Scottish artist Hope Blamire has hit out at the ferry crisis engulfing the west coast.
Speaking about the Isle of Harris in the Western Isles, she said “crushing losses” were crippling the islands at the busiest time of the year.
The MV Hebrides, which sails between Lochmaddy in North Uist, Tarbert in Harris, and Uig on Skye has been out of action since Monday, August 1.
It was initially sent to Ullapool for repairs to its fire fighting system, and was then put back in service but the fault recurred and it had to be sent to Greenock for more repairs.
It is scheduled to be back today – Sunday, August 7, and back into service tomorrow. Ships logs show she has set off from Greenock headed to Lochmaddy.
Mrs Blamire, who showcases some of the country’s most stunning beaches in her work, wrote on social media: “Seven missed ferries with a capacity of more than 3,500 passengers and nearly 400 cars.
“Local businesses are suffering crushing losses at what should be the busiest time of the short season for them.
“A gentleman had to contact his MSP to secure a ferry place to attend the funeral of his 43-year-old brother on the mainland.
“For five days, the daughter of a gravely-ill man has been unable to reach Harris to see her father.
“One coach tour company who said they couldn’t risk the chance of the ferries not running, cancelled 18 weeks of coach tours and accommodation through the Western Isles.
“A devastated local hotel owner has said that he has lost tens of thousands of pounds, and that’s only one business.”
Long-running issue for Harris
Issues with the 20-year-old MV Hebrides ferry have been a regular occurrence over the past few months:
- In May, the boat was removed from service a collision with Lochmaddy pier.
- In June, sailings were cancelled after a burst pipe in the fire protection system.
- In July, the ferry was evacuated amidst a bomb scare.
News of the most recent cancellations comes ahead of a planned closure of Uig Harbour on Skye as upgrade works are carried out.
Business owners are “worried” as this means that from September to February 2023, no ferry from Uig will be travelling to Harris.
Caledonian MacBrayne response
Robbie Drummond, managing director of Caledonian MacBrayne, said: “Customers will understandably be upset about this latest disruption to their journeys, and I am deeply sorry for what they are going through.
“Disrupting our services is a decision we do not take lightly and we fully understand how this affects our customers and the communities we serve.
“We sincerely apologise for the latest inconvenience caused and our team is working hard to bring MV Hebrides back into service as soon as possible and return all vessels to their normal timetabled services.
“A long-term strategy to replace vessels and improve port infrastructure would improve the capacity we can offer to meet demand and increase resilience.”
Conversation