By
Rebecca Gibson |
On 15 April 2014 Scottish ferry operator CalMac Ferries celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first ro-ro car ferry to sail to Scotland’s Western Isles.
David MacBrayne Ltd introduced the first car ferry – Hebrides – to the Western Isles on the Uig-Lochmaddy-Tarbert route on 15 April 1964 and a few months later, introduced Clansman and Columba, which sailed to Mull and Skye. The three ships –which were built by Hall, Russell & Company of Aberdeen for around £2 million – were the first ro-ro ships to serve Scotland’s west coast islands. Previously, vehicles and general cargo were lifted onboard using a cargo net.
In its first year Hebrides carried 11,000 vehicles and in 2013, more than 78,000 were carried on the route.
David MacBrayne and the Caledonian Steam Packet Company merged in 1973 to become Caledonian MacBrayne – now known as CalMac Ferries – and has continued to offer vial ferry links to the inhabitants of Scotland’s Western Isles.
Last December, the operator introduced Hallaig, the world’s first seagoing diesel-electric hybrid ferry, to the Sconser-Raasay route and will deploy Loch Seaforth on the Stornoway-Ullapool route later this year.
“The introduction of these ships revolutionised ferry services at the time and this anniversary shows just how far the company has come and how services have improved in 50 years,” said Martin Dorchester, CalMac managing director.
Dorchester added that CalMac Ferries is currently revamping its ticketing and online booking systems to improve customer experience. He said: “CalMac Ferries now operates the services previously delivered by David MacBrayne, but today’s ferry travellers can be assured that the desire to improve and innovate services, demonstrated in the early 1960s by the purchase of these three ships, is just as evident within the company now as it was then.”