ISLANDERS on Bute are facing a weekend of ferry disruption days after a technical fault caused smoke to engulf an engine room.
The popular holiday spot has seen its only ferry service to the mainland reduced since the incident on Sunday and operator, CalMac, has admitted it is too soon to say when normal service will resume.
Emergency services were called to Wemyss Bay ferry terminal in Inverclyde on May 31 after smoke filled the engine room of the MV Argyll, which was carrying 55 passengers from Rothesay at the time.
No one was injured and CalMac said fire crews did not find a blaze.
The ferry operator said the incident was caused by a turbocharger failure. The vessel is currently berthed at Greenock for repairs.
It leaves only one ferry linking the island to the mainland, and CalMac has warned that this service also faces potential disruption until Saturday midday due to adverse weather.
A CalMac spokesman said: "Specialist engineers from the engine manufacturer and turbocharger manufacturer are in attendance and are investigating the cause of the failure. Spare parts are being air freighted in.
"It's too soon to say for certain when she will return to service but we are doing everything we can to do so as quickly as possible."
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