Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said the appraisal would look into the feasibility of a service between Campbeltown and Ballycastle.

In 1999, an unsubsidised ferry between the ports was shut down after three summers in operation.

The study, funded by Scotland and Northern Ireland, is expected to be completed by summer 2008.

Mr Stevenson said the study was necessary because previous appraisals were now too old to be of any value.

'Tourism benefits'

He said: "After years of no movement on a Campbeltown-Ballycastle service, I am delighted to announce that I have agreed with Northern Ireland Minister Nigel Dodds to carry out a fresh economic appraisal of the route.

"Communities on both sides of the water have campaigned long and hard for the reinstatement of this service, believing it would bring economic and tourism benefits to the local communities involved and Scotland more widely."

He said the Scottish Government has set aside funding within its budget announced last month to revive the ferry service.

Jamie McGrigor, Scottish Conservative MSP for Highlands and Islands, said he had been pushing to have the service reintroduced but queried whether a new assesment was needed.

He said: "I want to see it completed with the minimum possible delay so that the people of Campbeltown and Kintyre, and indeed Argyll more generally, can see this service restored and can benefit from the very real tourism boost that it will provide."

In 2006, a tendering process failed to attract any potential operators to restart the ferry with a £1m subsidy.