating costs – including fuel, maintenance and staffing – standard fares will be adjusted slightly from April 1. The single passenger fare will increase from £22 to £23, and the standard car fare from £49 to £55.