MV Loch Linnhe

MV Loch Linnhe (Scottish Gaelic: An Linne Dhubh) is a Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited ro-ro car ferry, built in 1986 and operated by Caledonian MacBrayne After over ten years at Largs, she was the summer vessel on the Tobermory–Kilchoan crossing from 1999 to 2017.

MV Loch Linnhe arriving at Kilchoan
History
United Kingdom
Name:	MV Loch Linnhe Scottish Gaelic: An Linne Dhubh
Namesake:	Loch Linnhe
Owner:	Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited
Operator:	Caledonian MacBrayne
Port of registry:	Glasgow
Route:	Spare/relief vessel
Builder:	R. Dunston, Hessle, East Riding of Yorkshire[1]
Yard number:	H953
Launched:	22 May 1986[2]
In service:	4 July 1986
Identification:	IMO number: 8512308[3] Callsign: MEXR9 MMSI Number: 232003369
Status:	in service
General characteristics
Class and type:	ro-ro vehicle ferry
Tonnage:	206 GT 65 DWT[4]
Length:	30.2 m (99 ft 1 in)[1]
Beam:	10 m (32 ft 10 in)[1]
Draught:	1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
Installed power:	6-cyl Volvo Penta
Propulsion:	2 × Voith Schneider Propellers
Speed:	9 kn (17 km/h)
Capacity:	200 passengers and 12 cars
Crew:	3

History

MV Loch Linnhe was the second of four drive-through ferries built in the 1980s by Dunston's of Hessle, to cope with increasing traffic on CalMac's smaller routes.[4]

Layout

The four vessels are based on the design of MV Isle of Cumbrae.[4] They have a second passenger lounge, on the port side, reducing the capacity of the car deck to 12.[4] The wheelhouse is painted red and given a black top, as she has no funnels as such.[4]

Service

MV Loch Linnhe replaced MV Canna on the Lochaline–Fishnish crossing in July 1986. After one month, she moved to the Largs–Great Cumbrae crossing, in place of MV Isle of Cumbrae, She operated this crossing with her sister ship, MV Loch Striven for eleven years, until 1997, when Loch Striven was replaced by another sister, MV Loch Riddon.[4]

In 1998, after an earlier winter season on the service, Loch Linnhe moved to the Tarbert–Portavadie crossing, previously operated in the summer by MV Rhum and then MV Bruernish.[4] In early 1999 she was replaced by MV Isle of Cumbrae and became the summer vessel on the Tobermory–Kilchoan crossing. In the winter seasons, she is usually relieved by MV Raasay for overhaul at Ardmaleish, followed by relief duties. She has seen relief service at Raasay, Iona, Gigha, Eriskay, Fishnish, Lochaline, Lismore and Bute.[4]

In Summer 2017, Loch Linnhe was displaced on the Tobermory to Kilchoan route by MV Loch Tarbert owing to rising vehicle traffic on that route. Loch Linnhe became a spare/relief vessel.

Footnotes

1. "MV Loch Linnhe". CalMac. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
2. "MV Loch Linnhe". Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
3. "Loch Linnhe - IMO 8512308". Shipspotting. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
4. "Loch Linnhe". Ships of Calmac. Retrieved 15 January 2021.