Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne (Scottish Gaelic: Caledonian Mac a' Bhriuthainn), in short form CalMac, is the trade name of CalMac Ferries Ltd, the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries to the west coast of Scotland, serving ports on the mainland and 22 of the major islands. It is a subsidiary of holding company David MacBrayne, which is owned by the Scottish Government.
Trade name | Caledonian MacBrayne, CalMac |
|---|---|
| Company type | Government-owned service |
| Industry | Transport |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Headquarters | Gourock, Scotland |
Number of locations | 50 ports and harbours across Scotland |
Area served | Firth of Clyde, Outer Hebrides, Inner Hebrides |
Key people | Robbie Drummond (Managing Director) |
| Services | Ferry operations between mainland Scotland and islands |
| Revenue | £227 million |
| £28 million | |
Net income | -£3.7 million |
| Owner | Scottish Government |
Number of employees | 1,700 (about 1,000 sea going) |
| Parent | David MacBrayne |
| Divisions | Argyll Ferries (2011 to 2019) |
| Subsidiaries | Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing (Guernsey) Ltd (employer of sea going staff) |
| Website | www |
Its predecessor, the government owned Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd, was formed in 1973 as a ferry owner and operator. In 2006 these functions were separated to meet EU requirements for competitive tendering. The company, renamed Caledonian Maritime Assets (CMAL), continued to own the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet and assets. The contract for operating Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services using these vessels was put out to open competitive tender. and CalMac Ferries Ltd was created in October 2006 as a separate company to bid for the work. CalMac was awarded the contract, as well as a later competitive procurement process, and since 1 October 2007 has operated the services.
CalMac operates 33 vessels to over 50 ports and harbours on the west coast of Scotland (CMAL owns 16 of these ports and harbours). Caledonian MacBrayne operate on average over 162,700 sailings annually. 2018 was the company's busiest in terms of passenger numbers, carrying an estimated 5,309,771 passengers.