Work on the temperamental structure was originally meant to take two weeks and be complete by November 3, though that deadline fell by the wayside after the panels for the roller shutters at the front of the gangway were manufactured five centimetres too big.

Foot passengers have been walking on and off Caledonian MacBrayne's Wemyss Bay ferries via the vessels' car decks since October 21, when the passenger access gangway, or PAG, was taken out of use so repair work could begin.

Advising us that the work was now expected to be completed on November 24, a spokeswoman for Argyll and Bute Council, which owns the pier, said: "The new replacement doors have been installed, but further problems with the spring tensioning system on the doors have been experienced and springs of a different rating are being acquired.

"The door designer and installer remain on site attending to the problem in order to return the PAG to operational duty as soon as is possible."

The gangway was only completed last December, but has been plagued by technical problems for most of its operational life.

CalMac had hoped that the gangway repairs would be complete in time for the arrival on the route of MV Coruisk at the start of this week, allowing the two resident ships to be released for their annual surveys.

The Coruisk took up service with the 1pm sailing from Wemyss Bay on Tuesday, allowing MV Bute to sail to Greenock for her overhaul.