THE first ship to be built by newly-formed Ferguson Marine of Port Glasgow will be launched next month.

Catriona, a Caledonian MacBrayne car ferry, will slip into the the River Clyde at 11.45am on December 11.

Paid for by the Scottish Government, the £12.3m roll-on, roll-off diesel electric hybrid vessel is only the third commercial ship to be fully built and delivered on the Clyde in five years.

Ferguson Marine won the contract in September last year. Transport minister Derek Mackay will attend the launch.

This is the third eco-friendly-powered passenger and vehicle ferry to be built at the Newark yard.

The ship is nearly 150ft long, can accommodate 150 passengers, 23 cars or two HGVs, and is owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL).

Sea trials are scheduled for April 2016, and she will enter service in the summer following testing and certification. Catriona’s route will be announced by CalMac early next year.

Deputy Finance Minister John Swinney saw work going on at the ship when he visited the yard on Monday to announce 100 new jobs and a £1m grant.