16,000 ferry journeys cancelled for technical faults since 2023

Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Jamie Greene MSP has today said the SNP are a drag on island and coastal communities after new research by his party found that more than 16,000 ferries have been cancelled due to technical faults since 2023.

A Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information request found that between 1 January 2023 and 31 October 2025, a total of 16,039 sailings were cancelled due to technical faults with ferries. In total 36,707 sailings were cancelled, which includes those cancelled due to weather conditions.

The routes which saw the highest number of cancellations due to technical faults were Gourock Dunoon (6,180), Tarbert LF - Portavadie (2,206) and Mallaig - Armadale (1,284). Mallaig - Lochboisdale saw 21% of its sailing cancelled due to technical faults, while Kennacraig - Islay/Colonsay/Oban and Tarbert LF - Lochranza both saw 17% of sailings cancelled due to technical faults.

Not a single route was unaffected by technical faults, with all 30 routes seeing at least 31 cancellations.

Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson and West of Scotland MSP Jamie Greene said:

“These figures reveal just how much chaos the SNP are causing island communities. Our island communities are being treated as second class citizens, lacking the basic right to access the same public services as mainland Scots.

“Communities in my own West of Scotland region like Cumbrae and Ardrossan have suffered endless disruption.

“The SNP’s failure to deliver new lifeline ferries has anchored islanders with an ageing fleet that is in constant need of repair, at constant risk of cancellation and costing millions in repair bills.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats would get the basics right and stand up for island communities. That starts by making sure islanders have access to the ferries they need and rebuilding our country’s economic reputation, which has been sorely undermined by the SNP.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Argyll & Bute Alan Reid said:

“Argyll & Bute has been on the receiving end of the SNP’s ferry fiasco for years, so it is deeply frustrating that the Scottish Government scheme still excludes vast swathes of this area.

“From the loss of business to the cancellation of critical hospital appointments, islands and coastal communities across Argyll & Bute have been heavily impacted.

“If you’re sick of dealing with the fallout from yet another SNP mess, you should throw your backing behind the Scottish Liberal Democrats. We will get Scotland moving again with our plans for a new Ferries Bill and replacements for our ageing ferry fleet.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Jamie Dobson, a former Naval engineer, commented that technical failures have directly affected all the routes in the Western Isles.  In South Uist, their ferry has been reallocated to other islands at virtually no notice. In Barra condemned escape chutes have resulted in severely limited passenger capacity.

Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Jamie Dobson said:

“These failures have more fundamental ramifications for island life. The Sound of Harris ferry’s poor reliability contributes to the requirement for southern isles pregnant mothers to find accommodation in Stornoway for a whole month around their due dates.

“And ferry unreliability is a significant factor in working age adults deciding to move to the mainland.  This adds weight to Jamie Green’s remark that our island communities are denied basic rights deemed normal by mainland Scots.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats would stand up for our island communities, ensuring they have access to the ferries needed and, with our plans for a new Ferries Bill and replacing the ageing ferry fleet, we have a realistic plan to get Scotland moving again”