Glenelg-Kylerhea ferry back in service after major refit
Written by MartyM on 5 April 2026
By Jamie McDonald
The Glenelg-Kylerhea ferry has returned to service for the season.
The MV Glenachullish has had major work done over the winter with a full refit of the engine carried out at Kishorn.
“There’s a great deal of excitement when the ferry comes back because it changes the place.” – Jo Crawford, CEO of the Isle of Skye Ferry Community Interest Company
The vessel was built in 1969 and is the world’s last manually operated turntable ferry. At 18 metres, she can take up to six cars for the crossing between Skye and the mainland.
Speaking to Radio Skye on the first day of the season, Skipper Donnie MacDonald said it’s good to be back:
“We’re a bit rusty but we’re getting there.
“The boat has had a complete refit of the engine and all the damage has been repaired as well.
“I’ve been doing this nearly 25 years. I started off doing the ropes when I was in school on my holidays.”
The weather for the first crossing was particularly dreich. But that didn’t dampen the spirits. Donnie’s trusty collie Spot was on hand to help out too.
Skipper Donnie MacDonald
Jo Crawford is CEO of the Isle of Skye Ferry Community Interest Company. She said:
“It’s the biggest overhaul in 20 years of community ownership. We’ve had a major engine overhaul which requires stripping down the original Kelvin T6 engine and replacing everything and getting it all sorted out and then rebuilding it. We’ve also done lots of welding and taken out big patches of the hull that were thinning over the years and replacing them with new bits. It’s been really tough and very expensive.”
Trust crew member Spot
Despite the cost of the repairs, Jo said it has all been worth it:
“It’s all part of the preservation of this historic ferry. It’s an old boat and it’s going to need a lot of TLC. Some years more than others!
“Glenelg is a one road in, one road out community so without the onward journey that the ferry provides, we would have far fewer visitors and that in turn supports our local businesses like the community owned shop, the hotel, other accommodation providers, and the brewery. These things all thrive because of the amount of people that come and that’s down to the ferry service.
“For local people, there’s a great deal of excitement when the ferry comes back because it changes the place. It makes it more vibrant. It means you can get to the supermarket and it’s only a 10 mile journey as opposed to a 50 mile round-trip so it makes life just a little bit more vibrant and a little bit easier for local people.”
The crew at work
Piper Roddy Shanks did the honours as the boat came alongside at Glenelg for the first time this year. The Skye Boat Song rang out across the Strait.
Piper Roddy Shanks
Donald Shanks is Chair of the Board of Directors for the organisation. He said:
"It's good to see the boat back in the water. The lads have worked very hard.
"It's the only way to travel to Skye!"
Listen to Jamie McDonald's report on the first day of sailing below.
