BBC Scotland is reporting that CalMac’s troubled Glen Sannox ferry has been taken out of action again with ongoing problems with its engines.
The vessel, which sails on the busy Troon to Arran crossing, only returned to service last week following previous repairs to its exhaust system.
CalMac said there was a “recurring technical issue” with the port engine fuel pump, and suspended sailings until at least 13:00 on Tuesday.
The operator has faced pressure across its west of Scotland network in recent weeks, with many ferries under maintenance and others facing unplanned repairs.
MV Glen Sannox, which launched 15 months ago, also needs new propellers as part of £3.2m repair costs along with its sister ship Glen Rosa.
CalMac had been planning to reposition Glen Sannox later this week to restore sailings between Barra and Oban.
The chartered catamaran MV Alfred is expected back from overhaul to pick up the Troon to Arran route on Wednesday.
The state-owned operator said last month that there was an “unprecedented” shortage of vessels due to technical faults.
CalMac has been forced to reposition multiple vessels on its island routes and said plans were “under constant review”.
Glen Sannox began serving the Isle of Arran in January 2025, seven years late and four times over budget.
The 336ft (102m) vessel, with space for 127 cars and 852 passengers, was the first major new ferry to join the CalMac fleet in a decade.
Commenting on news that more ferry sailings have been cancelled as the Glen Sannox breaks down again, Scottish Labour Transport spokesperson Daniel Johnson, left, said: “The SNP’s ferry fiasco continues to grow by the day, with even more communities now facing cancellations and reduced services.
“This crisis has been years in the making and blame lies firmly at the door of this chaotic and incompetent SNP government – but no one has ever been held accountable.
“Islanders, taxpayers and shipyard workers are all paying the price for SNP failure – but enough is enough.
“On May 7, vote for Scottish Labour to elect a government that will fix the SNP’s mess and deliver a ferry system that works.
“Scottish Labour will deliver the change islands need with a rolling programme of upgrades to the fleet, give islanders a voice in the system and restore the political accountability that has been so badly missing under the SNP.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, right, said that this is the “last chance” for MSPs to convene at Holyrood and find a solution to Scotland’s acute ferry crisis, which has seen multiple vessels out of service all at once.
His call comes ahead of the Scottish Parliament officially dissolving for this year’s election on Thursday morning.
Four major ferries have been called in for technical works in the last few weeks, leaving several key routes almost entirely unserved and cutting people off from supplies, services and jobs — and just yesterday, CalMac cancelled two services because the just-reintroduced Glen Sannox is experiencing fuel pump problems.
Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “That so many ferries have been forced into repairs at the same time is an outrage, and a sorry demonstration of the SNP’s dire neglect of the ferry fleet.
“The point of having a Scottish Parliament is to be able to tackle the problems facing our country, but the SNP have refused to come back to Holyrood to sort out this fiasco.
“Liberal Democrats believe that parliament should be the place to get things done for people. This is the last chance for John Swinney to come back to Holyrood and help these communities through the crisis the SNP have left them to face.”
Alan Reid, left, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Argyll and Bute, added: “As someone who was themselves nearly left stranded by the recent breakdowns, I want to see the Scottish government step up and sort this crisis out.
“While it is good news that MV Lord of the Isles is set to return to service, this near-collapse of the fleet has left folk who depend on ferries worried that the same could happen again with little or no warning.
“The ferries fiasco is the result of 19 years of incompetent and unaccountable government under the SNP. As Scotland prepares to pass judgment on his legacy, John Swinney has a chance to prove that he cares more about coastal and island communities than he does about his own re-election campaign.
“Whether or not he reconvenes parliament, the Scottish Liberal Democrats have a plan to fix our broken ferry system and make sure the government is held to account for its performance. That’s what we’re offering Scots the chance to vote for on 7th May.”