MV Glen Sannox deployed on Lewis route for HebCelt festival

The MV Glen Sannox is to be deployed to help passengers heading for a music festival later this month.

The £200m CalMac ferry will provide additional capacity on the Ullapool to Stornoway route for those heading for HebCelt from 15-18 July.

It is hoped the vessel, which will join MV Loch Seaforth on the crossing, can provide transport for up to 10,000 extra passengers over the weekend.

The ferry will be temporarily renamed the "HebCelt Special" when it begins crossings on Monday.

Glen Sannox can carry an additional 852 passengers, 127 cars or 16 HGVs, added to the Loch Seaforth capacity of 700 passengers, 143 cars or 20 commercial vehicles.

Both vessels will make twice daily crossings until Saturday.

CalMac's head of brand marketing, Peter Griffiths, said: "The deployment of MV Glen Sannox alongside MV Loch Seaforth will help festival goers travel to and from Lewis while ensuring local residents, businesses and commercial customers can continue to travel with confidence.

"We're pleased to play our part in helping visitors experience everything HebCelt has to offer while maintaining vital connections for the communities we serve."

MV Glen Sannox entered service in January 2025 – seven years late and about four times over budget.

It became the first major new CalMac vessel in a decade when it began sailings.

However, it was taken out of action in November 2025 when an annual maintenance check at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Merseyside revealed issues with vibration.

A further problem was discovered to its anchor system, delaying its return date until March this year.

In April, it was pulled again due to a fault with its engine.