What the reasons were for the announcement by Caledonian MacBrayne that the new Islay ferry cannot be accommodated at Port Ellen.

As the owners of the Port Ellen pier, Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd is committed to keeping all interested parties informed about the future use of the Port Ellen pier and, in particular, its ability to accommodate the new vessel that is due to be introduced in 2011.
Although it was initially thought that the new vessel could use the facilities at Port Ellen, subsequent detailed work indicated that the vessel ramp would not be aligned with the existing ageing linkspan. Once that became apparent, Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd made that information publicly available and has continued to consult local interested parties about the development of options for major improvements to berthing and passenger facilities at Port Ellen. Indeed, the company held further public meetings on Islay on 9 March 2009 and in Tarbert on 10 March 2009 as part of its commitment to keep interested parties informed.