The vessel has received Maritime and Coastguard Agency approval and passenger certification, and will now be prepared for the repositioning voyage from the Sea of Marmara back to Scotland. This will be undertaken by operators CalMac Ferries Limited and is expected to take around two weeks.

Once ISLE OF ISLAY arrives in Scotland, she will undergo a period of crew familiarisation and local operational trials before entering service.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, said: "The formal handover of the ISLE OF ISLAY from Cemre to CMAL is an important milestone in the delivery of improvements to our lifeline ferry services.

"Full focus is now on preparing the vessel for entry into service for the benefit of our island communities and businesses as soon as possible.

"The ISLE OF ISLAY is the first of the four new Islay-class vessels set to serve Scotland's ferry network, underlining the Scottish Government's commitment to investing in our fleet and related port infrastructure. I very much look forward to the ISLE OF ISLAY entering service in the coming weeks."

Kevin Hobbs, Chief Executive at CMAL, said: "Taking ownership of the ISLE OF ISLAY marks a great step forward in our plan to rejuvenate the Scottish ferry fleet. Her arrival in Scotland and subsequent entry into service will be welcomed by the island communities.

"The team at Cemre have worked tirelessly to deliver this vessel under difficult global circumstances, and we'll continue to work closely with them as they finish her sister vessel, LOCH INDAAL, and subsequent ferries LOCHMOR and CLAYMORE, destined for the Skye Triangle.

Duncan Mackison, CEO at CalMac, said: "Delivery of ISLE OF ISLAY is an exciting milestone in efforts to modernise CalMac's major vessel fleet. The crew and local port teams are raring to go, and we will now undertake a period of essential familiarisation and trials to get her ready to enhance Islay's service.

"Her arrival, and the subsequent arrival of her sister vessels, will enhance resilience across the whole major vessel fleet and increase our capability to provide consistent, reliable services for multiple island communities."

The 95-metre ISLE OF ISLAY and its three sister ships, two of which are destined for the Little Minch routes, will each have a capacity for up to 450 passengers and 100 cars or 14 commercial vehicles. They will provide a combined 40% increase in vehicle and freight capacity on the Islay routes, enhancing the overall resilience of the wider fleet.

ISLE OF ISLAY and its sister ships will feature a hybrid diesel-electric powertrain, equipped with a 904 kWh air-cooled Corvus Orca battery pack and four Wärtsilä 6L20 gensets, each rated at 1,600 kW. This setup will achieve a service speed of 16.5 knots. The vessel will also include twin Voith Schneider eVSP stern propulsors and two bow thrusters for enhanced manoeuvrability. Elkon is the electric system integrator.

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