Hello, Goodbye: CalMac axes South Uist ferry for a month during one of the busiest times of year
31 May 2023
South Uist’s ferry service is being axed for a month at the busiest times of the year.
CalMac confirmed Hebrides News’ reports of the MV Lord of the Isles being pulled off her own regular route service this weekend to operate alongside MV Isle of Arran on a two-
“Unfortunately, this will result in the cancellation of the Lochboisdale service from 3-
South Uist is set to miss out on Scotland’s holiday rush when many schools’ close before the end of June.
A number of island communities may face knock-
Campbeltown is another casualty of the swirling ferry chaos with a halt called to the recommencement of its sea crossing until the vessel availability situation improves.
Hardly had the Loti, as she is fondly called locally, arrived back home after months of absence, when CalMac announced she is being taken away again.
Only six days of duty in Uist will be under her belt by Friday evening when the vessel prepares to head south.
Many island communities across the network are plagued with a diminished service this season but none worse than South Uist which suffers prolonged periods of disruptions.
Faults, withdrawal of service, and stop gap measures and relief vessels, along with reduced capacity and diversions to a different mainland port have plagued the Lochboisdale link since the end of September.
This latest ferry chaos has been brewing for weeks with the root cause being a chronic lack of ships supplied to CalMac by the Scottish Government.
At the more immediate storm front is the pressing need to provide an essential service for Islay coupled with the absence of two major vessels from the aging fleet.
Potential consequences for other island routes arise as CalMac looks at detouring travellers on a longer journey to get to their Uist destination. This may affect timetables for Barra on the Castlebay -
And there could be changes on the Skye triangle route if MV Hebrides is tasked to operate extra sailings to get displaced traffic to Uist through Lochmaddy.
Many island communities across the network are plagued with a diminished service this season but none worse than South Uist which suffers prolonged periods of disruptions and months of withdrawn service.
From Sunday, Islay loses their main ship when MV Finlaggan is despatched for her long postponed drydock which will see her out of action for around four weeks in the middle of summer.
Two ferries are used on the increasingly busy route at this time of year with a large number of freight lorries supplying the islands’ distilleries booked on sailings.
But CalMac’s pledge to provide a decent level of capacity wholly relied upon ambitious hopes of the 38-
However, that is not going to happen any time soon as the beleaguered ship is back in drydock in Troon to replace her propeller blades in the latest attempt to fix an ongoing failure with her propeller control system which prevents her from berthing safely. If unsuccessful, the Heb Isles is set to be out of action for weeks.
Since Christmas she has rarely ventured out to sea and was removed from CalMac’s fit-
If MV Hebridean Isles is back in service earlier, the South Uist cancellation will be reviewed.
According to CalMac taking away the Loti impacts the least number of customers.
This “offers’” displaced Lochboisdale customers, who can use alternative routes for travel, the option to travel via the Sound of Barra and Castlebay, or Lochmaddy, “where space allows,” said the ferry operator.
Robert Morrison, CalMac’s operations director, said: “This was an extremely difficult decision and I understand that this will be disruptive for the local community and for customers who had planned to use this route.
“I apologise for the affect that this cancellation will have and can assure customers that we are working hard to get vessels back in service.
“MV Alfred has had a temporary repair carried out to her thruster. However, she cannot operate the published timetable as she is unable to operate to Kennacraig and would need to operate to either Troon or Campbeltown, which reduces the number of sailings that could be carried out.
“Therefore, the decision has been taken to retain her on the Arran service.”
For South Uist and Benbecula, the decision delivers a severe economic hammer blow, particularly in the tourism sector when visitors cancel holidays because their tickets are withdrawn.
Uist businesses lose around £267,000 of income every week the ferry is cancelled according to a survey conducted for South Uist Business Impact Group last year.
The forum was formed last summer in “sheer desperation at the incompetence and apathy shown by Transport Scotland, CMAL and CalMac” after the island was left reeling with mass cancelled tourism bookings when the ferry was removed for two and a half weeks.
“Over the year we have met with everyone that controls our ferry services and have suggested to each officer in turn practical suggestions to mitigate disruption to our ferries, without any success,” said the group.
The body which includes Uist councillors and the comhairle said they are “being disregarded in all decisions that directly effect or lives and future prosperity on these islands.”