52-692: Aran Island may refer to several places: Arranmore or Aran Island, off the coast of County Donegal in Ireland Aran Islands , three islands in Galway Bay in Ireland Isle of Arran , one of the islands of the lower Firth of Clyde in Scotland Arran Island , New Zealand See also [ edit ] Aran (disambiguation) [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
104-408: A manual switchboard to an ISDN -enabled system, which had to be upgraded within weeks due to massive demand for consumer phone lines, as the previous exchange had been limited to issuing numbers to business ventures only, and only had 47 internal lines. It relies mostly on tourism for its income ( fishing was the island's mainstay up to the 1980s but is no longer a significant industry), as well as
156-433: A purpose-built fire engine designed for smaller roads in 2005, but has since been deemed sub-standard with a modern station required. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station on the island is equipped with the largest class of vessel the service has, a Severn class lifeboat . There has been an RNLI presence on the island since 1883, with the station having moved from Aphort to Leabgarrow and most recently to
208-616: A purpose-built station at Poolawaddy in 1997. The crews of the station have been involved in some major rescues over the years, including that of the SS Stolwijk , for which the crew received medals from both the RNLI and the Dutch state. A monument to this rescue was unveiled in 2017. A helipad was constructed in Aphort in the early 2000s which can land a Sikorsky S-92 aircraft as used by
260-752: A ten-year contract to provide a lifeline service to Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland . This service continued until 2008, when CalMac lost the tender. Various versions of a local poem (based loosely on Psalm 24) refer to MacBrayne's long dominance of Hebridean sailings: The Earth belongs unto the Lord And all that it contains Except the Kyles and the Western Isles And they are all MacBrayne's Several groups have proposed privatising
312-560: Is MV Loch Seaforth at 116 m (381 ft) in length. MV Finlaggan is almost 90 m (295 ft) long and able to carry 550 passengers with 88 cars. She was built in Poland at a cost of £24.5 million and operates the Islay service. The others are MV Isle of Lewis , MV Clansman , MV Hebrides , MV Caledonian Isles , MV Isle of Mull , MV Isle of Arran and MV Lord of
364-500: Is a relay Saorview site used by 2RN and Highland Radio to provide coverage to the island and much of The Rosses which are shielded by mountains from the main transmissions. Two towers exist, the smaller of which belongs to Highland Radio, and the significantly larger to 2RN. The EIRP of the Saorview multiplexes are, at 4 kW, amongst the highest of any relay station. The site is 125 metres (410 feet ) above sea level , with
416-528: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Arranmore Árainn Mhór ( English name: Arranmore ) is an island off the west coast of County Donegal in Ulster , the northern province in Ireland. Arranmore is the largest inhabited island of County Donegal, with a population of 478 in 2022, but has had a gradually falling native population since
468-646: 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 . 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
520-756: 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 35 ferries, with one, MV Glen Sannox , currently undergoing crew familiarisation and harbour berthing trials ahead of being introduced into service. A further 5 vessels are currently under construction for
572-728: The Caledonian Steam Packet Company . Their funnels were painted yellow with a black top. At the same time, the North British Railway fleet became part of the London and North Eastern Railway (which built the PS ; Waverley in 1947). With nationalisation in 1948, the LMS and LNER fleets were amalgamated under British Railways with the name Clyde Shipping Services . In 1957, a reorganisation restored
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#1732772278397624-642: The Firth of Clyde through the Crinan Canal to Oban and Fort William , and on through the Caledonian Canal to Inverness . Services were later added to Islay and the Outer Hebrides . In 1928, the company ran into financial difficulties, and the business was acquired by Coast Lines and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS Railway). In 1948, the shares in the company owned by
676-699: The Irish Coast Guard . A HSE and previously North Western Health Board ambulance has been based at Arranmore Health Centre for a similar length of time; but has frequently been inoperable. Second-hand vehicles were cascaded to the Health Centre in 2009 and again in 2015 to restore service. Patients are transferred to either the RNLI Lifeboat or Irish Coast Guard helicopter at Leabgarrow or Aphort as required; or can be brought by ferry in non-urgent cases. The Arranmore Island transmitter
728-669: The North British Railway and the Glasgow and South Western Railway . It extended its line to bypass the G&;SW's Prince's Pier at Greenock and continue on to the fishing village of Gourock , where they had purchased the harbour. After years of fierce competition between all the fleets, the Caledonian and G&SW were merged in 1923 into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and their fleets were amalgamated into
780-530: The O'Donnells '. In 2019, islanders wrote open letters to the United States and Australia, asking people to consider moving to the island. They encouraged both populations to come to the less crowded island and enjoy "time for living". In 2022, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , the island became a refuge for Ukrainian refugees who were resettled in Ireland. There are 469 people living on Arranmore and 62% are native Irish speakers. During
832-486: The Royal Bank of Scotland named NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries won the tender for the subsidised Northern Isles services, previously run by P&O Scottish Ferries , commencing in 2002. The ambitious programme ran into financial difficulties, and the service was again put out to tender. Caledonian MacBrayne won this tender, and formed a separate company called NorthLink Ferries Limited which began operating
884-682: The 1990s. Its main settlement is Leabgarrow . The island is part of the Gaeltacht , with most of the inhabitants speaking Ulster Irish . It is also known in English as Aran Island (not to be confused with the Aran Islands off Galway Bay or the Scottish Isle of Arran ). In Irish it was traditionally called Árainn ; the adjective mór (large) was added fairly recently. It was also sometimes called Árainn Uí Dhomhnaill , 'Aran of
936-420: The 2RN antenna standing at 45 metres (148 feet). FM radio services are also carried. Three Ireland and Vodafone Ireland have LTE equipment on the 2RN mast, with Eir (telecommunications) having 3G equipment. FM radio Saorview The island is twinned with Beaver Island , an island in northern Lake Michigan where a large number of former residents gathered after being evicted from Arranmore in
988-628: The Arran service) was launched on 21 November 2017, handed over in November 2024, and expected to enter service in early 2025. Repeated delays saw the delivery date of the second, MV Glen Rosa (the second Arran ferry) slip to September 2025. A £91 million contract to build two ferries for the Islay service was awarded to Cemre Shipyard in Turkey in March 2022. The first steel for two ferries
1040-579: The CSP name, and in 1965 a red lion was added to each side of the black-topped yellow funnels. The headquarters remained at Gourock pierhead. At the end of December 1968, management of the CSP passed to the Scottish Transport Group , which gained control of MacBrayne's the following June. The MacBrayne service from Gourock to Ardrishaig ended on 30 September 1969, leaving the Clyde entirely to
1092-518: The CSP. On 1 January 1973, the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. acquired most of the ships and routes of MacBrayne's and commenced joint Clyde and West Highland operations under the new name of Caledonian MacBrayne, with a combined headquarters at Gourock. Funnels were now painted red with a black top, and a yellow circle at the side of the funnel featuring the red Caledonian lion. In 1974, a new car ferry service from Gourock to Dunoon
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#17327722783971144-680: The Clyde: MV ; Chieftain is leased from I'm Clyde Marine Services for the Gourock to Kilcreggan service. MV Alfred is a catamaran ferry owned by Pentland Ferries , currently on charter to CalMac for the Arran service. The smallest vessel in the fleet is MV Carvoria , built in Shetland for the Kerrera route. The first of two dual fuel ferries under construction by Ferguson Marine Engineering , Glen Sannox (for
1196-602: The College of Arranmore. The island lies 5 km (3 mi) off Burtonport , a small coastal village in The Rosses . The island is served by two ferry services, which operate between Arranmore and Burtonport on the mainland. The two operators make use of vessels previously built for the Scottish ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), allowing both to carry passengers, cars, and heavy-goods vehicles. Most of
1248-598: The Gourock to Dunoon, and Rathlin to Ballycastle services. Following a European Commission decision not to subsidise a passenger and vehicle service, the route was again put out to tender. In May 2011, Argyll Ferries Ltd , a newly formed subsidiary of David MacBrayne, was named as the preferred bidder for a passenger-only Dunoon-Gourock service. The timetable was extended into the early hours at weekends, with additional sailings integrated with rail services. Two passenger-only ferries, MV Ali Cat and MV Argyll Flyer (formerly MV Banrion Chonomara ), were arranged for
1300-569: The Isles . The tenth "major unit", MV Glen Sannox , due to enter service on the Troon-Brodick route in early 2025, was handed over to Calmac on 21 November 2024, and is now undergoing crew familiarisation and harbour berthing trials. There are 13 "Loch Class" vessels in different shapes and sizes. These double-ended ferries are mostly symmetrical when viewed from the side, with no operational bow or stern (although in official documents
1352-640: The LMS Railway passed to the British Transport Commission , thus partially nationalising it. In July 1969, Coast Line's 50% shareholding passed into state ownership, so that the company became wholly nationalised, and all the shares were transferred to the state-owned Scottish Transport Group . The Caledonian Railway at first used the services of various early private operators of Clyde steamers , then began operating steamers on its own account on 1 January 1889 to compete better with
1404-675: The Lewis community, particularly the Lord's Day Observance Society and the Free Church of Scotland . However, CalMac stated that EU equality legislation made it unlawful to refuse a service to the whole community because of the religious beliefs of a part of it. During the COVID-19 pandemic , CalMac operated a much reduced timetable. From 22 March 2020, they provided a turn up and go service to ensure essential goods and services were delivered to
1456-677: The Northern Isles ferry service on 6 July 2006. On 29 May 2012, NorthLink Ferries Ltd lost the contract for provision of the Northern Isles ferry services to Serco . To meet the requirements of a European Union guideline on state aid to maritime transport, the company's routes were put out to open tender. To enable competitive bidding on an equal basis, Caledonian MacBrayne was split into two separate companies on 1 October 2006. Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) retained ownership of CalMac vessels and infrastructure, including harbours, while CalMac Ferries Ltd submitted tenders to be
1508-953: The Uig triangle, with Lord of the Isles and Isle of Arran providing services to Lochboisdale, Coll/Tiree and Colonsay from Oban. Hebridean Isles operated to Arran (22 April – 2 May) and Islay (27 May – 2 June) while Caledonian Isles and Finlaggan were out of service. Unused vessels were laid up: Hebridean Isles in Campbeltown; Coruisk at Craignure; Loch Riddon , Loch Linnhe and Loch Fyne at Sandbank; Loch Bhrusda in Mallaig (covered Sound of Barra service while Loch Alainn in Troon); Argyle and Isle of Cumbrae in Rothesay and Isle of Arran in Troon. 31 of
1560-643: The block of routes, but CalMac retained all its existing routes. During September 2006, David MacBrayne Group Ltd acquired the entire share capital of CalMac Ferries Ltd. Thus, from leaving the hands of David MacBrayne 78 years earlier in 1928, the west coast ferry service returned to the fold in 2006, vastly enlarged. At the time, no bids were made for the separate Gourock–Dunoon route and the service continued as before. In August 2006, David MacBrayne Group Ltd directed two of its subsidiary companies, Cowal Ferries Ltd and Rathlin Ferries Ltd, to take over operation of
1612-666: The designation of such is given). MV Loch Portain is able to handle Force 7 gales and carry 36 cars and 149 passengers, with a crew of five. A new "super loch", MV Loch Shira , entered service in 2007 on the Largs – Cumbrae route. Similar in outward appearance to the Loch Class vessels are the three diesel-electric ferries built by Ferguson Marine Engineering : MV Hallaig (2013; for Raasay ), MV Lochinvar (2013; for Tarbert ) and MV Catriona (2015; for Lochranza ). MV Lochnevis (2000)
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1664-452: The ferry operator. Their bid for the main bundle, Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services , succeeded and on 1 October 2007 CalMac Ferries Ltd began operating these services on a six-year contract. The Gourock to Dunoon service was the subject of a separate tender, but no formal bids were made. In an interim arrangement, CalMac Ferries Ltd continued to provide a subsidised service on this route, until 29 June 2011, when Argyll Ferries took over
1716-460: The fleet. The company serves over 50 ports and harbours on the west coast of Scotland, with CMAL owning 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. MacBrayne's, initially known as David Hutcheson & Co., began in 1851 as a private steamship operator when G. and J. Burns , operators of
1768-405: The island did not previously have. 3 have produced a major marketing campaign "The Island" based on this. The island has a purpose-built An Post post office . Despite the population falling below the 500 level which An Post's 2018 review required, all island post offices have been retained. The island has had a based fire engine since the 1980s. A new fire station was built and supplied with
1820-580: The islands. There were no reservations and no onboard retail facilities. Timetables were modified to meet local needs, with occasional additional crossings and extended layovers. The Portavadie, Campbeltown and Armadale services were cancelled. Crossing frequencies were reduced on other routes, with single vessels at Rothesay, Largs and Kennacraig. On the smaller vessels, vehicle occupants were required to remain in their vehicle. Until Hebrides returned from dry dock in Liverpool, Clansman remained on
1872-419: The largest of the Clyde fleets, decided to concentrate on coastal and transatlantic services and handed control of their river and Highland steamers to a new company in which Hutcheson, their manager of these services, became senior partner. One of the other partners was David MacBrayne (1817–1907), nephew of Messrs. Burns. In 1878, the company passed to David MacBrayne. Their main route went from Glasgow down
1924-541: The local government began trying to entice Americans and Australians to move to the island. The island was the first offshore island in Ireland to get electricity from the Rural Electrification Scheme , run by the E.S.B. , in 1957, but was amongst the last places in the country to get universally reliable piped water (in 1973–75) and an automatic phone exchange (in 1986). It went directly from
1976-637: The mid-1800s. There are still today a number of families on Beaver Island that trace their roots to Arranmore. A monument to the twinning has been placed in the island's main reservoir. The Donegal band Goats Don't Shave released a track entitled Arranmore on their 1994 album "Out In The Open", which references the island's history of emigration and the North West Donegal "Tunnel Tigers", many of which came from Arranmore Caledonian MacBrayne Caledonian MacBrayne ( Scottish Gaelic : Caledonian Mac a' Bhriuthainn ), in short form CalMac ,
2028-468: The population lives along the southern and (comparatively sheltered) eastern coast, where the main village, Leabgarrow ( Irish : Leadhb Gharbh ), is located. The island has been settled since pre-Celtic times, and the few remaining signs of early settlement include a promontory fort to the south of the island and shell middens dotted along the beaches. Its position near the Atlantic shipping lanes
2080-590: The run. When the service began on 30 June 2011, preparation of the Argyll Flyer was incomplete, and as an interim measure the cruise boat MV Clyde Clipper was leased from Clyde Cruises. Argyll Ferries was incorporated into Caledonian MacBrayne on 21 January 2019. On 14 July 2009, it was announced that CalMac would begin Sunday sailings to Stornoway on Lewis from Sunday 19 July. These had historically faced strong opposition from Sabbatarian elements in
2132-429: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aran_Island&oldid=1173547067 " Category : Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
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2184-484: The second vessel following in the second quarter of 2025. In October 2022 it was announced that two further vessels would be built to a very similar specification as the ferries under construction for Islay. CMAL signed a contract in January 2023 for Cemre Shipyard to also build the two ferries, which would allow a dedicated, peak season services to Tarbert and Lochmaddy from Uig and provide additional resilience in
2236-527: The service, and there has been a long commercial and political struggle with a privately owned company, Western Ferries , which has run a rival unsubsidised service from Gourock to Hunters Quay (near Dunoon ) since 1973. In 2005, the Scottish Executive put the collective Hebrides routes out to competitive tender, with the Dunoon route being a separate tender. Some island and union groups opposed
2288-521: The service. The company enjoys a de facto monopoly on the shipment of freight and vehicles to the islands, and competes for passenger traffic with a number of aircraft services of varying quality and reliability. Nonetheless, few if any of the routes currently operated by CalMac are profitable, and the company receives significant government subsidies due to its vital role in supplying the islands: these routes are classified as "lifeline" services. In 1996, CalMac opened its first route outside Scotland, winning
2340-482: The summer, students of all ages from all over Ireland travel to the island for a 3-week holiday. It is a very popular way of meeting new people and also learning the Irish language. Students attend school during the day and play games and ceilí dance in the evenings. They are taught about the Irish language through Irish. Irish must be spoken at all times. The college on Arranmore is known as Coláiste Árainn Mhóir , meaning
2392-500: The tendering process, fearing it would lead to cuts in services and could be a prelude to full privatisation. During the tendering period, the company of David MacBrayne Ltd, which had been legally dormant for many years, was re-activated on 4 July 2006. David MacBrayne Group Ltd acquired the full share capital of NorthLink Ferries Ltd , and took over operations of the NorthLink routes on 6 July 2006. Three operators submitted bids for
2444-399: The traditional Gaeltacht summer schools. In recent years, a local development co-op has encouraged the development of other industries on the island, such as a call centre and teacher training for Irish teachers. The island's many lakes provide rod fishing opportunities. A co-working facility was opened in 2019 in partnership with 3 Ireland , providing high-speed internet access which
2496-419: The vessels operated by CalMac, plus MV Glen Sannox , are owned by the asset holding company CMAL. Two ferries, MV Ali Cat and MV Argyll Flyer , are directly owned by CalMac, and a further two, MV Alfred and MV Chieftain , are on charter from other owners. Of the vessel, ten can be categorised as "major units" – ships of 80 m (262 ft) or more in length. The largest
2548-408: Was cut at a ceremony in Turkey in October 2022, with the second vessel's being done in January 2023, in the same week as the first vessel's keel was laid. In May 2023, the same week as the second vessel's keel was laid, it was announced that these ferries would be named MV Isle of Islay and MV Loch Indaal . Isle of Islay is expected to be delivered by the first quarter of 2025, with
2600-623: Was designed for the Small Isles service. MV Bute (2005) and MV Argyle (2007), both built in Gdańsk , are on the Wemyss Bay – Rothesay route. In 2022, a Norwegian ferry was purchased for the Mull service; after modification it entered service as MV Loch Frisa . MV Ali Cat , MV Argyll Flyer and MV Chieftain are passenger-only vessels that operate on
2652-415: Was exploited, with a coast guard station and a lighthouse positioned on the most north-westerly point, and a World War II monitoring post. The permanent population is 478, but this rises to well over 1,000 during the summer. A large proportion of the housing stock is holiday homes , with both native islanders and their descendants, as well as nonlocals. Due to the long decline in population, in 2019,
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#17327722783972704-620: Was introduced with the ferries MV Jupiter and MV Juno . In 1990, the ferry business was spun off as a separate company, keeping the Caledonian MacBrayne brand, and shares were issued in the company. All shares were owned by the state, first in the person of the Secretary of State for Scotland , and (after devolution ) by the Scottish Government. A joint venture between Caledonian MacBrayne and
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