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Work begins on Lochaber's Corran Ferry improvement scheme

News imageGetty Images Two women walk down a slipway towards the MV Corran, a white and black ferry with some cars on its deck. It is a rainy day with low cloud on hills on the opposite shore of a loch.Getty Images
The Corran Ferry is a lifeline route in the west Highlands

Construction work has begun on a £58m project to improve the Corran Ferry service in Lochaber.

Highland Council is building new slipways and other improved facilities at either side of the Corran Narrows.

A new electric ferry is going to be acquired to serve the route when the new infrastructure is in place.

The improvements to the five-minute Corran Ferry crossing of Loch Linnhe follow complaints from locals about the reliability of the service.

A new slipway and overnight berthing pier will be built on the Ardgour side of the Corran Narrows.

The Nether Lochaber side will also get a new slipway as well as a breakwater, a marshalling area, a parking zone, a cycle path and new public toilet facilities.

Highland Council has appointed Charles Brand Group Limited to carry out the work at either side of the narrows.

The work is expected to take 18 months, with completion expected in summer 2027.

News imageThe Highland Council A group of Highland Councillors are standing in front of a slipway next to Loch Linnhe. A ferry can be seen in the background. One of the councillors is holding a shovel with a newly cut piece of turf on it.The Highland Council
A turf cutting ceremony took place on Monday to mark the start of the project

Funding for the scheme is coming from the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal.

Highland Council and UK government are meeting the £30m cost of the landside infrastructure, while the Scottish government has pledged £28m for the new ferry.

Bill Lobban, convener of Highland Council, said a new vessel and modern supporting infrastructure were crucial to meeting the long-term sustainability of the service.

He said they would bring benefits to local communities for decades to come.