The contract to run Scotland’s west coast ferry services in future has been directly awarded to the existing publicly-owned operator CalMac Ferries Ltd.

The Scottish government said the service would now be focused on a “public service model” instead of being run on a commercial basis.

The contract for the Clyde and Hebridean Ferry Service (CHFS) had been due to expire last September but was extended by a year.

Ministers had indicated that a direct award was their preference, but they needed more time to ensure this could be done without a legal challenge.