³ÉÈËÂÛ̳

At a projected cost of £2.8 million, the MV Isle of Mull’s annual overhaul is the biggest planned spend on any ship in CalMac’s history. Like a car’s yearly MOT, the MV Isle of Mull needs to have work done to be certified safe to go back into service in four weeks’ time. Once in, dry dock work begins, including four new generators and extensive work on the bow visor. However, upon inspection, chief engineer John Wilson and his team discover more corrosion on the old ship than they had bargained for, and replacement steel sections are required to be welded into place to support the new gennies and shore up the bow visor.

Calum and Blair Morrison are a father and son born and bred in Fionnphort on Mull. They captain and crew the MV Loch Buie, which crosses back and forth between Mull and Iona up to 34 times a day in high season. Ferrying upwards of 240,000 passengers a year, the ferry is fit mostly for people on foot, as the tiny farming island operates a permit-only restriction for vehicles, keeping it pristine and as unpolluted as it can be. Unlike other ships in the fleet, this crew have an unusual start and end to their day, as they must take a dinghy to and from the ferry back to land after mooring the vessel in what can often be dangerous waters.

Just off the south west corner of Mull lies the small crofting community on the island of Iona. The island's abbey was founded by St Columba in the 6th century, and it became the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. Iona's religious community welcome different volunteers and religious groups to the island to pray, eat and work together in what they call ‘radical hospitality’. Today is changeover day, and while one group leave, an interfaith group and members of the Scottish religious leaders forum are making the four-stage journey from Glasgow by train, ferry, bus and ferry to Iona for their conference.

CalMac chief executive Robbie Drummond makes a journey to the company’s headquarters in Gourock. On the drive, he explains how stretched the fleet is and how the sheer lack of spare vessels can cripple the network when there are mechanical breakdowns and weather disruptions. However, despite the stressful nature of their jobs, Margaret and her colleagues in the contact centre still manage to look on the bright side. On the top floor, Robbie meets his executive team to run through some surprising figures, summing up the losses they will make and the bank fees they face.