#FerryNews - A ferry firm state-owned by the Scottish Government has insisted it will not pay any extra cash for two new car-ferries being built to serve Scotland’s island communities, despite the work running over time and over budget.

As The Nationalist writes, Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), which is responsible for buying and leasing ferries for operators CalMac, revealed it had known for more than 15 months that “things were not going to plan” with the construction of the vessels.

The Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow won the £97 million contract to build the ferries – which will be the first in the world to run on a dual fuel system using both diesel and liquefied natural gas. For further reading on the newspapars story, click here.

First of the newbuilds, Afloats adds, named Glen Sannox following a competition was launched earlier this year at the Clydeside shipyard. The pair are designed to provide a fully flexible year-round service for the Ardrossan-Arran Island service and the Uig Triangle. 

Earlier this year a new terminal on Arran was opened in advance of this summer. Sailings are served by Caledonian Isles and during the high-season support came from the veteran Isle of Arran (see Afloat’s ferry voyage report). 

The CalMac route on the Firth of Clyde is the most southerly 'year-round' operated service.