Arran has been given a major tourism boost by a second summer-only crossing from mainland Ayrshire.
VisitScotland welcomed the move to draft in a second vessel to allow more visitors to see the island.
The MV Isle of Arran, which plied the Ardrossan-Brodick route until 1993, will return to its former role from July 7 to provide additional capacity to the MV Caledonian Isles, one of the biggest in the CalMac fleet, until September 2.
A VisitScotland spokesman said: "The need for CalMac to use a second vessel during the summer is testament to the enduring appeal Arran has. Known as Scotland in Miniature, it has a wide range of attractions to suit all tastes."
The MV Isle of Arran had been used as a second vessel on the Islay route until last year, when it was displaced by the new MV Finlaggan, after which it has been used as a back-up vessel to stand in for breakdowns on the CalMac network.
Its main role will be to provide two freight-only sailings during weekdays in order to remove commercial traffic from the MV Caledonian Isles as well as five extra passenger and vehicle sailings over the weekend and one on Wednesday.
Transport Minister Keith Brown said locals would be delighted to see the popular vessel returning to its old scheduled route for the first time in nearly 20 years.
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