New Arranmore Blu ferry about to take to the seas

The newest Arranmore ferry vessel, the Arranmore Blu, is opening to the public for the first time tomorrow.

The Arranmore Blu will go into service on Thursday, June 5, with official launch and naming ceremony taking place on Friday, June 27, at 1:30pm at the ferry terminal on Arranmore Island. Everyone is welcome.

The Arranmore Blu was expertly designed by Simon Cormack of Marine Design Ltd and skillfully constructed by Ewen Ferguson and his team at Bute Boat Builders. This modern ferry is set to replace the Morvern, a vessel originally built in 1972 and formerly part of the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet.

Onboard the Arranmore Blu

The Arranmore Ferry began in June 2007 with the introduction of the first vessel, an 11-metre fast ferry built by Red Bay. Later that year, they expanded their fleet with the Girl Gray, a 14-metre Aquastar.

They said: “In 2008, we acquired the Bruernish, an ex-Calmac ferry, followed in 2009 by another Calmac vessel, the Morvern, which entered service on the Arranmore–Burtonport route. The Morvern has served reliably ever since and will now make way for the new Arranmore Blu.

“Over the years, our fleet evolved with the addition of the Yoker Swan and Renfrew Rose from the Clyde, which were eventually replaced by the Misneach—the first landing craft ferry to serve Arranmore Island, introduced in 1984. The Misneach later made way for another ex-Calmac ferry, the Canna.

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“Recognising the increasing demands of modern transport and larger vehicles, we began planning in 2020 for a new vessel that would offer greater capacity and comfort. The Arranmore Blu is the result of those efforts, designed to meet the future needs of our island community.”