Scotland's Minister for Transport and Islands Humza Yousaf has unveiled plans for a new ferry for Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac).
Yousaf said Transport Scotland officials are investigating the potential design of the new vessel with Caledonian Maritime Assets (CMAL) and CalMac Ferries.
He said the new vessel, which will replace the 1985-built Hebridean Isles, would be deployed on CalMac's Kennacraig-Islay service.
"The Islay route is already one of the busiest services for freight on the Clyde and Hebrides network, and we want to make sure we support this vital economic activity and help it grow" said Mr Yousaf.