Campaigners 'delighted' at promise of Campbeltown ferry return

The Scottish government says it is committed to bringing back a ferry service between Ayrshire and Campbeltown.

The seasonal service stopped four years ago because of wider problems facing the CalMac ferry network.

Local campaigners and Argyll and Bute MSP Jenny Minto met Connectivity Minister Jim Fairlie on Wednesday to press for its return.

Fairlie told them he was committed to its return next year and hoped some service this year could still be possible.

The summer service between Ardrossan and Campbeltown was introduced in 2013 to try to develop tourism in Kintyre.

Some local people also considered the service to be a good alternative to the drive or bus journey to Glasgow, which can take about four hours.

From 2023 until 2025, CalMac went through what some campaigners considered an annual pantomime.

A timetable would be published months in advance but CalMac would later confirm it would be unable to run the service in practice.

Last autumn, rather than do this, it announced that sailings in 2026 would not be possible.

The Campbeltown Ferry Committee said Wednesday's meeting with Fairlie was "very positive" and they now looked forward to the service's return.

In a statement they said: "We were delighted to hear that Mr Fairlie is totally committed to the Campbeltown to Ardrossan service returning in 2027.

"We were also pleased to hear that a service may be possible at some point during the summer of 2026.

"However all that will depend on the availability of vessels when new ferries come into service."

Local MSP Jenny Minto stressed the importance of the service could not be overstated.

She added: "I know that the minister entirely recognises the economic importance of this route and is looking at all options to make the delivery of a service viable this summer."

Minto said new vessels entering service would see "greater resilience" in the fleet.

She added: "I will do all I can to work with the ferry committee and the minister to help deliver a full return of this service in 2027."

The service is not considered a lifeline route, unlike most of CalMac's other crossings.

This follows as Campbeltown is on the mainland and the most important link between Kintyre and Glasgow is the A83 and A82 route.

There is also a plane service between Campbeltown and Glasgow.

However many local tourist businesses credited the ferry service with a rise in visitor numbers.