Project costs for the construction of new CalMac ferries being built in Turkey have risen by £20m as new delays are confirmed.

State-owned ferries agency CMAL said MV Loch Indaal, the second of the four ships being built by the Cemre shipyard, is now expected to be delivered in October, about 20 months later than originally planned.

CMAL announced in June that it had paid in full for the uncompleted ships to help the Turkish shipyard, which was facing financial challenges.

So far, only one of the four ships ordered from Cemre in 2022 and 2023 - MV Isle of Islay - has been delivered.

The ship entered service on the Islay route in March, more than a year later than expected.

The ferry has faced a number of technical problems including faulty bow doors and issues with its mezzanine deck, though CalMac has said it is satisfied with the vessel.

Payments for shipbuilding contracts are usually made in instalments, with the final payment due upon delivery, but in June CMAL paid the outstanding £23m for the other three ships in full.

The move was aimed at easing Cemre's cash flow pressures and meant CMAL had secured ownership of the incomplete vessels, avoiding potential complications should the shipyard go out of business.

In a worst case scenario it could now tow them to another shipyard to be finished.

Cemre is a large Turkish shipbuilder based at Yalova, but it has struggled in recent years with various challenges including falling exchange rates, supply chain difficulties, and labour shortages.

In an update on delivery schedules, CMAL's chief executive Kevin Hobbs told Holyrood's transport committee that MV Loch Indaal is now expected to be handed over in October.

The ship will make a journey of at least two weeks to Scotland, followed by weeks of crew familiarisation and berthing checks before entering service.

In a letter to the committee, Hobbs said sea trials for the third ship are planned for November, with delivery expected in the first quarter of 2027.

The final ship is due to be handed over in the following quarter.

In a separate letter, Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn confirmed ministers had approved an extra £20m to cover CMAL's project management costs.

Flynn wrote: "CMAL continue robust monitoring through their on-site staff, as well as regular visits by senior management teams."

BBC Scotland understands CMAL also pays sub-contractors to provide shipbuilding supervision services on its behalf.

Flynn said commercial sensitivities meant he was unable to reveal what extra costs had been incurred.

The original contract prices for the four ships was about £200m in total.

MV Lochmor and MV Claymore are due to serve Little Minch routes from Skye to Harris and North Uist.