CalMac has been urged yet again to improve its diminished ferry service to South Uist.
At a crisis summit two weeks ago CalMac heard first hand testimony from many island businesses over the significant problems the disruption is inflicting on Uist’s economy, businesses, and families.
CalMac faces fresh requests to increase ferry capacity for South Uist during the current period of disruption while passenger numbers are limited to a maximum of 45 people on MV Isle of Mull’s sailings between Lochboisdale and Oban.
South Uist Business Impact Group (SUBIG) say they are “disappointed” to have heard nothing from CalMac despite promises at a crisis summit a fortnight ago.
Since then, Uist’s ferry service has worsened with reduced capacity also affecting the Lochmaddy route.
South Uist Business Impact Group stresses the same island should not be made to suffer all the time from disruption emerging from other islands in CalMac’s network which inevitably results in the removal of designated Lochboisdale ship, MV Lord of the Isles, to cover other routes.
The business group are submitting a suggestion to tackle the pent-up demand for travel
to South Uist by deploying MV Clansman to operate a Saturday afternoon sailing from
Oban to Lochboisdale, returning the following morning.
Under their proposal, MV Isle of Mull could cover the Clansman’s sailings for Colonsay on the Saturday. She could also divert to Tiree and Coll on the Sunday enroute to Uist while the Clansman could pick up the Oban bound passengers on her way back from Lochboisdale.
At a ferry meeting held at Cnoc Soilleir on 15th April, CalMac agreed, under pressure
from the transport secretary, to urgently look at increasing capacity on the Oban-Lochboisdale
route during the current period of disruption.
On her weekend return to the North Uist run, MV Hebrides - which was delayed for
weeks in drydock - was been forced cut her vehicle carrying capacity after a serious
mezzanine deck fault.
Fears have also arisen whether South Uist’s ferry misery will finally end on the promised date of 15 May as the plan hinges upon MV Finlaggan returning from overhaul on time. Otherwise, the passenger number restrictions imposed on the South Uist link risk extending into peak holiday season, a vital time for island businesses.
CalMac later indicated a short extension to MV Isle of Mull’s tenure at Lochboisdale to the night of 18 May, with the Lord of the Isles expected back on the 19th, some four days later than previously promised.
A CalMac spokeswoman said options to improve the current service are under review with an update expected within days.
South Uist c, some of which were made at the summit, in the context of wider network deployments and dependent on vessel moves as major units departed and entered their overhaul period.
“This means considering things like vessel and port interface and displaced traffic on other routes, and it takes time to work through possible options. We expect to provide a formal update on what’s possible later this week.
“The delay to the delivery of MV Isle of Islay, whilst due to events outside of anyone’s
control, is having a real knock-on effect on our vessel deployment. Were she in service,
one of MV Isle of Arran or MV Lord of the Isles – which usually serves South Uist
– would be free to deploy elsewhere.
“We made a commitment to bring SUBIG into the Western Isles Ferry Group and they have already attended the most recent meeting.
“In the meantime, the South Uist community will be updated on our progress, and we hope to offer ways in which we can ease the constraints on their service as soon as possible.”
Growing despair amid ‘broken promises’ over South Uist ferry service
29 April 2025
