The Corran Ferry route has been taken out of service following a mechanical breakdown of the vessel on Wednesday afternoon.
Crew members posted on social media to say it was working on the fault but it was unlikely that it would be resolved tonight.
The crossing is currently being served by the Maid of Glencoul, while the MV Corran is in dry dock.
The latest tweet posted at 6.10pm: “We are still working on the fault but it’s unlikely we will be on this evening..sorry for inconvenience.”
A spokeswoman for Highland Council, who operate the crossing, said passengers should follow the twitter page for updates.
We are still working on the fault but it's unlikely we will be on this evening….sorry for inconvenience.@trafficscotland @NWTrunkRoads
— Corran Ferry (@CorranFerry) June 28, 2023
She said: “As per the message on the Corran Ferry twitter feed – the vessel has a technical issue.”
Due to a technical fault the service is currently suspended.@trafficscotland @NWTrunkRoads
— Corran Ferry (@CorranFerry) June 28, 2023
“The crew are speaking to engineers now,” she added.
“At this stage we do not know when the service will resume but updates will be put on the twitter feed asap.”
An alternative route around the loch will take more than an hour, details can be found here.
Not the first time
It is not the first time the ferry has been out of action since it returned to the route following extensive work to the vessel.
It was taken out of commission for a few hours on Saturday June 10 for a repair.
The larger vessel that works on the route, the MV Corran went out of service last October, and has since not returned to the route.
This week a spokeswoman for Highland Council said that while the MV Corran was meant to return by the end of June, it would not return until mid-August.
Many users of the ferry have said asking the 50-year-old Maid of Glencoul to continued to plough the route would mean more breakdowns.
The Highland Council has confirmed a new timetable for the return of the main Corran Ferry vessel, the MV Corran. The MV Corran is currently booked onto the slipway at Ardmaleish Boatyard in July to prepare for the fitting of the propulsion unit, an integral part which is currently being manufactured in Germany.
“Unfortunately, due to circumstances outwith the council’s control, the previous date for a return to service has had to be extended.
“The council is making all efforts to expedite the delivery of this part, but unfortunately there are capacity and supply chain challenges that are being experienced right across the maritime sector. ”
Adding: “When the part is delivered at the end of July, it will be fitted in early August and this will be followed by sea trials before the vessel returns home around the middle of August. “