• LOCHMOR, the first of two new vessels for the Little Minch routes, was launched on Saturday 23 August at Cemre Marin Endustri in Yalova, Turkey.
• Together with sister ship CLAYMORE, she will replace the current single-vessel service provided by HEBRIDES. The two-vessel operation will serve Uig (Skye), Tarbert (Harris) and Lochmaddy (North Uist).
• LOCHMOR can carry 450 passengers and 100 cars, or 14 commercial vehicles, increasing capacity and resilience for the communities served.
• Transport Scotland allocated £115m in 2022 for the Little Minch ferries project, including port upgrades. Cemre Marin Endustri won the build contract in February 2023.
• LOCHMOR is the third of four standardised vessels being built at the Turkish yard for CMAL.
• The launch was attended by CMAL and project stakeholders. The ferry was officially launched by Kay MacLeod, a long-serving CalMac employee at Tarbert.
• The vessel will now be outfitted and tested in Turkey before sailing to Scotland in 2026 for crew familiarisation and service entry.

Photo courtesy of Brian Fulton, CMAL