Given what is at stake, it would be great to see everyone get behind Ferguson Marine or at least recognise the importance of having this shipbuilding capacity now and for future generations, writes Business Editor Ian McConnell.

Hopefully, this new chapter will be a good one.

“While we acknowledge the challenges of the recent past, they do not define our future. We are returning to the core of what we do best: delivering world-class vessels on the Clyde.”

That was how Graeme Thomson, who became chief executive of Ferguson Marine on May 1 last year, put it this week when it was announced that the Scottish Government planned the direct award of contracts to build four vessels to the Port Glasgow yard.

Much of the coverage of Ferguson Marine in recent years has related to major time and cost overruns on the contract to build the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa ferries for Caledonian MacBrayne’s Arran services, which was awarded back in 2015.

The Glen Sannox has been in service since January 2025, having been delivered about six-and-a-half years later than originally planned. The Glen Rosa, for which a further delay was announced in December, is now expected to be delivered in the final quarter of this year.

When I interviewed her in June last year, the month after the previous delay in delivery of the Glen Rosa to the second quarter of 2026 was announced, Scottish Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “I, of course, was really disappointed with the delay to the Glen Rosa and the budget implications of that delay. And I was very clear in public at the time that I thought it was unacceptable.

“I felt that we need to deliver these vessels for the sake of the islanders, yes, but also because we need to restore confidence in the yard and those delays don't help with the public narrative about the yard, and it's hard enough for the yard to secure work with all of the political noise that goes on about Ferguson Marine.”

There has indeed been plenty of political noise about Ferguson Marine, which employs hundreds of people and is an important part of the Inverclyde and broader Scottish economy.

Ferguson Marine said of itself when it was announced on Tuesday that major work is coming its way: “The Port Glasgow shipyard is a strategic national asset, which has been in operation for over a century and has been wholly owned by the Scottish Government since its nationalisation in 2019.”

Such proud heritage is surely worth preserving and building on as the yard looks to the future.

And looking forward was very much the focus of Mr Thomson on Tuesday.

The Scottish Government said on Tuesday that it would award four new vessel contracts to Ferguson Marine under proposals announced to the Parliament “to help secure a sustainable future for the yard and strengthen Scottish shipbuilding”.

It revealed that, subject to “appropriate due diligence processes to assess viability”, the direct awards would see the Port Glasgow shipyard construct the replacements for the research vessel, Scotia, and the fisheries protection vessel, Minna, for the Marine Directorate, alongside two ferries under phase two of the small vessel replacement programme.

Mr Thomson said: “This is a watershed moment for our shipyard and a significant opportunity for us to retain our Clydebuilt workforce. By unlocking vital infrastructure and equipment upgrades, this direct award is the catalyst for Ferguson Marine to become a world-class, digitally enabled shipbuilder, capable of competing on a global stage.

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"Our experience, demonstrated through our successful work on similar projects, means we are uniquely positioned to build these four vessels. I have the utmost confidence in the talent and technical skill within our team to produce ships fit to serve communities and provide critical research infrastructure for years to come.”

This reference to “successful work on similar projects” is noteworthy.

In December 2024, ahead of the decision on phase one of the small vessel replacement programme, Scottish Engineering chief executive Paul Sheerin wrote in The Herald: “Keen observers have pointed out that the size of these vessels at 50 metres long is just one of the similarities to three small ferries previously built by Ferguson Marine, on time and to cost.”

Ferguson Marine lost out to Remontowa of Poland in March 2025 when the phase one contract for seven fully electric ferries was awarded by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, which is owned by the Scottish Government.

And the Scottish Government said on Tuesday of the work it plans to award to Ferguson Marine: “The contracts match to the yard’s current capabilities and would take up most of its capacity for the next five years, whilst also enabling the yard to pursue additional commercial opportunities.”

Duncan Anderson, who chairs Ferguson Marine, made no bones about what was at stake as the plans by the Scottish Government to award major work to the yard were announced.

He said: “This direct award does more than just help with our order book; it underpins our future, improves our resilience and confirms our strategic importance to the country.

“The Scottish Government’s intention to award us four new vessels marks the beginning of a new chapter for Ferguson Marine, securing our enduring legacy and ensuring we progress toward being a leader in the industry in years to come.”

Given what is at stake, it would be great to see everyone get behind Ferguson Marine or at least recognise the importance of having this shipbuilding capacity now and for future generations.

Hopefully, this new chapter will be a good one and the yard can put what Mr Thomson describes as “the challenges of the recent past” firmly behind it.

© Herald Scotland