caledonian travel 2022

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Coach Holidays, Escorted Tours & Events

0330 440 3999, monday - friday 9am to 5pm, caledonian travel.

Caledonian Travel Departs From : Glasgow, Tyneside, Teesside, West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire

Caledonian Travel is one of the UK’s leading coach holiday companies, offering sensational value short breaks & holidays throughout the UK, Ireland, and Europe, with 1000’s of breaks under £100. The company operates over 70 high-quality, environmentally friendly coaches along with an industry-leading team of trusted drivers and representatives, priding itself on providing fantastic value holidays whilst delivering an outstanding level of customer service as a Feefo Platinum Service Provider. They’ve also been voted for by their customers as ‘Best Large Travel Company for Coach Holidays’ in the British Travel Awards 2022!

With convenient pick-up points in Scotland, the North East and Yorkshire, holidays are easier and more accessible than ever. There’s a range of short breaks and holidays with exciting itineraries included, from day breaks and family attractions to box office breaks and 15-day European tours – there’s something for everyone! You can enjoy a hassle-free holiday with reserved coach seating, inclusive excursions, inclusive admission to most events, and half board with evening entertainment included on most breaks.

• Box Office Breaks – West End Shows , Headliner Concerts, Regional Theatre and Tribute Acts
• Special Events – Flower Shows, Air Shows, Horse Shows and more
• Family Fun – Harry Potter Studios, Theme Parks, Zoos and more
• Weekend and City Breaks
• Seaside Breaks
• Sporting Event Breaks
• Explore Europe and Discover Ireland
• Mystery Surprise Breaks

Low £20 Deposit Your place on most of Caledonian Travel’s short breaks and holidays can be secured with just a £20 deposit per person!

Price Match Promise Caledonian Travel promises to match the price of any exact short break or holiday if you find it cheaper elsewhere, so you always know you’re getting the best price – plus, get a £10 holiday voucher thrown in for good measure!

The Coaches All of Caledonian Travel’s coaches have air-conditioning, individually reclining seats, on-board toilet facilities and experienced drivers who can help make your holiday as enjoyable as possible!

Trust Caledonian You can book with confidence with Caledonian Travel. When you book, your money goes straight into an independent Trust, where it is held until after your break is finished before being released to Caledonian Travel. This means that if your break cannot go ahead due to any government restrictions and advice, your money is 100% safe and is guaranteed to be refunded to you within 7 days. The Gold Standard of Customer Protection!

Office Address:   The Travel Centre, Unit C Millshaw Business Park, Global Avenue, Leeds, England, LS11 8PR

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Reviews 4.6.

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Enjoyed the Coronation Street Tour

Enjoyed the Coronation Street Tour, though it was longer than driver indicated, and a lot of walking involved, both in tour and to and from drop off point, caused an hour delay for the other trip in with this coach being picked up. Would've been much better getting picked up at studio entrance. Also would've liked more time for Coronation Street shop, due to extreme queues and busy venue. Nice hotel and enjoyed visit to Liverpool.

Date of experience : 30 March 2024

Reply from Caledonian Travel

Thank you for taking the time to post your review; we really appreciate your feedback. Your great comments are very much appreciated, and we hope to be welcoming you back to Caledonian soon. Kind regards, Rosie

Late review for 4 days @Claymore hotel…

Late review for 4 days @Claymore hotel 2nd visit All good.Rob our driver obviously LOVES his job!!Staff and food excellent...room comfortable.Only dissapointment was no sky news channel ,no gb news channel,as I am a solo traveller,I prefer my room in the evening,and I did miss the choice.Love the decor in small dining room,really cosy atmosphere!!!Thanks to you all @ Caledonian...till my next trip,SOON XXXX

Date of experience : 02 April 2024

This is our second year of booking a 2…

This is our second year of booking a 2 day trip with Caladonian. Booking online was easy and straightforward. Last year, the coach was clean and comfortable. The driver was friendly and we enjoyed the whole experience.

Date of experience : 03 April 2024

Such excellent value for money

Easy and quick booking online, lovely clean comfortable coaches, drivers who go above and beyond excellent value for money can't wait to book my next break. Recommend to everyone 👍

Driver Dean was excellent

Our first trip ever with Caledonian travel took us from Sunderland to Windsor Legoland and back. It was a great weekend including a hotel stopover and trips to and from legoland. Dean was our driver and he was 5 out of 5. Great employee with time for everyone. Our 6 year old told him she’d like to go on his coach again

Day trip to Bamburgh and Holy Island

I booked a day trip to Bamburgh and Holy Island. The actual day was fantastic. Our driver Stuart was amazing, he made the day so special. The day was made so much nicer by the weather being gorgeous. We had a quick trip to Seahouses on the way home, which was also lovely. I’m already looking forward to my next trip away with Caledonian. I would highly recommend this day trip!

Date of experience : 24 March 2024

Cavendish Hotel stay in Eastbourne

Cavendish Hotel stay in Eastbourne. Hotel better than reviews suggest. Staff were all friendly and helpful. Room with Seaview clean and comfortable. Included days out just long enough.

Date of experience : 11 March 2024

Chatsworth house hotel had a great…

Chatsworth house hotel had a great seafront location we were allocated a sea view room .Our bus driver John was great and made our bus trip enjoyable

Date of experience : 29 March 2024

Caledonian Travel

I booked a trip this coming June to London as we had a fabulous trip to London last year with Caledonian. Driver was great and very knowledgable on the sites, travel was lovely and comfortable and the accomodation was beautiful. Would definitely reccommend this company to travel with.

Date of experience : 26 August 2023

Excellent break away

Excellent coach, other passengers great and friendly, the coach driver WOW he really made it. We did the Beatles tour and he drove that bus around Liverpool like the pro he is. Tim was his name, if you get tim as a driver you won’t be disappointed at all. This is the reason I gave 5 stars

Date of experience : 31 March 2024

My booking experience for a holiday on…

My booking experience for a holiday on May 6th 2024 via online brochure and help from Caledonian Staff was very easy. I have a disability and need to book specific things. Looking forward to my 5 day break regards Barbara North

Date of experience : 21 March 2024

Lovely Hotel, some trips off badly planned. Very good value though.

The Palace Hotel at Buxton was a lovely hotel, spotlessly clean, lovely helpful staff and very good food. We were very happy with our room. Unfortunately, we were not given any itinary, times of meals or outings etc. Also the tour included Chatsworth House for just 5 people which held us up in traffic for approximately one and a half hours, very bad organisation! Chesterfield was disappointing and no market, also the shopping outlet at Rowsley was very expensive and a waste of time. Hope these criticisms are helpful to you.

Thank you for taking the time to post your review; we really appreciate your feedback. Kind regards, Rosie

Hotel was in a great position food was…

Hotel was in a great position food was OK 7 out of 10 rooms were a good size.Lift to top floor was very poor 1 lift only 2 people allowed in the lift was small and only 1 lift in the hotel means having to queue all the time. Customer service was bad I paid for all inclusive when I got to the hotel had to pay £98 for drinks saying I'd not added drinks .Other people I spoke to got drinks package some paid same or less.

Positive well earned.

Always reliable with a quick return for Emails etc. Atmosphere good throughout coach travel. All drivers cheery and polite to folk.

Torquay break

Just came back from Torquay, everything ran smoothly from start to finish. Hotel was good. Excellent food, quick service. Worth the price we paid. Stuart was our driver, very pleasant helpful funny guy. Couldn’t fault him. Will be looking to book another trip soon

Value for money

Value for money trip driver was very knowledgeable, from the lady who took my booking to the driver who kept us amused could not fault caladonian travel

4 day London superdeal

The trip was advertised as 4 day london superdeal. Firstly, you only get 2 days 3bnights because 2 full days were spent travelling. Then we were taken to a hotel that was an hour and a half away from London, nothing to do, no entertainment, nowhere to go at night. This certainly can not be classed as London. Windsor Castle was amazing but if you want London do not take a deal that doesn't have the name of the hotel on it.

Date of experience : 28 March 2024

Torquay torbay hotel

Brilliant holiday and Peter was fantastic as always, breakfast was 100% but dinner we we not impressed but there is a weatherspoons and other places you can go to..weather was not great but did not put us off..did not go on trips as we have been on them b4 so as always we went to penzance by rail and back up to Exeter to torquay via dawlish all for £15..Good crowd on our bus aswell just one passenger demanding what time we got back even I said there were delays on the a1 but passenger said I'll see driver..and started complaining as it was late getting back for him..well we got back on time..so 5 stars for Peter, breakfast and 1 for dinner, but we will be back

Date of experience : 25 March 2024

Really good service just shory of 5 star for me

My experience would.of been 5 star but when we got cadburys world caledonian had cancelled it so we had to wait a bit longer so little less time than we could of got at first we were gping to have to wait till 3.20 but driver spoke to them and we got in for 2. The hotel was clean and really nice food was lovely. The safari was fantastic except another caledonian coach drove right beside to get in front and totally spoilt view of the lions which was very rude of him. Need to explain passes for ride arent included in ticket entry. Ovetall a fab trip without and tan smoothly. Cant wait to book another trip with caledonian travel.

A lovely day out

A lovely day out, the driver was pleasant and friendly. Can't tell you much about the trip ,it was a mystery tour and obviously would spoil it for any future adventures 😉

Date of experience : 27 March 2024

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Harry Potter Studios tour with overnight stay dinner bed and breakfast included. Aboards coach at... read more

We've just returned from 4 day trip to Llandudno with friends. Stayed at the chatsworth Hotel on... read more

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This was a five day trip advertised as " Highland Steam & Loch Ness Cruise". The hotel Coylumbridge Aviemore, this was not in Aviemore. The age of the coach passengers meant we were prisoners in the evenings! The hotel was spotless. The reception was under staffed but all of the staff there were helpful. This problem wasn't the fault of the hotel although they did have a staffing issue in the dining room the food not generally good. Some of the places we visited were closed, half day closing still applies in small communities. The biggest disappointment was Strathspey Railway, why would any company advertise that as a feature, it was truly appalling ! If you are looking for a tour of the Highlands don't go with this company I'm sure there must be better elsewhere!

The excursions were fantastic, our driver Becks was brilliant and done everything he could to keep everyone happy. Hotel was great and all in all excellent value for money. Been on a few trips now and always been great

My sister and I took the Mystery Tour and ended up at Skipton Market which was very lively and then headed to Burnley to stay at a lovely Holiday Inn Express which was spotless, beds were comy and great hot water shower. Next day went to Lake Windemere which was a beautiful day out , took a ferry trip around the Lake. Had great food . Best part of the trip was our wonderful funny bus driver Nino , I've never laughed so much on a trip away. He played great music on the bus and had us all singing along . Felt like I was on a trip with my whole family. Coach was comfy and perfect driving looking at all the scenary . Hats off to Nino for best driver award..hiw he managed tk go around those narrow streets and amazing parking . Look forward to more trips when I return from Canada next year !

My first adult coach break last weekend to the RAF Cosford Airshow. To be honest I had modest expectations about the trip but I have to say our trip was excellent. Picked up on time at Buchanan Bus Station Glasgow with pick ups in Hamilton and Carlisle. The later was used as an official stop for tea and coffee at the Tesco store. Our coach was supplied by Parks of Hamilton and was perfectly adequate for the trip with acceptable leg room and seat comfort. Our coach driver Connor was a very friendly and approachable person and displayed the highest stands of safe driving throughout the trip. I noted him moving to lane two of the motorway several times to give extra space to break downs on the hard shoulder. As a lorry and bus licence holder this is taught but seldom put into practice. He’s a credit to both companies. We had a further comfort stop in the M6 before attending at The Severn Valley Railway. This gave our driver the opportunity to display some phenomenal manoeuvring and reversing skills. Our visit to the railway involved a trip to Kidderminster by stream train. We were picked up by our coach and taken to our hotel for two nights, the Mecure West Birmingham. All times perfectly. I go into more detail in a separate hotel review but the room, the food and staff were excellent. Id happily stay here again. On day two we visited the air show at RAF Cosford and was again excellent. The itinerary saw us at the airfield for before 09.00 and departure wasn’t until 18.00hrs so we had a very full day. Our return trip home the following day allowed for a couple of hours in Kendal for lunch. None of the passengers seemed aware of the stop but were happy to use it to stretch their legs and get some lunch. The driver kindly gave us the option to go elsewhere and was very flexible but some some wanted to stick with Kendal once they had heard about it. I think a longer stop off at Gretna Gateway with less time soent travelling off the motorway might have worked a little better. Anyway overall from the coach, the driver, the hotel and the primary reason for the trip to the Airshow cannot be criticised. Its been an eye opener and id definitely use Caledonian again in the future.

Have been on a few trips with this Coach Company in the past and recently. Find them easy to book with and where they go is a good choice for everyone. Prices are competitive and drivers are very friendly, pleasant and professional with lots of knowledge. Coaches are comfortable with aircon/toilets onboard.

I recently had too write to the manager with a complaint but have not as yet received any reply. Having used this company before and been very satisfied with them , Im so disappointed they have not even replied to my letter.I was informed by them that my chosen holiday had been cancelled so chose another location. Phoned them to be assured everything was taken care of and when we arrived at hotel we were told we were not on the booking list and the fault lay with the travel company.

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• Moscow Tours

Our 20 Best Moscow Tours of 2022

Join us on an unforgettable tour to Moscow, the capital of Russia. Imagine visiting Red Square, St. Basil’s the Kremlin and more. Moscow is one of Europe’s most vibrant cities and one of Russia’s most historical. All of our tours to Moscow are fully customizable and can be adjusted to fit any budget. Our most popular tours are listed below. Please click on the tour details to learn more or contact us for more information about our Moscow tours using the form at the side of the page. You can also schedule a call with one of our Russian travel specialists to learn more.

Classic Moscow

This is our most popular Moscow tour that includes all the most prominent sights. You will become acquainted with ancient Russia in the Kremlin, admire Russian art in the Tretyakov Gallery, listen to street musicians as you stroll along the Old Arbat street, and learn about Soviet times on the Moscow Metro tour.

Accommodation

PRIVATE TOUR

A Week in Moscow

This tour is a perfect choice for those who wish to get to know Moscow in depth. One of the highlights of this package is the KGB history tour which gives an interesting perspective on the Cold War. You will also have time for exploring the city on your own or doing extra sightseeing.

Weekend in Moscow

This tour is a great way to get acquainted with the capital of Russia if you are short of time. You will see all the main attractions of the city, the most important of which is the Kremlin - the heart of Russia. The tour starts on Friday and can be combined with a business trip.

Group Tour Moscow Break by Intourist

Russia's capital has so much to offer, from the Kremlin and the Metro to the Old Arbat street and the Tretyakov Gallery. Besides these sites, you will also visit a fascinating country estate which today is quite off the beaten path, Gorky Estate, where the Soviet leader Lenin spent the last months of his life.

Kolomenskoye Tour with transport

The history of Kolomenskoye stretches back for centuries. In 1380, Dmitri Donskoi’s army passed through Kolomenskoye on their way to the Kulikovo battlefield, and it was...

Tours by car

Kremlin, Red Sq., Cathedrals & Armory Tour

The Kremlin is truly a fascinating structure, at the same time it is an ancient tower, the city’s former military fortification, a palace, an armory, the sovereign treasury...

Walking tours

Kremlin, Red Sq., Cathedrals, Armory, Diamond Fund Tour

Old Arbat walking tour

You will be told of the street’s interesting history and view the street’s artisan culture. You will also have the opportunity to view and purchase souvenirs from the...

Tour to Sergiev Posad with transport

Considered by some to be the Russian Vatican, Sergiev Posad is the temporary residence of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Trinity St. Sergius Monastery (Lavra)...

Tour to Kuskovo with transport

The Kuskovo Estate often called the Moscow Versailles due to its perfectly preserved French park, is an example of an 18th century, luxurious Moscow summer residence. Its history...

Tour to Tsaritsyno with transport

The Tsaritsyno Estate is located in the southern part of Moscow. The estate was constructed for Catherine the Great by the Russian architects Bazhenov and Kazakov in a romantic...

Moscow Metro and Old Arbat Tour

The Moscow Metro is one of the largest and most grandly built metro systems in the world. It was meant to be a showcase of the Soviet Union’s achievements for both the Russians...

Vodka Museum Tour with transport (excursion and vodka tasting)

Vodka is an important component of Russian life, an element of national identity and everyday culture. We invite you to visit the Vodka Museum and feel the atmosphere of long-gone...

Mikhail Bulgakov Apartment Museum

This apartment museum located close to Patriarch Ponds became the prototype of the "bad apartment" described in the novel "The Master and Margarita." Currently the museum's...

Kremlin, Red Sq., Cathedrals & Diamond Fund Tour

The State Museum of Lev Tolstoy Tour

Take this opportunity to learn more about the Russian writer Lev Tolstoy. During the visit to the museum you will see part of a vast collection of exhibits connected to Tolstoy...

Novodevichy Convent Tour with transport

Tour of the Novodevichy Monastery. Founded in 1524 by Grand Prince VasiliIoanovich, the original convent was enclosed by fortified walls and contained 12 towers. The structure...

City Tour with Visit to St. Basils & Red Sq. with transport

Panoramic City Tour. This Moscow tour is a great start to your trip and the best way to get acquainted with many of the city’s major highlights. Our professional guide will...

City Tour of Moscow

Head to the heart of Moscow with a professional guide on a 4-hour private walk through the city center. See Tverskaya and Old Arbat streets, Theatre Square with the world-famous...

Moscow Metro walking tour

Kremlin, Red Square and Cathedrals Tour

KGB Tour with transport

This is a very interesting and insightful tour. You will visit places connected with Stalin’s terror - a time of great repression and fear. You will be shown monuments to...

Soviet and Post-Soviet Moscow Tour

The tour begins with a drive or walk down Tverskaya Street – a Soviet masterpiece. In the years of Soviet power, Tverskaya began to undergo a transformation: it was widened...

Tretyakov State Gallery Tour

This world-famous gallery contains masterpieces of Russian art beginning in the 10th century up until today. You will view exquisite Russian icons and paintings from the 18th and...

Jewish Heritage of Moscow Tour

This tour offers a detailed look into the history and present-day life of the Jewish community of Moscow. On the tour, you will visit sites connected with the cultural and religious...

Vodka Museum Tour with transport (excursion only)

Lena, our guide in Moscow was excellent. She was very knowledgable and could answer any question we had for her. We liked that she could pick up on our interests and take us places we might not have thought of to go. When we realized that one of the places we had chosen to see would probably not be that interesting to us, she was able to arrange entry to the Diamond Fund and the Armoury for us. Riding the Metro with Lena was a real adventure and a lot of fun. In Saint Petersburg we found Anna well versed in the history of the Tsars and in the Hermitage collection. Arkady in Veliky Novgorod was a very good guide and answered all of our questions with ease. Novgorod was perhaps a long way to go for a day trip, but we did enjoy it. Vasily was a great driver to have and kept us safe with good humour and skill. We enjoyed ourselves so much, my daughter says she is already planning to return. We would both have no hesistation to recommend ExpresstoRussia to anyone we know.

Just wanted to let you know that My grandson Bruno and I couldn´t have been more pleased with our week in Moscow (6/15 - 6/21). We were absolutely enchanted with the whole experience, including getting lost a couple of times in the Metro during our free time. Although both our guides (both Eleanas) were excellent, I would particularly commend the first one (she took us to the Tatiakov, the KGB tour, and to that beautiful cemetery where so many great Russian artists, authors, composers, musicians, militarists, and politicians are buried). Her knowledge is encyclopedic; and her understanding of today´s Russia as a product of its past was, for us, truly enlightening. I will be taking another tour in Russia, with my wife, within the next two or three years. I will be in touch with you when the time comes. Meanwhile, I will refer you to other potential visitors to Russia as I meet them.

Tours to Moscow

Our Moscow tours are land only meaning that you arrange your own air travel to Russia and our expert staff meets you at the airport and handles everything else from there. Our online Airline Ticket booking system offers some of the most competitive rates to Russia available on the web so if you need tickets, please visit our Russian air ticket center . Rest assured that you will be taken great care of on one of our Moscow tours. Express to Russia has a fully staffed office in Moscow that will help to make your visit fun, informative and unforgettable. Please remember that of all these tours are private and can be adjusted to your taste. You can add, replace or skip some sights; you can add more days to the package or cut the tour short. Our specialists will be glad to help you create the tour of your dreams!

Moscow, a City Like No Other

Moscow is Russia’s largest city with a population of between 12 and 13 million. It is also Europe’s largest city and when you visit Moscow, you can feel it. The layout and architecture of the city is eclectic, ranging from crooked, ancient streets and alleyways to wide, bustling boulevards, from medieval churches to Stalin skyscrapers and to modern, glass buildings towering over everything and of course in the center of it all is the Kremlin and the magnificent Red Square. Moscow is also home to a fantastic, efficient and very beautiful metro system – each station having its own special design. In fact, Express to Russia’s Moscow metro tours and excursions are some of our most popular attractions that we offer. On our Moscow tours, you will see this and more.

Moscow Tours centering on Russian History

Moscow has a long and interesting history and has been the capital of Russia in many of its different iterations – capital of the Grand Duchy of Moscow , the Russian Empire and of course the Soviet Union (who could ever forget the Soviet Union?). Moscow, was founded in the 12th century by Prince Yuri Dolgaruki (Yuri of the long arms – he really did have long arms!). From that time on, it was home to the Russian Tsars until Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg in 1703. The city has survived invasions and sieges from the Mongols, the Tartars, the Poles, Lithuanians and Napoleon but has always persevered. Our Moscow tours will enlighten you on this great history and give you insights into Muscovites and their unique culture. Our Moscow tours show you what the city is like today but also brings to life the past. Moscow never seems to sleep and is bursting with energy. A Moscow tour with Express to Russia is truly the best way of getting to know Russia’s largest and most vibrant city.

Frequently Asked Questions From Our Travelers

What is the best time to visit moscow.

Any time of year is fine depending on what you plan to do. Summertime is pleasantly warm, ideal for exploring the city and its vibrant atmosphere, but Moscow will be much busier and accommodation is more expensive. Winter can be quite cold but beautiful nonetheless, and this is unproblematic if you intend to spend most of your trip in museums and galleries. There are also various festivals and events organised throughout the year. For more information about the best time to visit, read our guide

How many days are enough in Moscow?

If you plan your itinerary strategically and aren’t averse to a packed schedule, you can cover Moscow’s main sights over a long weekend. Most popular attractions are in the city centre, and the Moscow Metro allows you to cover much ground in a small amount of time. Ensure that your accommodation is fairly central and book tickets in advance, so that you can make the most of your days. For an informative and well-organised day out, check out our Moscow day tours with options to suit all interests.

Do they speak English in Moscow?

As Russia’s capital city, tourists are well accommodated in Moscow. There should be English-speaking staff in restaurants, bars, hotels, shops and attractions in tourist hotspots, and there are also English-speaking tourist police. Transport services have English translations on their maps and English announcements via intercom; alternatively, order taxis from the Yandex Taxi app (Russian Uber), though it’s unlikely that your taxi driver will speak English. If you get stuck and cannot communicate, it’s fine to use Google Translate.

Is it safe to travel to Moscow?

It is no less safe to travel to Moscow than to any European city if you exercise common sense and look after your belongings. As with every city some regions can be more unsavoury than others, but no tourist attractions are located there. The traffic in Moscow is notorious, so exercise caution when crossing roads. Do not take unlicensed taxis; book in advance or take public transport, which is widespread and perfectly safe. If you encounter any problems, look for the special tourist police who can help you. For more information, read our guide about staying safe in Russia .

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CalMac boss steps down as ferry operator faces ongoing challenges with fleet

T he chief executive of Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), the UK’s largest ferry operator, is stepping down as it faces ongoing challenges with its fleet.

The company announced on Wednesday that Robbie Drummond is stepping down with immediate effect.

It comes just over a week after the chief executive of the state-owned shipyard Ferguson Marine, David Tydeman, was sacked by its board.

Mr Drummond’s departure comes after a review by the board of CalMac, which is also wholly owned by the Scottish Government.

It led to the Conservatives claiming the SNP Government is presiding over “utter chaos” on the ferry network.

In recent years the ageing nature of CalMac’s ferry fleet has led to delays and disruption on its routes around the west coast of Scotland.

These problems have been compounded by ongoing delays to two ferries being built at Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow.

The two ferries, which will ultimately serve routes in the west of Scotland with CalMac, are some six years late and will cost around three times the original price of £97 million.

Ministers are also due to make a decision this summer on the awarding of the ferry services contract for the west coast, something which would have a material impact on CalMac as a going concern.

Mr Drummond was previously managing director of CalMac before becoming its chief executive in October 2022.

Last year he was reported to have earned £170,000 in bonuses on top of his £143,000 salary.

His departure was announced in a statement from the company on Wednesday.

It said: “The Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd board takes the responsibility of delivering the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) contract extremely seriously.

“It recognises that the island communities served by CalMac have faced real challenges over this past year. These challenges are likely set to continue until new vessels are introduced to the fleet over the coming years.

“In this context, the board wants to strengthen the focus further on operational performance of an ageing fleet, resilience and enhanced dialogue and responsiveness with the customers and the communities CalMac serves.

“As a consequence, the board has reviewed the executive leadership of the organisation to ensure that it is best placed to achieve that during some challenging years ahead.

“As part of that review, current CEO Robbie Drummond is stepping down with immediate effect.”

Duncan Mackison, former chief executive of CalMac’s holding company David MacBrayne Ltd, has been appointed interim boss until a permanent successor to Mr Drummond is found.

Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson said: “Robbie Drummond is now the latest scapegoat for the SNP’s ferries fiasco.

“Mairi McAllan – as the SNP minister responsible – is presiding over utter chaos in Scotland’s ferry network.

“Not a single ministerial resignation has been offered over this scandal yet now the head of both CalMac and Ferguson Marine have been fired in the space of two weeks.

“The minister needs to urgently explain – not least to betrayed islanders – what is going on here and why she believes sacking CalMac’s top boss is a good idea.

“The buck ultimately stops with them over the failure to deliver lifeline vessels to our islanders.”

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