LOCH RANZA

Another Western Isles ferry was seen today on the Clyde, which she is visiting to have her annual survey at Ardmaleish, like most of the smaller drive-through CalMac ferries. LOCH RANZA had been lying at Gourock Pier over New Year to await her turn on the slipway and is seen here passing AASLI which is due to move to Inchgreen to discharge shortly. LOCH RANZA was built by Richard Dunston at Hessle on the Humber, and was the last of four ferries introduced in 1986/87, to meet growing traffic patterns on several of CalMac's shorter routes. As her name might imply, she started her career on the Lochranza-Claonaig service, but was later moved to serve the island of Gigha from Tayinloan, on the Kintyre peninsula.