And breathe.

We have done it. The ferry is staying where it belongs.

For six long months I have been working on ferry story after ferry story.

And when the news came through last week that it was officially staying in Ardrossan, I wasn’t in the office.

In true comedy fashion I ran (hobbled, I have a bad knee) from Asda round the corner from the office and scrambled to get the news out there as quickly as I could.

The people of Ardrossan, the Three Towns and North Ayrshire were quick to show their delight and it was heartening to see everyone come together again.

Folk from all walks of life and all political parties came together to show why this decision was so much more important than anything like that. 

To the people of Troon, I get the feeling that you are not too disappointed with this news because we all know that this was a move powered by the commercial interests of businesses to make money. 

This campaign has been one of positivity and passion and in an 18 months where the unexpected and the unthinkable has become a reality I think we have to be grateful that the Scottish government has not cast a net of uncertainty over our beloved town.

Now we come together to ensure that the planned investment is delivered, that Ardrossan is improved and that the people of Arran have the best possible service to and from their home on, in my opinion, the best island that this country has to offer.

We welcome a new ferry terminal, a new gateway to Scotland in Miniature and a new state-of-the-art ferry which will see close to one million passengers make the journey from Ardrossan to Brodick. 

Ardrossan has real potential and this campaign is just the beginning. 

Be thankful for what we have.

And thank you to every single person who helped to ensure that a piece of Ardrossan’s history wasn’t lost forever.

It means a lot to a lot of people in the area.