Argyll And Bute Council has announced that work to protect the long-term integrity of the quay wall at Rothesay Ferry Terminal has been delayed by up to four weeks.

The works had been due to begin in September, however, due to an extended period for contractor off-site fabrication and design, the start date for the works has been delayed by approximately four weeks. An amended start date and contract duration will be announced in due course.

An £833,000 contract has been awarded to contractor Lochshell Engineering for the project, which will see a series of protective screens installed. The 'scour baffle screens' measure 8m wide x 5.6m high and will minimise the effects of propeller wash which currently affects the masonry quay wall located beneath and to the rear of the suspended deck of the ferry berth.

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The work will mostly be carried out overnight to minimise disruption to ferry services.

Councillor Ellen Morton, Depute Policy Lead for Roads and Amenity Services, said: "This work represents a large investment in securing the future of Rothesay Ferry Terminal for generations to come. In the short-term there will be some changes to ferry services, but we have done everything we can to minimise this, including by having the work carried out at night. Rothesay relies on the terminal and this vital work will ensure it can continue to support the lives of residents and businesses, as well as serving the tourist industry."

Ferry operator CalMac's Director of Service Delivery, David Gibson, said: "The nature of this work means it will be necessary to run a slightly amended timetable during this period. Due to one of the two vessels that service this route having to berth overnight elsewhere during this work, the second sailing departing Rothesay and second last sailing departing Wemyss Bay will be cancelled. This is to allow the vessel to reposition. With the exception of key events or local holidays, our analysis show that there will be sufficient capacity remaining throughout the day. However, we have negotiated access to the overnight berth during local holiday events to ensure capacity is maximised on the occasions where it is most required. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause but the short-term change to services are necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the terminal."