CALMAC have brought in an emergency vessel after two days of service cancellations on one of Scotland's busiest ferry crossings.
MV Loch Linnhe, one of the oldest in the ageing fleet operated by CalMac, has been commissioned after a series of cancellations on the Ardrossan to Arran route caused by a member of staff testing positive for Covid on board MV Caledonian Isles.
CalMac put on further sailings using MV Catriona - which normally operates on Claonaig-Lochranza on Sunday after MV Caledonian Isles was out of action after the outbreak.
MV Caledonian Isles is being deep cleaned and close contacts are identified.
MV Loch Linnhe will now operate a shuttle service between Claonaig on the mainland and Lochranza on Arran to assist with those passengers hit by the disruption.
The MV Isle of Arran is still operating on the two-vessel crossing but sailings have been been cut.
CalMac are working on deploying Loch Linnhe to operate a shuttle service to to assist with passengers who have been hit by the disruption.
CalMac said sailings the 7am, 9.45am, 12.30pm sailings from Ardrossan and the 8.20am, 11.05am and 1.55pm services from Brodick are cancelled.
There were further cancellations of sailings involving MV Caledonian Isles at 3.20pm from Ardrossan and 4.40pm from Brodick.
CalMac said MV Caledonian Isles was to resume service this evening to allow for drying time after the deep clean and crew to get on board. It is due to start with the 6pm sailing from Ardrossan and 7.20pm from Brodick.
A spokesperson for CalMac said: "A crew member has tested positive for Covid, and MV Caledonian Isles sailings have been cancelled at the moment as a result.
"Close contacts are being identified and the vessel is being deep cleaned. MV Isle of Arran is still operating."
It comes as transport chiefs continue a search to charter back-up for Scotland's beleaguered fleet after a summer of disruption and breakdowns.
CalMac is currently footing an £11,760 a day bill to charter an emergency ferry from Isle of Man government-owned Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Limited to help maintain lifeline passenger and freight services.
MV Arrow was brought in to help relieve pressure on freight services between CalMac's Stornoway to Ullapool crossing but broke down on July 24 after operating for just a week. Marine waste got tangled with a propellor and all sailings scrapped till the end of the month.
The delivery of new lifeline island ferries MV Glen Sannox and Hull 802, which were due online in the first half of 2018, are over four years late, with costs doubling to over £200m. Glen Sannox was due to support the Arran route.
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