The business case for retaining Ardrossan Harbour as the main crossing point to Arran seemed joyously compelling on Saturday. As the morning broke gloriously over this 1,000-year-old port, I joined 436 other passengers – bound for Brodick – on the MV Isle of Arran, the oldest beast of burden in the CalMac fleet and still magnificent after 41 years working the waters of Scotland’s west coast.

The purser tells me it’s at full capacity and when I return from Arran at the end of the day it’s jumping once more. It’s clear too that many of them have forsaken the multi-million-pound glamour of the spanking new MV Glen Sannox, operating 16 miles down the coast from Troon.

It’s also clear that many of these passengers are from Glasgow and Lanarkshire, mainly working-class families down here for a day trip to one of the most gorgeous islands in Europe. They’re mingling with golfers, student back-packers and tourists and it’s not hard to see why. A return ticket for a foot passenger costs barely more than £20 and you more or less walk straight on to the ferry from Ardrossan station. Parking is just £5 for the day.

Thomas and his young family are from Glasgow’s south-side and booked the trip as soon as he learned that the Ardrossan-Brodick service was returning after a six-month absence. “It’s a lovely sail and takes less than an hour and its far easier to access than Troon and a lot less hassle. As a wee boy, I used to do this trip with my family. A lot of people are cutting back on expensive holidays, but when you’ve got places like this a hop, skip and a jump away, who cares?”

Read more

Ferry service to resume between Ardrossan and Arran

‘Causing chaos’: Nearly 11,000 ferries cancelled due to technical faults

Bit part timetable revealed ahead of Ardrossan ferry return

And yet, almost eight years after the Scottish........

© Herald Scotland