Island Crossings

Ardrossan staff deal with delays and queues due to an engine fault as the Kilbarchan Pipe Band are among competitors and spectators trying to attend the annual Brodick Highland Games. In Mull, 12-year-old Oscar heads to the mainland where he'll spend weekdays away from home for the first time at secondary school.

Twenty new apprentices join the ranks of ferry operators Caledonian MacBrayne and take a tour of the MV Caledonian Isles, where they get a glimpse into living and working at sea. It's the final cattle sale of the year on the Inner Hebridean island of Tiree and local crofters are getting their cattle ready for market.

Weather and mechanical issues cause havoc across the network, jeopardising thousands of pounds in fresh Barra shellfish, and there is a hotly contested oyster competition.

CalMac engineer Fergus races in the annual Mull Rally, and CEO Robbie gets hands-on in the MV Caledonian Isles engine room as things start to go wrong.

A freight backlog in Stornoway has area operations manager Fiona struggling to keep supply lines to the isles open, and CalMac trainee sisters Tanya and Natalie go to sea.

One ferry's overhaul costs £2.8 million, but unforeseen issues could result in an extended dry dock with huge implications for the network and island communities.

Dry dock delays and breakdowns cause chaos across the network, triggering a crisis meeting at HQ. On Islay whisky freight, tourists and locals vie for space on the ferry.

Kerrera Island's annual triathlon is at risk due to bad weather weather, while a folk legend explains why being a binman on Barra makes him proud.

A CalMac deckhand takes to beekeeping, the ferry to Arran berths in bad weather, CalMac managers face frustrated islanders, and a whisky is launched on Harris.

The MV Hebridean Isles undergoes major repairs to keep her in service, Tiree ranger Hayley rescues a seal pup, and a young gardener commutes to work on Gigha by ferry.

In Port Glasgow, the MV Glen Sannox is under construction at Ferguson's shipyard, and Calmac teams prepare for launch in 2024. Meanwhile, on Colonsay, the island's only GP makes his rounds.

Ultra-runners tackle the Hebrides on a route involving two CalMac ferries, skipper Cubby Wilson goes creel fishing, and Ardrossan port assistant Debbie applies for a new job.

Stornoway is battered by bad weather, and a bakery business in Benbecula is affected by ferry cancellations. Meanwhile, Lewis band Peat and Diesel go on tour, taking the ferry to the mainland.

The port staff in Oban are busy and feeling the strain, while Calmac's catering team goes island hopping. Meanwhile, on Lismore, cows are rounded up for the ferry to market.

The Arran ferry needs an emergency overhaul that takes it out of action, an engineer gets to grips with an unfamiliar boat, and a Harris children's Gaelic choir travels to the Mod.