Ferguson Marine has completed the first official engine start on Glen Rosa, the ferry being built at its Port Glasgow yard, with the shipyard now looking ahead to dry docking and sea trials, the company has said.

Announcing the milestone, the yard said the vessel had “officially came to life” this week following meticulous assembly, welding and the complex routing of 270,000 metres of internal cabling. In shipbuilding, the company said, “they say a vessel isn’t truly a ship until her heart beats for the first time”, and seeing the fuel, water and automation systems work together was a testament to “incredible Clydebuilt craftsmanship” and the dedication of the Port Glasgow workforce.

With the engine now run for the first time, Ferguson Marine said it was looking ahead to the vessel going into dry dock soon and then out into open water for sea trials, the final phase before a ship is handed over to its operator.

Glen Rosa is the second of two dual-fuel ferries ordered for the state-owned operator Caledonian MacBrayne to serve Scotland’s west coast routes. Originally designated Hull 802, the ship was renamed Glen Rosa and launched in 2024, and the first engine start marks one of the more significant practical steps towards getting her into service on the Arran route she is intended to serve.

The first of the two vessels, Glen Sannox, entered service in early 2025, leaving Glen Rosa as the last of the pair still to be completed at the Clyde yard, which was brought into public ownership in 2019 and is now operated by the Scottish Government.

George Allison
George Allison
George Allison is the founder and editor of the UK Defence Journal. He holds a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and specialises in naval and cyber security topics. George has appeared on national radio and television to provide commentary on defence and security issues. Twitter: @geoallison
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