THE Arran ferry route has caused quite a stir as North and South Ayrshire Councils look set to go to battle.

Associated British Ports have said they are willing to invest £8million of its own money into the Troon harbour to land the service from Ardrossan, currently run by Caldeonian MacBrayne. 

The proposed new route in Troon would take 12 more minutes than the current route.

But it would be near the A77(M) road to Glasgow as well as a more regular train link to Glasgow Central.

Those advovating Troon are also pointing to a more reliable performance in times of poor weather.

Troon’s South Ayrshire Councillor, Peter Convery had his say on the matter and supports ABP’s bid to move the route to Troon.

He said: “The major issue with CalMac from Ardrossan to Brodick is the resilience of services. The ability of the ships going to sail can be frustrating.You sometimes don’t know if you will sail or not.
“The council (South Ayrshire) at its previous full meeting wrote a letter to Humza Yousaf MSP (Minister of Transport and Islands) in support of ABP.
“The carrot here is ABP  not asking for any government funding. I certainly would support this bid, It is about connectivity. I feel Troon and  ABP has a lot to offer.”

However the issue is likely to involve a lengthy analysis, with interests in North Ayrshire poised to battle to retain the Ardrossan route.

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “We are committed to supporting our lifeline ferry services and providing the best possible service for the communities that rely on them. We are looking, in the first instance, at resolving the issues at Ardrossan Harbour and have set up a ministerial taskforce to address this. 

“However, no options are off the table and we have received an approach from Associated British Ports (ABP) about the potential use of Troon Harbour for the Arran route.

“This was brought to the attention of the taskforce last month and was discussed by Mr Yousaf with Arran community representatives during his recent visit.

“To be clear, no decisions have been made and we will continue to engage closely through the taskforce and with all relevant stakeholders in analysing the various options for delivery of the Arran services as the process continues.”

South Ayrshire council also issued a statement. 

It said: “Councillors have agreed to express support for a local business development proposal. 

“No decisions have been made with regards to this proposal and the Council has no part to play in the decision-making process.” 
Caledonian MacBrayne also issued a statement to the Ayr Advertiser Series.

It said: “CalMac is just one of the players involved in the Ardrossan Harbour Taskforce and, while clearly we would be consulted and involved with any discussion to change the service, any such decision would be a matter for Transport Scotland.” 

Philipa Whitford MP backed the move to have Troon take over the route, saying: “I can understand that those in Ardrossan would regret any movement of the Arran ferry but, if based on the new ferry, the journey should only be 11 minutes longer, cars would quickly be on the A77/M77 to Glasgow and passengers could access more frequent trains.  Most importantly, Troon provides a sheltered harbour and thus more reliable sailings to connect Arran to the mainland.”