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Community connection
Discover the story of CalMac Ferries , Scotland ’ s leading ferry operator
Standing as the UK ’ s largest ferry operator , CalMac Ferries Ltd ( CalMac ) runs 29 routes to over 50 destinations , spanning 200 miles of Scotland ’ s West Coast . With a fleet of 33 vessels , CalMac completes on average 162,750 sailings per year , lasting from five minutes to seven hours . CalMac provides an everyday lifeline service to West Coast communities , and plays a critical role in enabling regional development , and driving the local economy through enhanced tourism .
Though its journey as CalMac did not begin until 2006 , the original company , Caledonian MacBrayne , has a long history dating back over 160 years . Indeed , Caledonian MacBrayne was established in 1851 as a steamer company by David MacBrayne and the Hutcheson brothers , operating under the name David Hutcheson & Co . The company ’ s primary activities were between Glasgow , through the Crinan Canal , to Oban and Fort William and further along the Caledonian Canal to Inverness . However , in the late 1870s , the Hutcheson brothers retired , leaving the company in the hands of David . The organization continued to expand over the following decade with a mail run to Islay , Harris , and North Uist from Skye , as well as an Outer Isles run from Oban to Barra and South Uist .
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