Operating profit increased to GBP 9.8 million from GBP 5.5 million, but interest on lease liabilities rose to GBP 8.7 million from GBP 0.7 million. This follows the start of a 10.5-year lease for vessels and harbour assets under the third Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services agreement (CHFS3). CHFS3 was directly awarded to CalMac, took effect on 1 October 2025 and moved the service from a commercial contract to a public service model. No dividend was paid.

Contractual reliability, which excludes weather-related disruption, fell to 95.6% from 98.5%, and actual reliability, including weather, fell to 90.3% from 92.7%. CalMac operated 157,029 sailings, against 161,013 the year before. "Ageing vessels, technical faults, overhaul pressures and periods where several vessels were unavailable at once reduced flexibility across the network and made it harder to provide reliable and consistent services," the directors write.

Carryings were broadly stable: passengers rose by 0.6% to 5,044,934 and cars by 2.5% to 1,475,555, while commercial vehicles fell by 0.5% to 81,606 and coaches by 5.7% to 7,131.

CalMac operated 37 vessels on 30 routes at the end of the year. ISLE OF ISLAY, the first of four new major vessels, entered service on Islay in March 2026. GLEN ROSA is due to join the fleet in 2027, and seven small vessels are under construction; all the new vessels are expected to be in service by 2029.

Full report https://assets.calmac.co.uk/media/p1shuom1/25-26-cfl-annual-report.pdf

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