A CalMac ferry being built to serve the isle of Islay will reportedly be delayed again, having been due to enter service last year.
MV Isle of Islay is being built at the Turkish shipyard Cemre Marin Endustri and will be the first of four new vessels to serve the islands.
Both it and Loch Indaal will serve Islay, while Lochmor and Claymore, are due to be deployed on the Little Minch routes between Skye, Harris and North Uist to provide a two-vessel service compared to replace the single ferry Hebrides operation.
According to The Scotsman, MSPs will be informed on Monday that the first ferry will be further delayed in an unscheduled update from Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL).
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Isle of Islay was launched on time in March last year and was due to enter service in October 2024 but has since been hit by a series of setbacks.
A shortage of specialist workers, difficulty in getting parts due to the war in Ukraine, an earthquake in Turkey and the unstable situation in the Middle East have all been cited as reasons for the delays.
The ship's delivery had previously been pushed back to the end of this month, with the plan for it to enter service in November, but a further delay is expected.
The contract was awarded to Cemre Marin Endustri in February 2023, with state-owned Ferguson Marine not bidding for the tender.
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