Ferry operator CalMac has announced one of its vessels has returned to service after repairs and two will follow suit in the coming days.
The MV Hebrides resumed its usual routes in the Uig Triangle on Wednesday and the MV Isle of Lewis has returned to Stornoway following a lengthy period of maintenance and will be fully back in service on Saturday.
The MV Finlaggan is the main ferry for the Finlaggan-Islay route and it will be brought back into service next Wednesday.
CalMac chief executive Duncan Mackison said: “Earlier this week, we restored normal service levels to Coll, Colonsay, Mull, South Uist and Tiree with the return of MV Hebrides. Now, with MV Isle of Lewis returning from repairs two weeks ahead of schedule, we can plan ahead with a level of confidence.
“We are delighted to have MV Alfred staying with us until the end of our summer timetable in October and, when all major units are available, we will have a resilience vessel throughout the peak summer months.
“Having a resilience vessel enables us to respond to any technical breakdowns quickly and to trial different vessels in different ports and better understand what can operate where.
“This allows us to make improvements to which vessels provide cover during our annual maintenance programme each winter and therefore improve the quality of service we offer island communities.”