Like her sister ship, Glen Sannox, she is to be a dual-fuel ferry, capable of operating on either marine gas oil, or LNG which offers a marked reduction in sulphur, nitrous oxide and carbon emissions.

[10] Of the six shipyards biding for fixed price contracts to design and build the two ships, Ferguson Marine (FMEL), owned by Jim McColl, was the only Scottish bidder.

[12][13] The ships were to be delivered by July 2018, but FMEL began construction before providing drawings and plans for approval, with increasing delays when work had to be redone.

FMEL went into administration,[12][13] and in December 2019 the shipyard was nationalised as Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Ltd.,[14] but increasing costs and further lengthy delays became a continuing political scandal,[15][16][17] the "ferry fiasco".

Glen Rosa will be the second of two Scottish ferries capable of operating on either marine diesel oil or liquefied natural gas (LNG), aiming at benefits of a marked reduction in carbon dioxide, sulphur and nitrous oxide emissions.

[33][34] Ferguson Marine interim CEO John Petticrew welcomed the launch as a significant milestone, Scottish Government cabinet secretary Màiri McAllan gave a short speech, local minister Rev.

William Boyle blessed the vessel, then after a short delay due to gusting wind, the Glen Rosa was named and launched by Beth Atkinson, a qualified welder who had completed her apprenticeship at the yard the year prior.

[37] In August 2023, CMAL confirmed that she would serve Arran, partnering Glen Sannox, with both dual-fuel vessels allocated to the Ardrossan to Brodick route.

[8] The two new Arran ferries will initially operate between Troon and Brodick for the first two or three years of their careers, due to the planned upgrade works for Ardrossan harbour.