The first Sabbath-
Shipping operator Cal Mac had been accused destroying a centuries-
Since the ferry regularly sails on Sundays on a repositioning run for Lochmaddy there is no extra cost to operate the new Sunday route. However, she had made an extra sailing last night to carry hundreds of visitors to the Royal National Mod and remained in Skye overnight meaning she had to return empty this morning.
But no protesters showed up as 40 people and 15 cars sailed MV Hebrides first Sabbath commercial service from Harris to North Uist and the mainland at 9am this morning.
Only a few passengers were from Harris. Most were tourists and some were oblivious to the historic significance of the voyage.
Lewis resident Keith Thom was driving his two teenage daughters to college in Aberdeen.
He said: “It is good because the girls can spend extra time at home. They starting college back on Monday so it lets them stay at home longer.
Paul Macfarlane of Balfron said: “I think its great for the islands. People can get back home. It should have happened years ago.
“If people don’t want to go on it, there’s no-
Tim Duffy of Edinburgh: “One respects the opinions of various groups but the majority want the ferry to run.”
A small huddle of people sheltering from the blustery wind at the Cal Mac ticket office were only there to wave off relatives. Curious children peered out the ship’s lounge window at them.
Inside the adjacent Hotel Hebrides, a young waitress watched through the tall glass window, as an uninterested hotel guest quietly ate breakfast, ignoring the socially historic moment happening behind him.
Passengers waved to relatives onshore as the ferry quietly slipped off her berth out to sea.
Within minutes, the quayside was deserted and Cal Mac’s staff headed home until the ship’s return at 6pm tonight.
The local branch of the Lord's Day Observance Society (LDOS) previously condemned the sailing.
It urged Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown get Cal Mac to hold a “professional and accountable consultation that would truly reflect the views of the people of Harris.”
Chairman Rev Greg Macdonald criticised Cal Mac for “sneaking in their Sabbath-
The body is appalled the “decision seems to rest with a single subsidised company, when the views of the local authority, the South Harris Community Council and the Harris Transport Forum are set aside, and when the company involved has once again been caught saying one thing but doing something entirely different.”
Mr Macdonald said: “The LDOS has always given prominence to the spiritual and biblical arguments for the sanctity of the Lord's Day.
“The views of any community can never set aside God's Word. Yet we certainly object to the attempts to avoid due process and the views of the community altogether.”
Cal Mac insisted it carried out a full consultation and gave open and adequate notice
the service was for this winter. It says the new service provides back-
First Sabbath ferry sails from Tarbert 23/10/11