MV Glen Sannox, destined for CalMac’s Arran route, is the first new large vessel for the west coast ferry fleet in nearly a decade.

The ferry operator will now conduct several weeks of crew familiarisation trials before the ship carries its first passengers in January.

Glen Sannox was originally due for delivery in 2018 but has faced major challenges in design and construction, sparking the longest-running political controversy of the devolution era.

Costs have risen from an initial contract price of £97m to more than £400m, including £45m of government loans that were never fully recovered.

The handover comes seven years to the day since the ship was famously launched by former first minister Nicola Sturgeon with painted-on windows and plywood funnels.

Responding to the news that the long-delayed Glen Sannox has finally been delivered by the Ferguson shipyard, Scottish Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie MSP said: “At least we’ll be able to see out the windows this time.

“Ask the SNP to build a ferry and they’ll give you a fake launch, years of delays, a stream of excuses and a ship that’s millions of pounds overbudget.

“Not a single minister has ever resigned over this scandal; no minister has ever apologised to islanders or compensated them for the disruption. It’s a massive display of arrogance that island communities won’t forget.”

ENDS