Glen Sannox finally handed over to CalMac 7 years after being launched by Nicola Sturgeon

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The Glen Sannox has finally been handed over to Caledonian MacBrayne seven years to the day it was launched by Nicola Sturgeon.

The construction of the ferry and its sister ship the Glen Rosa has been a major embarrassment for the Scottish Government after repeated delays and massive cost rises.

The two vessels were supposed to be built for £97m under a contract handed to the Ferguson Marine yard in Port Glasgow in 2015 - but the total bill has soared to more than £400m.

Glen Sannox was supposed to be completed in 2018 but it will only take its first passengers in January 2025.

Sturgeon, the then first minister, was widely mocked after she officially launched the unfinished ferry in November 2018 before its windows were even installed.

The construction of the two ships was so botched it forced Ferguson Marine into administration in 2019, with the Scottish Government forced to nationalise the yard as a result.

Fergusons today attempted to put a positive spin on the Glen Sannox finally being handed over to its owners.

John Petticrew, interim chief executive of Ferguson Marine, said: "Glen Sannox is a fine vessel, well capable of providing decades of service for islanders and visitors.

"However, there is no doubt it’s been a long haul getting to this point, and we sympathise with ferry users who have waited so long to see this day.

"Looking to the future, our ability to adapt, learn from, and successfully overcome considerable challenges demonstrates the resilience and skills of our workforce, and will provide huge value as we tender for future contracts."

Kate Forbes, the Deputy First Minister, said: "This is an important milestone for Ferguson Marine as it delivers the first LNG dual-fuel ferry to be built in the UK.

"The Glen Sannox will provide resilience to the fleet delivering vital lifeline services to islanders and I am encouraged that the Scottish Government’s wider programme to procure six new ferries by 2026 has taken another major step forward."

Alex Logan, convener for the GMB union who has worked at the Inverclyde shipyard since he was 16, said it was a big day for the yard.

"It's been a long hard struggle - everyone knows this, the troubles we've had with Glen Sannox - but we've finally got it over and we're looking forward to the islanders getting a vessel," he said.

"I can only apologise on behalf of the workforce - but it's not any fault of the workforce. It was bad planning, bad design - but eventually we're here and I'm glad."

Glen Sannox is the second largest ship to join the CalMac fleet - and the first ferry ever built in the UK capable of running on liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The 102.4m (336ft) vessel was formally handed over to CMAL, the publicly-owned company which owns Scotland's west coast ferries and leases them to CalMac.

CalMac, which is also owned by the Scottish government, will now spend six weeks conducting crew familiarisation and harbour berthing trials.

The ship will also begin its annual maintenance cycle before carrying its first passengers from Troon to Brodick on Arran in mid-January.

Construction of the Glen Rosa is proceeding more smoothly and it is due to be delivered in September next year.

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