Caledonian Macbrayne

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Caledonian MacBrayne (usually shortened to Cal-Mac) is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries between the mainland of Scotland and 23 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast. It is publicly-owned and controlled by the Scottish Executive.

History

MacBrayne's, initially known as David Hutcheson & Co., began in 1851 as a private steamship operator when G. and J. Burns, operators of the largest of the Clyde fleets, decided to concentrate on coastal and transatlantic services and handed control of their river and Highland steamers to a new company in which Hutcheson, their manager of these services, became senior partner. Their main route went from Glasgow down the Firth of Clyde through the Crinan Canal to Oban and Fort William, and on through the Caledonian Canal to Inverness. With the retirement of its founders in the 1870s, their partner (and nephew of Messrs. Burns) David MacBrayne gained full ownership, and changed the company's name accordingly. It remained in the hands of the MacBrayne family until it was nationalised in 1948, its ships featuring red funnels with a black top.

The Caledonian Railway at first used the services of various early private operators of Clyde steamers, then began operating steamers on its own account on 1 January 1889 to compete better with the North British Railway and the Glasgow and South Western Railway. It extended its line to bypass the G & SW Prince's Pier at Greenock and continue on to the fishing village of Gourock, where they had purchased the harbour. After years of fierce competition between all the fleets, the Caledonian and G & SW were merged in 1923 into the LMS and their fleets amalgamated into the Caledonian Steam Packet Co., their funnels being pained yellow with a black top. At the same time the North British Railway fleet became part of the LNER (which built the Waverley in 1947). With nationalisation in 1948 the LMS and LNER fleets were amalgamated under British Railways with the name Clyde Shipping Services. In 1957 a reorganisation restored the CSP name, and in 1965 a red lion was added to each side of the black-topped yellow funnels. The headquarters remained at Gourock pierhead.

At the end of December 1968 management of the CSP passed to the Scottish Transport Group, which gained control of MacBrayne's the following June. The MacBrayne service from Gourock to Ardrishaig ended on 30 September 1969, leaving the Clyde entirely to the CSP.

On 1 January 1973 the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. acquired most of the ships and routes of MacBrayne's and commenced joint Clyde and West Highland operations under the new name of Caledonian MacBrayne, with a combined headquarters at Gourock. Funnels were now painted red with a black top, and a yellow circle at the side of the funnel featuring the red Caledonian lion. In 1990 the ferry business was spun off as a separate company, keeping the Caledonian MacBrayne brand, and shares were issued in the company. All shares were owned by the state, first in the person of the Secretary of State for Scotland, and (after devolution) by the Scottish Executive.

In response to new tendering rules authorised by the European Union, the company's routes are currently out to tender with applications being invited from suitably experienced operators to run all of the company services. The exception is the Gourock to Dunoon service which, whilst also subject to tender, is being handled separately as a result of the specific circumstances which affect ferry services to the Cowal peninsula.

The company is adapting to the demands of 21st century sailing, The MV Bute (built in 2005 in Gdansk, Poland and serving the Wemyss Bay / Rothesay route) is the newest ship of the fleet and will be joined by an almost identical sister MV Argyll, which should be complete by Summer 2006. The company is also having a new "super loch" built for the Largs / Cumbrae route which should be ready by late 2006/early 2007.

Business

The company enjoys a de-facto monopoly on the shipment of freight and vehicles to the islands, and competes for passenger traffic with number of aircraft services of varying quality and reliability. Nonetheless, few if any of the routes currently operated by Cal-Mac are profitable, and the company receives significant government subsidies due to its vital role in supplying the islands - these routes are classified as "lifeline" services. In 1996 Cal-Mac opened its first route outwith Scotland, winning a ten year contract to provide a lifeline service to Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland.

In reference to MacBrayne's long dominance of Hebridean sailings, this poem is legendary:

The Earth belongs unto the Lord

And all that it contains

Except the Kyles and the Western Isles

And they are all MacBrayne's

Several groups have proposed privatising the service, and there has been a long commercial and political struggle with the private Western Ferries, which has been running a rival service between Gourock and Hunters Quay near Dunoon since 1973. In 2005 the Executive put out to competitive tender the collective routes to the Hebrides as a block, and the route to Dunoon on its own[link]. Three operators submitted bids for the routes[link], with Cal-Mac bidding to retain all its existing routes. The Executive will decide in 2006 to whom to award the contracts; successful bidders will run the services on a similar "lifeline" basis to Cal-Mac, and would receive subsidies from the Executive.

Some island and union groups oppose the tendering process, fearing it would lead to cuts in services and could be a prelude to full privatisation.

Routes

• Gourock in Inverclyde (near Greenock) to Dunoon on the Cowal peninsula, crossing the Firth of Clyde (25 minutes).
• Tarbert on the Kintyre peninsula to Portavadie on the Cowal peninsula, crossing Loch Fyne (25 minutes).
• Wemyss Bay in Inverclyde to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, crossing the Firth of Clyde (35 minutes).
• Colintraive on the Cowal peninsula to Rhubodach on the north of the Isle of Bute, across the Kyles of Bute (5 minutes).
• Ardrossan in Ayrshire to Brodick on the Isle of Arran, across the Firth of Clyde (55 minutes).
• Claonaig on the Kintyre peninsula to Lochranza on the Isle of Arran, across the Sound of Bute (30 minutes).
• Largs in North Ayrshire to Cumbrae slip on Great Cumbrae, crossing the Firth of Clyde (10 minutes).
• Tayinloan on the west coast of the Kintyre peninsula to Ardminish on Gigha (20 minutes).
• Kennacraig on the west coast of the Kintyre peninsula, through West Loch Tarbert, across the Sound of Jura and the Sound of Islay to Port Askaig on the east coast of Islay (2 hours 5 minutes). Some services then connect to Scalasaig on Colonsay (1 hour 10 minutes).
• Kennacraig to Port Ellen on the south coast of Islay (2 hours 20 minutes).
• Craignure on Mull to Oban, across the Firth of Lorne (45 minutes).
• Lochaline on the Ardnamurchan peninsula to Fishnish on Mull, across the Sound of Mull (15 minutes).
• Fionnphort on the Ross of Mull (in southwest Mull) to Iona, across the Sound of Iona (5 minutes).
• Tobermory on Mull to Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, across the Sound of Mull (35 minutes).
• Oban to Achnacroish on the island of Lismore, crossing the Lynn of Lorne (50 minutes).
• Oban to Arinagour on the island of Coll, crossing the Firth of Lorne and the Sound of Mull (2 hours 55 minutes).
• Arinagour on Coll to Scarinish on the island of Tiree (1 hour).
• Sconser on the Isle of Skye to Raasay, crossing the Narrows of Raasay (15 minutes).
• Mallaig on the west coast of the mainland to Armadale on the Isle of Skye, across the Sound of Sleat (25 minutes).
• Mallaig to the Small Isles (Eigg, Muck, Rùm, and Canna).

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