Current situation - Craignure Ferry Terminal
Argyll and Bute Harbour Board met on 20 March 2025 and approved the completion of an Outline Business Case (OBC) and a continuation of the project to the Final Business Case (FBC) pre-construction stage costing c.£3million. The full Harbour Board report can be found here.
This next stage will develop more accurate construction costing estimates as the design and methodology become more informed. The initial construction phase projection cost of £50 million is now estimated at c.£96 million based on inflationary increases to the original 2020 estimates.
The design for the preferred option was also approved.
Update 7 September 2026
We appreciate the patience shown by communities, businesses and other stakeholders while this important stage of the project progresses. Although the appointment of the consultant team has taken longer than originally anticipated, significant work has continued in the background to support the project. The procurement process is now reaching its final stages and a further update will be provided once the outcome can be confirmed. A timeline is provided below to demonstrate what work has been carried out recently.
- Autumn 2025 to Spring 2026
The Council developed the detailed scope for the FBC commission, procurement documents and technical requirements for the next phase of the project. This work built upon the OBC and involved defining the requirements for project management, design development, stakeholder engagement, environmental work, procurement strategy and construction planning. The tender was launched in Winter 2025 and, following requests for extensions from bidders, was finally closed in February 2026.
In parallel surveys were undertaken including seabed sampling, traffic and ecological surveys that will become part of the marine licensing and planning permission applications required for the new pier in due course.
- February 2026
Tenders were received and the formal evaluation process commenced. This included assessment of technical quality, relevant experience, methodology, commercial submissions and project delivery proposals.
- Spring and Summer 2026
Following evaluation, the Council entered a detailed clarification stage with bidders. During this process officers and procurement specialists reviewed pricing assumptions, contractual amendments, scope qualifications, liability provisions and technical exclusions to ensure all bids were assessed on a consistent basis and represented the full project requirements.
- Summer 2026
In parallel with the procurement exercise, officers continued work on:
- Engagement with CMAL, CalMac and Transport Scotland through project governance arrangements;
- Asset inspections and condition monitoring of the existing Craignure infrastructure;
- Development of future project governance and reporting arrangements;
- Investigation of shore power requirements for the new Mull vessels;
- Discussions with SSEN regarding power supply requirements and delivery timescales; and
- Ongoing project development and funding discussions with key stakeholders.
Current Position
The procurement process remains in the final clarification stage. While this has taken longer than originally anticipated, the additional time reflects the importance of ensuring that the successful tenderer has priced and understood the full scope of what is a complex and high-value infrastructure project. Once appointed, the MDC will lead development of the Final Business Case, progress the design to RIBA Stage 3 and commence licences, consents and permissions required for construction.
Update 22 September 2025
Argyll and Bute Harbour Board received an update about Craignure Terminal, as part of the Marine Asset Management Plan, at its meeting of 11 September.
Officers are currently progressing with the tender to appoint management consultants who will advance the project to Final Business Case (FBC), develop the current design to RIBA Stage 3, and initiate many of the licensing requirements in preparation for the construction phase. The tender is expected to go live by November 2025, with an appointment anticipated in January 2026.
A meeting of the working group was held in September 2025, with representatives from CMAL, CalMac, and Transport Scotland sharing updates and information with the Argyll and Bute Council team. The next meeting of the Craignure Marine Infrastructure Liaison Group (CMILG) is scheduled for Tuesday 21 October, with invitations to be issued shortly.
