CalMac technical cancellations sharply increased over last ten years

Cancellations on CalMac services due to technical issues have sharply increased over the last decade, according to new figures. 

New figures obtained by Scottish Labour through freedom of information requests reveal that the number of ferry services cancelled for technical reasons between 2015 and 2025 has risen more than tenfold. 

In 2015, 10.4 per cent of services were cancelled due to technical problems, amounting to 709. However, in 2025, which does not include figures for December, 7,371 ferries were cancelled for technical reasons, representing 54 per cent of all cancellations.  

Last year, weather accounted for 38.2 per cent of cancelled services. It was the first year in a decade that technical issues were the most common reason for cancellation.  

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called the figures “shameful” and has pledged to “end the SNP’s ferry fiasco” if his party comes into power after the Scottish Parliament election in May.  

His comments come after CalMac apologised at the weekend for engine problems that have put an eighth ferry out of service.  

MV Lord of the Isles, which had been covering the Oban to Mull route, suspended all sailings on Saturday after a "technical issue" with its main engine. 

Three other large vessels, including the Glen Sannox, are currently out of action due to technical issues, while four other ships are undergoing maintenance. 

Sarwar is expected to visit the Western Isles later today. Ahead of the visit, he set out a list of pledges, if he becomes first minister in May, which include merging CMAL, which owns, maintains and develops ferries, ports and harbours across the country, and CalMac into a new publicly owned agency, with local representation on the board, and a new ferry procurement process to replace ageing vessels. 

Sarwar said: “Cancellations have skyrocketed because of the SNP’s failure to upgrade Scotland’s lifeline ferry fleet. 

“Right across Scotland, the SNP’s ferry fiasco is a symbol of their incompetence and waste – but in our islands it has wreaked havoc with people’s day-to-day lives. 

“Behind these shameful figures are islanders who have missed weddings, funerals and medical appointments, loved ones who have been separated and businesses that are struggling to stay afloat. 

“Enough is enough – it is time to put an end to the SNP’s ferry fiasco and give island communities the reliable lifeline service they deserve. 

“Scottish Labour will fix the SNP’s mess and deliver the ferries island communities need. 

“We will cut bureaucracy and restore the political accountability that the SNP has been dodging for so long by streamlining cluttered governance structures. 

“We will give islanders a real voice in the system, and we will reform procurement to deliver a rolling programme of upgrades. 

“Islanders, taxpayers and shipyard workers are all being let down by the SNP’s broken system – but there is a choice.” 

A CalMac spokesperson said: “Technical outages are a significant risk with an ageing fleet, and we provide more services than ever before, so the demand on those vessels has increased over the years.  

“That is why we're phasing in regular maintenance time across our fleet to drive down the amount of unplanned technical disruptions and cancellations.  

“Six major and seven small vessels will join our fleet between 2025 and 2029, and bringing in more modern tonnage should also improve reliability and reduce the amount of technical cancellations.” 

An SNP spokesman said: “Of course, there are challenges, none more so than the unprecedented situation we have right now, but the fact is the solution is more ships and we are building them – what Anas Sarwar has proposed here does nothing to address that fundamental requirement. 

“The SNP is getting on with addressing the challenge of renewing our ageing fleet with more than £2bn invested in ferry services in our time in office – that's what our island communities want to see, and that’s exactly what we are doing.”