The good ship Lord of the Isles

Of the various replacement vessels sent to Arran while the Caledonian Isles goes for her annual refit, surely the best must be our current one, the Lord of the Isles. Comfortable, roomy and remarkably steady, the boat was designed sensibly, with the passenger in mind. The Observation Lounge has windows from knee level to ceiling, with upholstered benches that positively invite comfortable relaxation in front of the changing vista. A walkway outside is perfect for summer weather, and last week it was providing access for a couple of crew-members who were cleaning the big windows with lots of soapy water.

It is one of the mysteries of CalMac that, having built such a splendid boat in 1989, four years later they produced a ferry for Arran that nobody can see out of and that has so much freeboard as to be particularly vulnerable to side winds. But of course, the Caledonian Isles carries 110 cars, as against 56 on the Lord of the Isles, and double the number of passengers. With Arran’s heavy tourist trade in the summer, a bigger boat was obviously needed. Right now, with a new proposition for two smaller boats being considered, all possibilities are on the table.  (See the following feature, Daft ferries review?) But, carrying capacity and harbour negotiability apart, it would be nice to see out of the windows.