SCOTS ministers are coming under pressure to give a contract to build two new Scots ferries to its own shipyard which is at the centre of the nation's vessel-building fiasco.

But there remains questions over whether Ferguson Marine is fit to take on the job with the shipyard non-committal about bidding while it continues to struggle to build two lifeline ferries that were due to be in service four years ago.

A Turkish shipyard has emerged as a favourite to win the £115m contract to build the ferries as as attempts are made to shore up the nation’s ageing ferry fleet.

Transport Scotland said it is hoped that both ferries will be in place by 2026 and that they will serve the communities of Harris and North Uist, which have suffered severe disruption since the beginning of this year.

Ferguson Marine has not made a decision on whether it is bidding to construct the ferries, after failing to clear the first hurdle on a previous procurement overseen by state-controlled ferry owners Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL).

In September last year, Ferguson Marine, less than a year into nationalisation, failed to get past the questionnaire stage in a similar procurement exercise carried out by CMAL for two new £105 million lifeline ferry contracts which were awarded to Turkish shipyard Cemre Marin Endustri.

A spokesperson for Ferguson Marine said: “We will review the requirements when the procurement process goes live and consider whether to bid. Our preferred option is to secure an order for the small vessels that CMAL is planning.

"The shipyard has successfully built three small hybrid vessels for CMAL – MV Lochinvar, MV Hallaig and MV Catriona – and we believe we are well-positioned to build the new fleet of small vessels.”

Liberal Democrat economy spokesperson Willie Rennie said there remained question marks over whether Ferguson's could do the job.

The two ferries at the centre of Scotland's shipbuilding fiasco, MV Glen Sannox and Hull 802 are currently languishing at the Ferguson's yard.

The Herald:

They were due online in the first half of 2018, with one to serve Arran and the other to serve the Skye triangle routes to North Uist and Harris, but are at least five years late, with costs soaring from £97m to nearly £350m.

“Ferguson has a huge job finishing the two ferries currently under construction so I would be surprised if they would be able to bid for these two new large ferries," said Mr Rennie.

"There is an argument that we should be creating a pipeline of work for the Ferguson yard with smaller ferries to maintain the skilled workforce. But that is for the future.

"The islanders must be confident that these boats will get built on time and taxpayers insist they are built within budget.

"The reputation of the yard has been tarnished by bungling by the Scottish Government so it will take time to recover. It must be for CMAL and the Government to assure themselves that whoever wins the contract can build these new ferries on time and within budget.”

One ferry users group official told the Herald that he would be very surprised if Ferguson would even be considered by CMAL.

"If Ferguson's could not get pass the stage before being asked to even bid for the ferries contract last time I cannot see how they can consider that they are fit to be able to change anyone's mind a year on when they have still to deliver on other ferries."

The Scottish Government transport agency has confirmed that the new ferries will be built to the same specification as new ferries which are being designed and built in Turkey for Islay.

They say it will “speed up” the replacement of the major vessel fleet and provide a more standardised vessel type that can be used on a variety of different routes, “providing potential economies of scale and enhanced public value”.

Industry insiders say this will give the Cemre Marin Endustri which won the Islay ferries contract a "strong competitive advantage" having produced the blueprint through the Islay tender process.

The Herald: The unfinished Glen Sannox Caledonian Macbrayne ferry in the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde.

That would be seen as another blow to state-controlled Ferguson Marine, which failed to get past the first Pre Qualification Questionnaire hurdle in the Islay ferries contract and is still struggling to produce two delayed vessels.

Alex Salmond's Alba Party has demanded that the ferries should be built in Scotland.

Transport Scotland say their specification decision will “speed up the replacement of the major vessel fleet”, something Alba Party general secretary Chris McEleny says is a sign that one of the foreign yards that made it to the final stages of the Islay contract will be awarded the work.

Mr McEleny has said ministers should adopt a direct award policy which would mean work to replace the aging ferry fleet would be go immediately to Ferguson's He said: "It was a slap in the face to Scottish shipbuilding when CMAL were allowed to award lucrative work to build new Scottish ferries to a shipyard in Turkey.

"The Scottish Government own ferries, they operate ferries and run a shipyard that builds ferries. "It’s therefore an absurdity that they would then consider giving lucrative contracts to build our ferries to yards overseas.

“Communities like Inverclyde are crying out for good quality jobs. The replacement of Scotland’s ageing ferry fleet could herald in the re-industrialisation of the entire lower Clyde. The Scottish Government must finally step up and opt for a direct award policy to ensure that Scottish ferries are built in Scotland. They can show their intent now by committing to building these two new ferries at Ferguson’s in Port Glasgow and ruling out that they will be allowed to be built overseas.”

Scottish Conservative shadow transport minister Graham Simpson said he hoped that Ferguson's would be able to compete for the contract.

“It is welcome that we are getting two new ferries," he said. "The SNP government must make sure they are built on time and on budget. The last time a ferry contract was awarded Fergusons was not even at the races. Let’s hope that they are in a position to make a serious bid for the work this time.”

The two new vessels are expected to be like the Islay ferries, 310 foot long with the capacity to take up to 450 passengers and 100 cars or 14 commercial vehicles.

There are now currently six major ferries in different stages of being built.

It is hoped that all the ferries will be in place by 2026 and that the two newest will serve the communities of Harris and North Uist, which have suffered severe disruption since the beginning of this year.

There are are currently six ferries of a similar size that are currently 27 years or older. Thy will be over 30 years old in 2026.

After 1973, when the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. acquired most of the ferries and routes and began joint Clyde and West Highland operations under the new name of Caledonian MacBrayne, the official expected life of a ferry had been 20 years.

CMAL, which owns the ferry network, and commissions new vessels has previously insisted well-maintained ferries can operate safely for 40 years.

Transport Scotland said that details over which of the ageing fleet the two ferries takes the place of are still to be worked out.

It is already known that the four vessels currently under construction will replace 38-year-old MV Isle of Arran, 37-year-old Mv Hebridean Isles and 33-year-old MV Lord of the Isles.

The two ferries at the centre of Scotland's shipbuilding fiasco, MV Glen Sannox and Hull 802, which were due online in the first half of 2018, with one to serve Arran and the other to serve the Skye triangle routes to North Uist and Harris, are at least five years late, with costs soaring from £97m to nearly £350m.

Transport minister Jenny Gilruth said they intended to deploy the ferries on the Skye triangle routes - freeing up Hull 802 to potentially join Glen Sannox in serving Arran, one of the country's busiest routes.

The two vessels are expected to initially replace 22-year-old MV Hebrides.