NAME Chosen For Latest Vessel Joining CalMac Fleet

CALEDONIAN Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has confirmed the name of its newest fleet member following a public vote.

More than 1,000 votes were cast, with Loch Frisa coming out as favourite, Glen Forsa in a very close second place, and Torosay in third.

MV Loch Frisa, previously known as the MV Utne, was purchased by CMAL from Norway in October, and will bring extra resilience to the network.

She is currently at Dales Marine Services Ltd in Leith, undergoing modification work to bring her in line with UK maritime regulations.

Work includes manufacturing and installing a new ramp, replacing lifejackets and other lifesaving appliances to ensure they meet UK standards, upgrading the marine evacuation system and life raft deployment, as well as some mooring works.

The work should be completed in early 2022, and once the CalMac crew has undergone on-board familiarisation training, she will be deployed on the Oban to Craignure route.

Kevin Hobbs, chief executive of CMAL said: “We had an excellent response to our naming competition, and it was very close between Glen Forsa and Loch Frisa. We wanted to rename the ferry to give her a Scottish identity, and Loch Frisa is the largest loch on the Isle of Mull, so it is a perfect fit.

“We look forward to seeing MV Loch Frisa out on the network, and communities in Skye and the Western Isles will also benefit as a result of the cascade of vessels elsewhere on the network.”