Deal agreed to take Ardrossan harbour into public ownership

The purchase of Ardrossan harbour by the Scottish government's ferries and ports agency will be finalised this month, the transport secretary has announced

Fiona Hyslop confirmed negotiations between Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) and owner Peel Ports have now concluded and the harbour will be brought under public ownership.

The government has been forced to buy the harbour because new CalMac ferries ordered by CMAL for the Arran route are too big to berth safely at the existing facilities and it needs extensive redevelopment.

Hyslop did not confirm how much the sale would cost but said negotiations had been "complex" but would bring "wider benefits" to ferry services in the long term.

CMAL is entirely owned by the Scottish government, and Hyslop revealed it had been necessary to make a "shareholder directive" to the CMAL board to conclude the deal.

Hyslop said the port would remain the main port for ferry services from the mainland to Arran.

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