New details have emerged about the planned upgrades to Uig Harbour on Skye, which will cause months of disruption next year.
CalMac, which operates lifeline ferry services between the Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Skye, announced two closures in 2023 earlier this month.
The proposed plans require the harbour to be closed off to ferries for a total of 14 weeks, starting with an eight-week shutdown from January 16 until March 13
A further six-week closure will begin on October 30 next year and last until December 11, with CalMac acknowledging there would be “unwelcome” disruption for services.
For months the ferry operator has been plagued with reliability issues across its extensive west coast network.
Its ageing fleet requires additional maintenance and more time being repaired than on the water in the case of some vessels.
CalMac says the upgrades are “essential” to continue to operate the Skye Triangle route in the long term.
Project partners, including Highland Council, CalMac and Transport Scotland have now announced details of the works involved.
Closure One – January to March
The first closure will include dredging the existing berth and installing new fender pile sockets.
Demolition work to get rid of the existing pier slab and extraction of piles will also be done to eliminate obstacles in the water on approach to Uig.
This will also allow for the installation of the new bank seat and piling for the linkspan dolphins.
In addition, a temporary bridge will connect the linkspan dolphin with the pier, allowing ferry services to resume in time for the summer season.
The temporary works will also include the installation of protection piles adjacent to the new roundhead construction area allowing work to continue while ferries operate.
Closure Two – October to December
The works during the second closure will include the removal of the temporary bridge, existing linkspan, dolphins, bank-seat and temporary piles.
Workers will also complete the fenders and install and commission the new linkspan.
CalMac also provided details on the routes that would continue to operate during the closures.
These include a daily return service between Ullapool and Lochmaddy and increased services between Mallaig/Oban and Lochboisdale on South Uist.
No services will operate between Tarbert and Uig during the closures.
New winter timetable announced
CalMac has also finalised the timetable for the upcoming winter months, where extensive discussions were held due to the impact of the Uig Harbour closure.
The operator acknowledged that the closure would affect “almost all routes across the network”.
The new timetable will be released in two phases, the first due to be published on September 26.
This phase will include sailings from Ullapool to Stornoway, Berneray to Leverburgh and Barra to Eriskay.
The second phase will be published on September 28 and will include the routes Uig to Tarbert/Lochmaddy, Oban to Coll / Tiree and Mallaig to Lochboisdale.
Robbie Drummond, managing director of CalMac, said: “We appreciate that the uncertainty around the winter overhaul and timetable plans will have been unsettling for our island communities and we are sorry for any anxiety this may have caused.”
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