Further last minute hitch may delay reinstatement of South Uist ferry service
20 May 2025
Yet another eleventh hour delay risks marring the eagerly anticipate return of MV
Lord of the Isles (Loti) to her South Uist service.
There’s suggestions she may not appear in Lochboisdale until the weekend.
CalMac is due to provide an update this morning.
The Loti will remain as relief on the Islay route until their vessel, MV Finlaggan,
is back in action after an extended stay in annual overhaul at Birkenhead.
The Finlaggan was scheduled to set off on the voyage home at 3am this (Tuesday) morning
providing sufficient time to arrive on station and release the Loti at down on Wednesday.
However, the lack of movement of the Finlaggan sparks concerns the changeover will
not happen as previously proposed. She is now unlikely to pick up her Islay service
on Wednesday.
But there are serious worries on Islay if the Finlaggan doesn’t arrive back by Friday
when the ten day Fèis Ìle (the Islay Festival) - a major event in the island’s calendar
with soaring visitor numbers delivering an economic boost to local businesses.
The Jura fell race also takes place this weekend.
Islay groups have consistently underlined to CalMac the importance of providing a
reliable ferry service with sufficient capacity to cope over the period.
Contracted timetables for the Lochboisdale ferry link under the current CalMac agreement
have been under siege for years with the service being axed or severely cut for periods
of times.
South Uist has endured poor service over recent years as the Loti is regularly pulled
away to other islands as a consequence of government failure to provide a sufficient
number of suitable vessels to maintain CalMac’s fleet.
MV Isle of Mull was transferred to the route over winter after legal restrictions
due to a condemned liferaft evacuation system effectively curtailed her passenger
limit to a maximum of 45 travellers.
The Mull cannot operate to Mallaig as the port is unsuitable for all CalMac vessels
- excluding the Loti - in running a sustainable ferry timetable.
She has to sail to Oban, double the distance and time, which often increases the
risk of disruption during adverse weather forecasts.
While just about manageable in the low-travel month of January, the present increasing
demand for ferry travel to Uist means the island is losing out on tourism and business
trade.
Last month, transport secretary Fiona Hyslop heard “powerful testimony” of the impact
of the ongoing severe ferry service problems from island businesses.
Uist’s ferry service has worsened with impacts also affecting the Lochmaddy route.
