Almost half a million paid in compensation to ferry passengers in past year alone

Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson and West of Scotland MSP Jamie Greene MSP has today said that the SNP have caused islanders to lose faith in the political system, as he revealed that CalMac have paid out compensation of almost £2 million in under ten years, including nearly half a million in the past year alone, as a result of ferry delays and cancellations.

Scottish Liberal Democrats asked CalMac to provide a breakdown of how much was paid out in customer rights claims, covering meals and accommodation, transport and compensation, as well as how many claims were made.

The breakdown shows that:

• Since 2017/18, CalMac have paid out at least £1.9 million in customer rights claims to passengers.  
• Between 1 April 2024 and 30 April 2025 alone, the compensation bill was almost half a million (£466,527), which is more than eight times as much as was paid out in the 2017/18 (£57,822).
• Between April 2023 and April 2025, there have been a total of 7,058 customer rights claims made to CalMac
• In the first two months of the 2025/26 financial year so far, CalMac have already paid out £33,792.

It comes as Scottish Liberal Democrats launched a wide-reaching consultation on the future of Scotland’s ferry services. The six-week consultation seeks views from anyone who has a stake in the ferry network, asking them to identify the key challenges facing the network and to outline how they believe these problems should be addressed.

Jamie Greene MSP said:

“The bill for cancellations and compensation is soaring because the SNP have let the Scottish ferry network deteriorate.

“The hardworking staff at CalMac have been let down by an SNP government that took control of the company and broke their promise to deliver new ferries on time and on budget, which would have reduced the massive bills we are now seeing for compensation and repairs.

“All of this has created a grim new norm for my constituents along the west coast, from losing business to missing hospital appointments.

“The SNP have caused islanders to lose faith in the entire political system, but Scottish Liberal Democrats want to restore that faith.

“That’s why we’re listening to everyone who has been messed around. Our consultation is asking for views on how we can secure a better future for Scotland’s ferries.

“Whether it’s as an islander, a marine expert, a shipbuilder or more, I am asking everyone who has a stake in the network for their views on what needs to be done to fix problems, deliver better services and end the ferries fiasco for good.”