The nationalised Ferguson shipyard has made it through to a shortlist of bidders to build seven small ferries for CalMac.

The Port Glasgow yard is among six firms invited to tender for the contract, having passed the pre-qualification stage.

The announcement by Transport Scotland is a boost for Ferguson Marine which has promised to bid "aggressively".

The firm believes the order, potentially worth £175m, could help it move forward after years of controversy over construction of two much larger and complex CalMac ships.

A Ferguson Marine spokesperson said: "This is excellent news and a testament to the FMPG team who prepared a robust submission for the first stage.

"We will focus on developing and submitting a strong bid to build the small vessels for CMAL, something the Ferguson Marine shipyard is well-placed to deliver.

"We have the people, skills, experience and detailed knowledge required."

The contract for the seven all-electric ferries, part of the Small Vessels Replacement Programme (SVRP), is due to be awarded next March.