MV Loch Indaal
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Loch Indaal |
| Namesake | Loch Indaal |
| Owner | Caledonian Maritime Assets |
| Operator | Caledonian MacBrayne |
| Port of registry | Glasgow |
| Route | Kennacraig – Islay |
| Ordered | March 2022 |
| Builder | Cemre Shipyard, Turkey |
| Cost | £91 million for 2 ferries[1] |
| Yard number | NB1093 |
| Laid down | 24 May 2023[2] |
| Launched | 8 June 2024[3] |
| Identification | 9970935 |
| Status | under construction |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Ro-Ro vehicle and passenger ferry |
| Tonnage | Deadweight: 750 |
| Displacement | 3830 |
| Length | 94.8 m (311 ft) |
| Beam | 18.7 m (61 ft) |
| Draught | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Deck clearance | 5.1 |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 16.5 kn (30.6 km/h) (service) |
| Capacity |
|
| Crew |
|
| Notes | [1][4] |
MV Loch Indaal is a roll-on/roll-off vehicle and passenger ferry being constructed for use by Caledonian MacBrayne on routes on the west coast of Scotland. She is the second of four ferries being built at Cemre Shipyard in Turkey for Caledonian Maritime Assets (CMAL), and is expected to be delivered in 2026 for service on routes linking Islay with Kennacraig on the mainland. She is named for the sea loch of Loch Indaal, which lies on the west coast of Islay. The loch is well known as the inspiration for the folk song "The Lights of Lochindaal" by Iain Simpson.[5]
A contract to build two ferries for the Islay service was awarded to Cemre Shipyard in March 2022.[1] A £115M contract for two further ferries of a very similar design to be used on CalMac's Skye, Harris and North Uist services was awarded to Cemre Shipyard in early 2023.[6][7]
Following a public vote, the names MV Isle of Islay and MV Loch Indaal were chosen for the first two vessels, which would primarily serve the island of Islay.[8] Loch Indaal was launched on 8 June 2024 by Elaine Anderson, wife of Jim Anderson (CMAL Director of Vessels),[3][9] and was expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2025.[10] In February 2025 a delay to delivery was announced, with the shipyard blaming the impact of the war in Ukraine on steel supplies, Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, a shortage of commissioning engineers, and snow and cold weather in Turkey.[11] As of March 2026, it was expected that Loch Indaal would be completed by the end of July 2026.[12]