[5] The new 116 metre long ROPAX ferry was named Loch Seaforth and is capable of continuous operation, with a capacity for up to 700 passengers, and 143 cars or 20 commercial vehicles.

[6] Since moving to the Barra service in March 2016, Isle of Lewis has been relegated to the role of Stornoway relief ship each October when Loch Seaforth departs for overhaul, with a second relief ship taking care of overnight freight traffic, owing to Isle of Lewis' inability to carry certain hazardous cargo due to her fully enclosed and sealed car deck.

In June 2015, to assess her future deployment, Isle of Lewis undertook a tour of major terminals for berthing trials, with varied results.

[citation needed] She called at Lochmaddy, Castlebay, Oban, Craignure, Brodick, Ardrossan, Troon, Campbeltown, and Tarbert between 4 and 9 June.

[citation needed] Major work would be required to offset her stern ramp to starboard instead of to port, for her to operate on routes including Mull and Arran.

[citation needed] Isle of Lewis was on duty at Oban and Castlebay in 2017 when she undertook a series of special sailings between 4 and 6 June to transport those travelling to attend the funeral of Eilidh MacLeod, a Barra schoolgirl who died in the Manchester Arena bombing.

[7] A history of the Isle of Lewis by Mark Nicolson was published by The Islands Book Trust on 31 July 2016, in time for the 21st anniversary of the vessel's inauguration in 1995.

During an overhaul at Greenock in 2016, the bow ramp was changed to be off-set to port in order to prepare her for her new role as the summer Barra ferry, to make berthing in Oban easier.

The ship carries a fast rescue craft and two large motor-driven lifeboats, one to port and one to starboard, with a set of automatically deploying inflatable life rafts.

Firstly, in November 2008, a call was made at Uig to uplift stranded freight traffic whilst Ullapool's linkspan was closed for maintenance.

Further extra sailings - helped by the demotion of Isle of Lewis to the status as a back up vessel following her displacement by the new Loch Seaforth - followed.

In early 2016, Isle of Lewis relieved on the Scrabster - Stromness route for NorthLink whilst MV Hamnavoe sailed for her refit.

On her first official day on the Barra service, 25 March 2016, Isle of Lewis completed all of her sailings in spite of an amber alert of adverse weather and swell conditions.

[citation needed] Isle of Lewis returned to the Stornoway - Ullapool service in April and May 2021, while MV Loch Seaforth was undergoing repairs to the port engine.