FIVE lifeline ferry services have been suspended while another recovers from a breakdown of one of CalMac's ageing fleet, as Storm Corrie hits Scotland.

Services to and from Islay have been badly hit since Friday due to the breakdown of the 12-year-old MV Finlaggan. Repairs to its starboard main engine were said to have been successful but there was still disruption to services on Sunday.

That comes five months after CalMac apologised after services were cancelled due to problems with Finlaggan's turbo charger.

Of the five services that were suspended due to the weather by Sunday afternoon, two involve some of Scotland's busiest island ferry routes to and from Brodick on Arran and to and from Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. The 9.45am trip was the final sailing of the day to Arran.

The vital 10.30pm freight sailing from Stornoway has also been cancelled.

There were further cancellations due to the weather on services to and from the alternative Arran sailing to Lochranza.

Services between Ardmhor on the Isle of Barra and the island of Eriskay were cancelled due to "adverse weather". "Essential works" to the ramps of the 15-year-old MV Loch Alainn which serves the route have been postponed due to the weather.

Other services that were suspended by Sunday afternoon because of stormy weather included the Isle of Berneray to Leverburgh on Harris and the mainland link between Mallaig, Lochaber and Armadale, West Lothian.

Also suffering one or more trip disruptions were services to and from Castlebay on Barra, Coll and Tiree, Uig on Skye, Isle of Lismore, Craignure on Mull and the 'small isles' of Eigg, Muck, Rum and Canna.

Services to and from South Uist which have been suspended since January 3, when the timetable was brought in, remain offline.

CalMac has previously said that the Mallaig to Lochboisdale service will remain cancelled due to "vessel availability" being impacted by "emergent steelwork repairs" on the 29-year-old MV Caledonian Isles discovered while it was undergoing an overhaul.

Video: MV Finlaggan's construction and arrival on Islay

One islander who had been on the mainland to collected sheep to add to a breeding flock told the Herald on Saturday said that the on-going breakdown of the only ship serving Islay was a "big challenge".

"I left Islay on Friday afternoon and Finlaggan developed a severe engine problem on the way over and remains broken down because of a severe problem with a main engine," said the islander who had been later scheduled to get a 7.30am sailing on Sunday.

"There is no 'back door' route from the mainland for alternative smaller vessel service to Islay. "The large and increasing volume of traffic means Islay is due to get the next two large vessels for the Calmac fleet, but the ports also require major upgrades."

In 2019, distillers on Islay said they were facing major problems in transporting whisky over to the Scottish mainland because of a capacity crisis on the ferry links.

At the end of July, sailings to and from Colonsay and Islay were cancelled after an engine fuel pump problem meant the MV Hebridean Isles was forced out of action leading to cancellations to services which was expected to last into two days.

A technical issue with Finlaggan caused cancellations in early June.

CalMac said at the time it was the result of the vessel striking something in the water and it had to be checked for damage.