The "stowaways" were discovered on a sailing between Largs and the Isle of Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde. WEST coast ferry operator CalMac is to stop taking cash on its boats and in ports in response to concerns around coronavirus. As Caledonian MacBrayne's managing director and chief executive officer for the David MacBrayne Group, Martin Dorchester has announced that he will remain in post. Ferry operator CalMac has taken further steps to highlight service changes during the temporary service arrangements serving Mull and Iona during the Lochaline pier upgrade work. Due to the Covid-19 situation the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have agreed to temporarily relax its rules on passengers being able to stay in their vehicles during some ferry journeys. But one Western Isles community organisation has brought the dream closer to reality for many in the form of the St Kilda Challenge yacht race. STAY at home messages appear to be working after a ferry operator recorded a 99.2% drop in people using its services on Easter Sunday. Thanks to ferry operator CalMac's Community Fund Comann nam Pàrant Port Rìgh (CnPP) have been awarded £2000 to help with the set up costs of a new Gaelic youth club in the town. David MacBrayne Limited Announces the Appointment of a New Group Chief Executive Officer. Ferry operator CalMac will be testing out its emergency planning drills on the Armadale Mallaig crossing on Wednesday, September 20. Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) is inviting applications from residents of the rural communities covered by the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) contract to form a Community Board which will have the primary purpose of being a voice of the communities on strategic issues. Passengers on the Ardrossan Arran crossing are set to reap the benefit of CalMac's newly recognised commitment to first class customer service. A fleet of CalMac employees has been trained to support colleagues who may be struggling with mental health issues. Search query. With the arrival of Storm Henry, adverse weather conditions are predicted to affect Scotland's west coast and Caledonian MacBrayne is advising passengers to check ahead on the company's website, social media feeds or app for disruptions across the network. Lewis and Harris Women's Football Association (LHWFA) is now working with more than 40 girls in the islands thanks to an award through CalMac's Community Fund. News Fares are being temporarily frozen on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) network to help island residents and businesses during the outbreak of coronavirus. More than 25,000 people packed the esplanade at Greenock over the weekend to support the inaugural P1 Scottish Grand Prix of the Sea. Get the Ross-shire Journal sent to your inbox every week and swipe through an exact replica of the day's newspaper ... Coronavirus - Local News Health Latest News Transport Philip Murray. CalMac ferry MV Clansman is returning to service ahead of schedule. Caledonian MacBrayne and CalMac are trading names of CalMac Ferries Limited, Accept and hide this message about cookies. Now in its third year CalMac Culture Music for up and coming singers and bands is now open for entries. Two Caledonian MacBrayne vessels have been targeted during critical docking manoeuvres by a powerful laser beam. Following the meeting of the Stornoway-Ullapool Taskforce set up by Transport Minister Derek Mackay last week, senior managers at ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) have been refining their plans for services during the Ullapool linkspan works and deployment of the MV Loch Seaforth. CalMac's independent Community Board has teamed up with the company to help raise the profile of Scotland's west coast islands as business destinations. Reviews. CalMac is to bring in extra staff to help support passengers who end up in long queues on the Largs Cumbrae route. Caledonian MacBrayne (Scottish Gaelic: Caledonian Mac a' Bhriuthainn), usually shortened to CalMac, is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast.Since 2006 the company's official name has been CalMac Ferries Ltd although it still operates as Caledonian MacBrayne. The vessel will be deployed on December 28 until the end of March 2016. The on-going restoration of the historic steamship TS Queen Mary has been buoyed by a donation from west coast ferry operator CalMac. Seven newly wed couples had CalMac employee Demi Wylie to thank for saving their big day and she's now been recognised for her efforts at the Scottish Transport Awards. •Record-breaking adventurer Mark Beaumont tells tourism and travel industry leaders that he continues 'to think that Scotland is the world's best adventure playground' •More than 100 people assemble in Glasgow to look at the future of the industry at the CalMac Travel and Tourism Conference 2016, held in Glasgow •Proceedings are opened and led throughout the day by self-confessed CalMac fan broadcaster, journalist and author Muriel Gray •Shirley Spear of internationally-acclaimed restaurant The Three Chimneys explains her aspirations to make Scotland a Good Food Nation. Caledonian MacBrayne has confirmed sponsorship of the Excellence in Customer Focus Award for Greenock Chamber of Commerce's Bee's Knees Awards. The latest graduates on a hospitality Modern Apprenticeship (MA) aimed at the merchant marine industry are set to embark on their career at sea. Gaelic Medium Primary school pupils in Portree will soon have somewhere to practise their language skills in the evening. The value of fraud cases heard in Scotland in 2020 fell as Covid-19 created logistical challenges for the country’s justice system, according to new research. Ferry operator CalMac has premiered a new innovative on-board safety video to try and better educate passengers on what to do in an emergency. Improved ferry services across the west coast for this summer have now been finalised between Transport Scotland, local communities and ferry operator CalMac. Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has advised terminal users that they will be shutting Berth No.1 to replace the linkspan from February 1-28. CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL) are currently in the process of a procurement for a new ticketing system called "Ar Turas" internally and therefore the release of the Business Case is not appropriate at this time as the release would potentially substantially prejudices the Commercial Interest of both CFL and the Scottish Ministers. Sea Cadets in Campbeltown will soon have access to more varied and challenging training thanks to the support of ferry operator CalMac's Community Fund. From Monday (March 23) until July 15, the overnight freight service will be discontinued. Six youth groups based around Oban and Mull are set set to benefit from ferry operator CalMac's Community Fund. Two island organisations are benefiting from awards through CalMac's new Community Fund, Arran Theatre and Arts Trust (ATAT) and Corrie Primary Parent Council. City of Lansing to Participate in Nationwide COVID-19 Memorial . Operator of the UK's largest ferry network, Caledonian MacBrayne, has been shortlisted in two categories for prestigious UK-wide awards. Pune, Maharashtra, India, January 27 2021 (Wiredrelease) MarketResearch.Biz :Thermal Energy Storage Market Overview: The report provides quantitative and qualitative information on the global Thermal Energy Storage market for the period of 2021 to 2030. It comes as the company confirmed it will cut back services on its Clyde and Hebridean ferry services (CHFS) as passenger numbers dropped 85% in recent days. The MV Isle of Lewis ferry has been returned from Barra to Oban following the announcement of Covid cases. Sunnyside Primary School's Ocean Defenders spread their conservation message to a whole new audience thanks to west coast ferry operator CalMac. Improvements to Ullapool Harbour's linkspan will mean the closure of the port to vehicular traffic from April 20 to May 18. Shopping locally nets nomination for CalMac at Scottish Food and Drink Awards: Inverness and Thurso band Gabbro picks up festival slot at CalMac Culture Music finals: Holiday boost for Huntington's disease awareness: CalMac's MV Argyle hosts Les Gitanes with Jazz on the Ferry wowing passengers: Cheaper ferry fares make island travel more affordable : CalMac's MV Finlaggan wins international safety award: New timetables go live for extra Stornoway-Ullapool sailings: Ullapool Harbour improvements bring temporary diversion: Fares harmonised for duration of Ullapool upgrade work: Crest of a wave! Caledonian MacBrayne is on track to meet its own greenhouse gas emissions reduction target. CalMac is sending out frequent COVID-19 updates to our own staff. Health News. Ferry operator CalMac is making further changes to its West Coast services in order to absorb on-going capacity issues resulting from the MV Clansman still in dry dock. Every school age child on the island of Coll has improved their swimming ability thanks to CalMac's Community Fund. Please see NorthLink's ferry timetables currently in operation. Ferry operator CalMac is again looking for the best in new Scottish talent to play a set at some of the country's biggest summer music festivals. A CalMac ferry is undergoing a deep clean after three crew members tested positive for coronavirus. As the tail end of Storm Gertrude persists, bringing difficult conditions to Scotland's west coast, services across Caledonian MacBrayne's 200-mile long network continue to be disrupted and passengers are, once again, advised to check ahead. Young people in the Mallaig area are set to benefit from two awards from ferry operator CalMac's Community Fund. Ferry operator CalMac will be testing out its emergency planning drills in Tarbert harbour, Harris, on March 27. 20 March 2020 - To ensure continued lifeline services are maintained to the Isle of Lewis, ferry operator CalMac is making changes to its overnight freight service. Ferry operator CalMac has issued a reminder that only essential travel will be allowed over the Easter weekend. The UK's largest ferry operator has become the first organisation in the country to be awarded a new level of 'Global Standard' accreditation for the helpfulness and professionalism of its customer operations staff. Given the debilitating effect of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) on the Thermal Energy Storage market, groups are vying for opportunities to … Bookings that have already been made up to that period will be honoured where services are running. Ferry operator CalMac has finalised its winter maintenance programme. A spokesperson said: "We remain fully supportive of the efforts of CalMac, CMAL and Transport Scotland in delivering ferry services on the Clyde and … The company's new Marine Awareness Programme outlines specific actions it will take to help passengers get the most from the environment they are travelling through and to better understand the wildlife in its area of operations. Launch of CalMac's new West Coast Whisky Pass. The company, based in Dunoon, will now be responsible for all diving support to CalMac's 31 strong fleet and harbour operations after winning the competitive tender competition. Women's football on the Western Isles has moved up a league thanks to CalMac's Community Fund. The MV Finlaggan's mezzanine vehicle deck is now back in full working order in time for the Islay Festival of Music and Malt, ferry operator CalMac has confirmed. A training partnership with west coast ferry operator CalMac has secured a top award for City of Glasgow College. See Operational News for the latest information, or call 0845 6000 449. 20 March 2020 - As the situation around the Covid:19 outbreak develops, it is critical that essential goods are transported to where they are required. Mr Drummond said: “CalMac has suffered significant and unprecedented financial pressures due to Covid-19 and it is likely that these will continue to have an impact for some time. The coronavirus restrictions in place across Scotland mean that public transport – including ferries – should only be used for essential journeys/reasons. West coast ferry operator CalMac has won a prestigious hospitality award for its innovative Modern Apprenticeship partnership with City of Glasgow College. Barra and Vatersay's musical culture has been brought to life for the island's aspiring musicians, thanks to CalMac's Community Fund. A group of eight students is making history alongside CalMac with a brand new apprenticeship programme - the first of its type in the UK. Ullapool linkspan was due to close to vehicular traffic for a period of six weeks from February 22 to allow the new replacement linkspan to be fitted. A new super model has floated into Lochmaddy on North Uist, dressed in black and white with a hint of red - and she intends to stick around for a while. Young people in coastal communities are set to benefit from a new CalMac partnership that aims to build new life skills while supporting local charities. The value of fraud cases heard in Scotland in 2020 fell as Covid-19 created logistical challenges for the country’s justice system, according to new research. A healthier approach to food on-board Caledonian MacBrayne ferries has been recognised by a national NHS-backed scheme. Ferry operator CalMac is backing a north-west community in its bid to win £38,000 of funding for its Winter Lights Festival. Ferry operator CalMac is reinforcing the essential travel to islands only message on the back of the latest Scottish Government advice. 24 March 2020 - In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Scottish Government has made clear the need to avoid all but essential travel by ferry to Scotland's remote and island communities, 22 March 2020 - CalMac state ferry travel across Scotland must be for essential travel only. SURREAL and strange but necessary – staff at ferry firm CalMac have revealed what it’s like to run the lifeline services during the coronavirus lockdown. Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne is redeploying a vessel to Islay and moving another to 24 hour working to increase capacity on the route. Calmac union RMT has today ramped up the pressure on the company to enter ACAS talks over the current pay dispute‎ and to get serious about reaching a negotiated settlement that properly recognises and rewards the staff operating the lifeline ferry services. CalMac proud to be first the ferry operator to receive VisitScotland 'Taste Our Best' accreditation: Tune up, tune in - CalMac Culture's search for new music talent launches for 2015: Caledonian MacBrayne prepares for digital transformation roll-out during 2015: Caledonian Macbrayne confirms sponsorship of Bee's Knees customer focus award: CalMac congratulates those shortlisted for RYA Scotland's awards in Glasgow: CalMac update on plans for MV Loch Seaforth and Ullapool linkspan works: New date set for Ullapool harbour linkspan closure: CalMac warns of possible severe weather disruptions: MV Coruisk in service as harbour improvements continue: Investment for Ullapool harbour set to enhance ferry services: CalMac chief praises first Scottish Rural Parliament: Transport Minister visits MV Loch Seaforth: Copyright ... a catalogue of failures was highlighted in the process for building two new CalMac ferries, which are to serve Arran and the Hebrides on Scotland's publicly-owned ferry network. 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