An island ferry is finally free to operate after being trapped in its harbour for two-and-a-half days when storms blocked the entrance.
Gale force winds, brought to Easdale by storm Dennis on Sunday night, clogged the channel with slate, making it too shallow for the Argyll and Bute Council-run ferry to get through.
The tiny former slate mining isle is just a the-minute crossing from Seil, which is connected to the mainland by the famous Bridge Over the Atlantic near Oban.
Today a barge brought excavating equipment to the island and cleared the slate, re-opening the crossing.
Keren Cafferty, owner of the Puffer Bar and Restaurant, said: “We are all quite good at making sure we have enough supplies during the winter. We weren’t going to run out of food, our freezers are full and we help each other out.
“The problem was more with people coming and going to their work. My husband Mike, a bus driver on the mainland, was staying with a friend. Other people were staying in hotels in Oban.”
A spokeswoman for Argyll and Bute Council said: “Work has been carried out successfully at Easdale Harbour.
“The ferry service resumed at 2.30pm and the last sailing on Wednesday will be at 5.30pm. The first sailing on Thursday will be at 11am and the last sailing will be 5.30pm. Please be aware, sailings are dependent on weather conditions.”
During the days without a ferry, some local licensed skippers borrowed a tour boat company dinghy to take some people off the island.
But, following a complaint, the MCA put a stop to it saying there were set standards for vessels carrying passengers.
The council spokeswoman said: “This was an unique situation where a local business and the council pulled together to meet the needs of the local community.”
