After more than a month filling in for the stricken MV Loch Seaforth up north, the MV Isle of Arran has returned to Ayrshire waters.

It means that a two-vessel service has now resumed on the busy Ardrossan to Brodick route.

In April, the MV Isle of Arran was drafted in to replace the MV Loch Seaforth on its Ullapool-Stornoway route when the vessel was found to have 'major' issues with the engine.

The repairs to the MV Loch Seaforth took longer than expected and led to CalMac announcing six delays to its return and the subsequent return of the MV Isle of Arran to Ayrshire.

Initially it was hoped that the repair work would be completed by the end of April, but that date kept getting pushed back until eventually the MV Loch Seaforth resumed service on May 31.

Three days later the MV Isle of Arran returned to Ardrossan to resume the service on the route to Brodick, alongside the MV Caledonian Isles.

Robert Morrison, Operations Director of CalMac, said: "We recognise that this has been an extremely challenging time for customers and staff and again apologise for the disruptions over the past few weeks. 

"We are looking forward to getting back to operating the normal summer timetable service and to welcoming passengers onto our ferries."

An investigation into the breakdown of the seven-year-old MV Loch Seaforth is ongoing.