MV Loch Linnhe

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
Yard number	H953
Launched	22 May 1986
In service	4 July 1986
Identification	IMO number: 8512308 Callsign: MEXR9 MMSI Number: 232003369
Status	in service
General characteristics
Class and type	ro-ro vehicle ferry
Tonnage	206 GT 65 DWT
Length	30.2 m (99 ft 1 in)
Beam	10 m (32 ft 10 in)
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

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.

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.

Layout

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

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.

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. 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, Lochranza, Lismore and Bute.

Alongside at Lochranza, 2022

In Summer 2017, in response to rising vehicle traffic, Loch Linnhe was displaced on the Tobermory to Kilchoan route by MV Loch Tarbert, herself displaced from the Lochranza to Claonaig service by MV Catriona. Loch Linnhe became a spare/relief vessel.

In June 2024, MV Loch Linnhe was redeployed to the Tobermory - Kilchoan to cover for the routes regular vessel MV Loch Tarbert who following recent technical problems is required to operate on a less exposed route.