Scotland’s Transport Secretary has confirmed that the government is in negotiations with Peel Ports to acquire Ardrossan Harbour.

Finance has been made available in the Scottish budget and today Fiona Hyslop updated MSPs in Parliament.

“I have instructed Transport Scotland and CMAL to progress discussions about the potential purchase of Ardrossan Harbour by the Scottish Government,” she said.

The harbour faces an uncertain future because two new ferries that will operate CalMac’s Arran route are too big to fit. MV Glen Sannox, which enters service next week, is sailing from Troon.

Ardrossan will then be left with no scheduled CalMac sailings until the old Arran vessel, MV Caledonian Isles, returns from repairs in March.

Kevin Hobbs, chief executive of government-owned ferries and harbours body CMAL, recently said talks with Peel Ports were “in the middle of nowhere”.

Today Jim McSporran, port director at Peel Ports Clydeport, said: “Peel Ports Group welcomes the Scottish Government’s statement that it intends to explore the potential purchase of Ardrossan Harbour.

“Since being confirmed by Scottish Ministers in 2017 as the preferred route to serve Arran, we have remained fully supportive of its redevelopment, spending several million to maintain the critical service and designing and securing necessary consents required for the harbours redevelopment.

“It is important to clarify that despite repeated and incorrect reports, at no point has Peel Ports Group… received or spent ‘millions of pounds’ of public funds to upgrade the harbour during its ownership.

“Regardless of the outcome of this process, our willingness to invest in the harbour remains steadfast. We take comfort that the port continues to operate this lifeline route and that it remains the port of choice for the people and businesses of Arran and Ardrossan.”

An upgrade of Ardrossan Harbour was given the go-ahead in 2018 by then transport minister Humza Yousaf who promised the North Ayrshire town would remain the main gateway to Arran.

But Transport Scotland paused the project in 2023 amid rising costs, and said a new business case would be developed.

Today’s announcement was welcomed by SNP MSP Ken Gibson, while Labour MSP Katy Clark said the move was “long overdue”.

Mr Gibson said: “This is great news for Ardrossan and Arran. Many of the issues which have plagued progress on the redevelopment project have stemmed from private ownership of the port. 

“Public ownership will strip away the red tape that has been holding back redevelopment for far too long – and the Cabinet Secretary is to be congratulated for breaking the logjam.  

“We still need to see these talks reach a positive outcome with the current owners Peel Ports, as well as North Ayrshire Council.  

“This announcement, combined with the confirmation that money has been made available in this year’s Scottish Budget for not only the redevelopment, but the potential purchase of Ardrossan Harbour will be a huge step in the right direction for the area.

“I urge all MSPs to back the budget to ensure the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour becomes a reality.”

Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Greene said: “Only the SNP could be six years late delivering a ferry and still not have upgraded the harbour it’s meant to sail from. 

“Humza Yousaf promised to upgrade Ardrossan harbour in 2018, but seven years later the project is still in limbo, and SNP ministers are only now looking into buying this run-down site in an act of desperation. 

“This is an appalling way to treat local businesses who are being hammered by the lack of ferry traffic. Rather than months of negotiations and more delays, ministers should do the right thing and deliver a harbour that’s fit for the future. 

“SNP ministers have run our ferry services into the ground and abandoned our West Coast communities, and it will still be years before vessels can set sail from this key harbour.”