MV Suilven
Encyclopedia
MV Suilven is a vehicle ferry built in 1974 and operated for 21 years by Caledonian MacBrayne
on the Ullapool
to Stornoway
route. She subsequently operated in New Zealand and later in Fiji.
and named after the mountain peak Suilven
. She was bought off the stocks in 1974 and modified for the Lewis service. She remained on the route until 1995, when she was replaced by the larger .
to Stornoway
route, a replacement for the 1964 . She operated the route for 21 years, giving two crossings per day in summer reducing, until 1979, to one in winter.
No longer required in Scotland, she was sold to Strait Shipping
, for service between the north and south islands of New Zealand. In 2004, she moved to Fiji and operates between Suva, Savusavu
(on Vanua Levu) and Taveuni
.
Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast...
on the Ullapool
Ullapool
Ullapool is a small town of around 1,300 inhabitants in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest settlement for many miles around, and is a major tourist destination of Scotland. The North Atlantic Drift passes by Ullapool, bringing moderate temperatures...
to Stornoway
Stornoway
Stornoway is a burgh on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.The town's population is around 9,000, making it the largest settlement in the Western Isles and the third largest town in the Scottish Highlands after Inverness and Fort William...
route. She subsequently operated in New Zealand and later in Fiji.
History
Suilven was the second of twins, intended for OslofjordOslofjord
The Oslofjord is a bay in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the Torbjørnskjær and Færder lighthouses and down to Langesund in the south to Oslo in the north....
and named after the mountain peak Suilven
Suilven
Suilven is one of the most distinctive mountains in Scotland. Lying in a remote area in the west of Sutherland, it rises almost vertically from a wilderness landscape of moorland, bogs and lochans known as Inverpolly National Nature Reserve....
. She was bought off the stocks in 1974 and modified for the Lewis service. She remained on the route until 1995, when she was replaced by the larger .
Design
Her original single lounge - restaurant - bar saloon was soon divided with a screen to cordon off different areas. Later in her career she was fitted with stabilisers, improving stability. Air conditioning was fitted for her service in Fiji.Service
Suilven was purchased for the UllapoolUllapool
Ullapool is a small town of around 1,300 inhabitants in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest settlement for many miles around, and is a major tourist destination of Scotland. The North Atlantic Drift passes by Ullapool, bringing moderate temperatures...
to Stornoway
Stornoway
Stornoway is a burgh on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.The town's population is around 9,000, making it the largest settlement in the Western Isles and the third largest town in the Scottish Highlands after Inverness and Fort William...
route, a replacement for the 1964 . She operated the route for 21 years, giving two crossings per day in summer reducing, until 1979, to one in winter.
No longer required in Scotland, she was sold to Strait Shipping
Strait Shipping
The New Zealand shipping firm Strait Shipping Limited operates between the North Island and the South Island ....
, for service between the north and south islands of New Zealand. In 2004, she moved to Fiji and operates between Suva, Savusavu
Savusavu
Savusavu is a town in the Fijian Province of Cakaudrove. The town is located on the south coast of Vanua Levu Island and had a population of 3,372 in the 2007 census.Savusavu is known as "the hidden paradise of Fiji."- Geography :...
(on Vanua Levu) and Taveuni
Taveuni
Taveuni is the third-largest island in Fiji, after Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, with a total land area of 435 square kilometers . The cigar-shaped island, a massive shield volcano which rises from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, is situated 6.5 kilometers to the east of Vanua Levu, across the...
.