Highland Council has begun procurement for a new electric ferry for the Corran crossing, opening a significant public-sector contract while advancing a wider programme to modernise one of Scotland’s busiest single-vessel routes.

The development, reported by BBC News, follows the formal launch of a tender for the detailed design and construction of a new electric roll-on/roll-off passenger and vehicle ferry. The Council expects to award the contract in March 2027, with the replacement vessel anticipated to enter service in early 2029.

The project is being delivered through a £58 million investment under the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal. The funding includes £28 million from the Scottish Government for the new vessel, £20 million from the UK Government and £10 million from Highland Council for supporting landside infrastructure. The investment is intended to improve the reliability and long-term resilience of the Corran service.

For National Procurement, the tender provides a useful example of how public contracts can combine the immediate requirement for an asset with wider economic, environmental and community objectives. The official procurement notice confirms that Highland Council is seeking a sole supplier for the vessel, with quality weighted at 65% and price at 35%. The contract is being run as an open procedure, with tenders due by 10 November 2026.

The procurement also extends beyond the ferry itself. New slipways, berthing facilities, marshalling areas and charging infrastructure are being developed to support the electric vessel. Highland Council’s infrastructure programme says the wider works are designed to modernise the service, improve accessibility and support the transition to low-carbon transport.

The procurement has a strong supply-chain dimension too. The Council is using the project to pursue wider community benefits, including employment, apprenticeships, work experience, local economic development and carbon reduction. This creates potential opportunities beyond the principal shipbuilding contract, particularly for engineering, electrical, infrastructure and specialist marine suppliers.

The existing MV Corran will remain as a relief vessel once the new ferry enters service, while the 51-year-old Maid of Glencoul is expected to be retired. The combination of a new primary vessel and upgraded shore infrastructure should give the Council greater operational resilience while supporting the economic connectivity of communities and businesses around the Corran Narrows.

For the sector, the project shows how strategic public procurement can deliver more than a replacement asset. By combining quality-led tendering with infrastructure investment, community benefits and low-carbon objectives, Highland Council is creating a procurement model that connects transport resilience with longer-term economic and environmental value.

Source: BBC News / Highland Council / Sell2Wales