Highland Council awards major contract for Raasay ferry service upgrade

The Highland Council has this week awarded a major contract for the £2 million upgrade of facilities on the Skye-Raasay ferry service at Sconser ferry terminal, Skye.

McLaughlin & Harvey Ltd of County Antrim have won the 32-week contract that involves  the construction of a new waiting room, toilets, car parking and marshalling facilities.  The slipway is to be widened and lengthened with new fendering installed on the existing pier.

The improvements to the terminal are required to accommodate the new hybrid ferry which is currently under construction at Ferguson’s Shipyard in Port Glasgow.  

Construction works are being programmed to enable sea trials of the new vessel to take place in May next year, prior to the completion of the terminal works.

Partly funded by The European Regional Development Fund, the contract  is due to commence this autumn.  The innovative battery/diesel powered hybrid ferry will begin operating on the Sconser to Raasay route in early summer 2013.