MV Bute

She is the seventh Clyde ship to bear the name Bute and Calmac's first ferry built outside the UK since the in 1974. There was much dissent over the decision to order a new ferry from outside the UK. Launched in Poland, she sailed for Scotland, arriving in Gourock on 28 June 2005. After successful berthing trials, she entered service on 11 July. ==Layout==

Bute has a semi-open car deck with a clearance height of . Like the before her, she has bow and stern access. In addition she has a starboard vehicle ramp aft, which was used at Rothesay before the pier was converted to allow end-loading. Passenger accommodation is on two levels: the first housing forward and aft lounges with a kiosk area and toilets between, while the second level is open deck space from the twin funnels to just forward of the bridge. The bridge sits on its own perch above the open deck. A single lift connects the car deck with the lounge. Bute has Azimuth thruster units with engine-driven propellers, by means of a cardan shaft, mounted on a steerable pod, protruding beneath the hull. These made her harder to position at piers than her predecessors with Voith Schneider Propellers and led to delays in the first season. ==Service==

in 2019 Bute operates the route between Wemyss Bay and Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, along with her sister ship . Being more manoeuvrable than the new vessels, the streakers and returned to provide the service during work to build a new end-loading linkspan at Rothesay pier in 2007. ==Footnotes==