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Hebrides News

The MV Hebrides has been taken out of service after grounding at Lochmaddy.

 

The incident is causing widespread travel chaos for hundreds of people with many facing a substantial detour to travel between Uist and the mainland.

 

Both Uist and Harris are serviced by the ship which operates out of Skye.

 

Cal Mac advised passengers to reroute their journeys using two different ferries to sail to Stornoway, drive through Lewis and Harris and catch a small vessel across the Sound of Harris.

 

One disgruntled passenger said: “Great service - 400 mile round trip via Stornoway. Why no alternative sailing from Lochboisdale to Mallaig or Oban.”

 

The MV Loch Seaforth delayed her sailing out of Stornoway on Sunday to wait for ferry traffic from Harris.

 

Divers hired by Caledonian Macbrayne to check the level of underwater damage to the Hebrides’ hull are also impacted.

 

One group of divers are traveling overnight from the mainland as they were unable to get to Uist directly.

 

They plan to catch the overnight freight ferry from Ullapool to Lewis and then drive 60 miles for another ferry from Leverburgh.

 

Stranded travellers who had just left their accommodation were trying to book a bed in North Uist today while Lochmaddy Hotel, by the harbour, was busy with tourists affected by the ferry problems.

 

Passengers face travel chaos after ferry crash

25 September 2016