CONTROVERSIAL plans to relocate one of Scotland’s busiest ferry crossings have suffered a blow with islanders coming down in favour of the traditional route.

Arran’s influential Ferry Committee has said that the Ardrossan link is the “best option for travellers’ convenience, cost effectiveness and the future development of our island”.

The group, which represents the island and its business and tourism interests on transportation issues, said it had met with both rival bidders for the service but had now written to ministers voicing support for the current route.

Read more: Troon Port's bid to pinch Ardrossan ferry link to Troon hits choppy waters

The move comes a fortnight after campaigners for the Ardrossan link claimed a relocation to Troon would cost the public purse almost £170million during the lifetime of the ferry contract.

Ardrossan is campaigning to retain the 180-year-old service amid attempts by Associated British Ports (ABP) to shift it to Troon, around 15 miles further south.

APB recently lost a service to Northern Ireland from the affluent South Ayrshire town and has promised to invest £8m if the Arran service is transferred to the mothballed Troon port.

It has continually said the port offers a more reliable service which would not be subjected to the same level of weather-related cancellations.

But it has now emerged that the chairman of the Arran Ferry Committee (AFC) has written to transport minister Humza Yousaf in support of Ardrossan.

Read more: Troon Port's bid to pinch Ardrossan ferry link to Troon hits choppy waters

Iain Thomson’s letter, supported by leading business figures on the island, states that Troon would “require longer journey times at a higher cost which would extend the working day and potentially limit the viability to extend the number of sailings”.

Mr Thomson said: “The AFC has undertaken extensive consultation with representatives from both port authorities and thoroughly assessed all of the information presented to us.

“Following this process, we are formally registering our support to retain the Ardrossan link as the best option for travellers’ convenience, cost effectiveness and the future development of our island. We hope our position is reflected by the transport minister as part of his decision making process.”

Read more: Troon Port's bid to pinch Ardrossan ferry link to Troon hits choppy waters

The committee claimed that the current Brodick to Ardrossan service, which operates 4,700 sailings per year, was only affected by a “weather related failure rate of 3.6 per cent.” and highlights that, on days where no service at all was provided, CalMac’s entire network was impacted and “therefore the decision not to sail could be related to comfort and safety of passengers rather than the port.”

Mr Thomson said a crucial factor in the decision was the promise by harbour operator Peel Ports to invest in a multi-million pound upgrade to infrastructure and the Scottish Government’s pledge to spend £48m on a new vessel to be rolled out in 2018, which is anticipated to “address some of the current restrictions having been designed for the Ardrossan Route.”

The intervention of the AFC comes just days after ABP announced it had presented the group with figures which show that almost 300 cancellations, around one in 16 sailings, were due in the main to Ardrossan’s inability to cope with poor weather.

A spokesman for ABP said: “Troon is better value for the taxpayer. Troon is more reliable. Above all, Troon is better for Arran.”