HISTORY will be made at Ferguson’s in Port Glasgow today when the shipyard sets sail the first ferry in the UK to use environmentally-friendly liquefied natural gas and marine gas.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will launch the hi-tech dual fuel MV Glen Sannox this afternoon.

The vessel is one of two being built at the yard for CalMac under a massive £97m contract paid for by the Scottish Government.

MV Glen Sannox is due to run down the slipway at around 1.45pm.

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf will also be at the launch, which will be attended by pupils from several local schools.

Challenges presented by the complex specification of the vessel have resulted in a two-month delay in the launch, and this will mean that MV Glen Sannox will not be delivered to CalMac until winter 2018/19, rather than next summer as originally intended.

She will eventually ply the Ardrossan to Arran route when completed.

There will also be a delay in handing over the second ferry, which will be used on the Skye ‘triangle’ route.

See tomorrow’s Tele for full, extensive coverage of the historic launch.