Cruising in the clouds looking down to the stunning rock formations of Fingal’s Cave below, it is not difficult to understand the success of Argyll Air Services.
Passenger numbers on the flights, which operate from Oban Airport to Coll, Colonsay and Tiree, increased by an impressive 21% last year.
The Press and Journal’s photographer and reporter shared a scheduled flight to Tiree and Coll with a mixture of locals, business professionals, a tradesman, a visitor to Coll and a cat.
Ferry timetables dictate that a trip by boat to or from one of the islands can mean a two or three night stay away.
By plane, the remote islands are reduced to a mere 30 minutes from Oban.
The small but hardy 10-seater Islander aircraft can travel in all weathers, which seems to be the key to their success.
Nella Munn lives in Oban but has a house on Tiree, where her late husband is buried. She regularly visits the island.
Mrs Munn said: “I like the flights instead of four hours on a boat. You can be on the boat for four hours to get to Tiree and then it can’t make it on to the pier because of the weather.
“With the plane you are guaranteed getting there in just over half an hour. It is excellent.”
The number of people using the scheduled flights increased to 4,262 in 2015, compared to 3,516 in 2014.
The success of the services means that when the subsidy and commercial landing fees are taken into account, Oban Airport is being run at a modest profit to its operator, which is Argyll and Bute Council.
Martin McWilliam, operations manager for Hebridean Air Services, said: “I put a lot of it down to weather conditions towards the latter half of last year.
“We are obviously not effected by sea swells, it would have to be a pretty bad day before we can’t get in the air.
“The locals know we operate a very regular and reliable service. We haven’t had one technical cancellation in my time here, which is nine months.”
Thomas Eddleston, station manager at Oban Airport, said: “I have heard passengers talking as they are coming through saying that they have never used the flights before, even though they have been operating for eight years now.
“Because of the weather ferry routes were cancelled and they took the plane, many were saying they were impressed with how reliable the plane is, and the fact that they can be on the mainland after 30 minutes. They have said they will use it again because of the convenience.”
Mr Eddleston said they were seeing larger private planes visiting the airport. Celebrities to visit in recent years have included Sir Alex Ferguson, Alvin Stardust and Jay Kay from Jamiroquai.
Roddy McCuish, Lead Councillor for Oban Lorn and: “Oban Airport has continued to get busier. It does make a small profit despite what some people may think, the facts and the figures speak for themselves.
“I can only see this airport going one way as the flights get busier and busier.”
