Temporary shuttle ferry proposal

The council and island hauliers say the diversion timetable will cause chaos as sailing times will change almost daily because the restricted depth at Uig pier.

The MV Isle of Lewis and the freight vessel, MV Clipper Ranger, can only berth around high tide, which occurs about 45 minutes later each consecutive day.

Sometimes the ships will sail from 3am in the morning, other occasions it may be 3pm in the afternoon.

The local authority says Cal Mac representatives have pledged to consider running a smaller ferry with high frequency sailings to carry trucks and cars between Skye and Tarbert. This would be in addition tot he regular Harris-North Uist-Skye triangle service.

The council say Cal Mac has agreed to a meeting over the idea.

However, senior bosses at the shipping firm have already ruled out the option as it requires requisitioning another ship from elsewhere, leaving that community with a worse service.

In a “frequently asked questions” statement, Cal Mac pointed out they looked at a wide range of scenarios “involving different ships and different ports.”

They consider the irregular timetable with the MV Isle of Lewis to be the “very best way” to maintain services “without causing further disruption elsewhere in the network.”

The statement highlighted: “We have no other ships available to us at this time and cannot use any other ship within the network without significantly disrupting another service.

“We also considered the use of other ports but the nearest mainland port with a suitable linkspan is Scrabster in Caithness.

“This was disregarded as it was felt the passage time would be too lengthy at up to seven hours, the port too remote from other services and onward journey time too excessive, all of which would be unacceptable to our customers.

“Uig is the only suitable alternative which would enable us to provide as near to a like-for-like service as possible.”

Norman Macdonald, convenor of Western Isles Council said: “The council has clear concerns.

He said Cal Mac’s e-mailed response is “they are prepared to meet us and discuss other options,” particularly a shuttle ferry between Harris and Skye.

The knock-on effect on other parts of the network is up “for them to manage rather than us.”

“We need to ensure supplies and travel across the Minch is far more reliable than the timetable will give us.”

He stressed it was important that “supplies can get in and out at a busy time of year.”

A proposal to operate a non-stop shuttle ferry service to during major disruption on the Stornoway - Ullapool sea route has been made to Cal Mac.

No ferry traffic will go through the Wester Ross port between February 22 until April 7 as a £6 million replacement of the 42-year-old ferry linkspan is being undertaken.

An alternative timetable of irregular sailings at awkward times between Skye and Lewis has come under fire.

Now, the Comhairle and hauliers have called for a ferry with a smaller draft to continuously run back and forth between Skye and Harris.

Cal Mac has pledged to consider rethinking plans to divert Ullapool ferry traffic through Uig in Skye for six weeks over the coming Easter holidays, according to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.

However, knock-on effects from such changes means taking a ferry away from another island community, says the shipping firm.

Cal Mac put dampers on temporary shuttle ferry proposal

23 November 2014