Caledonian MacBrayne have announced that several of its main services resumed normal operation from Wednesday, following recent disruptions that resulted in almost one‑third of the fleet being out of service.

The MV Hebrides returned to the Skye–Harris–North Uist route after undergoing additional repairs at the end of her annual overhaul. CalMac states that her return allows vessels that had been redeployed across the network to maintain lifeline services to revert to their standard routes.

Chief Executive Officer Duncan Mackison said: “It allows us to provide a stable service on the routes on which the large ships sail and to maintain normal services to five islands.”

The updated vessel deployment is as follows:

• MV Clansman — operating between Oban, Coll, Tiree and Colonsay
• MV Isle of Mull — operating between Oban and Craignure
• MV Lord of the Isles — returning to the Mallaig–Lochboisdale route
• MV Isle of Arran — covering while the MV Finlaggan undergoes repairs.

Mr Mackison noted that the past few weeks had been “extremely challenging,” adding his thanks to CalMac staff for their efforts and to the coastal communities for their patience and understanding.

He also confirmed that two further large vessels — the MV Isle of Lewis and the MV Finlaggan — are expected to return to service before the end of the month.