The news that the isle of Mull’s new second ferry is to go back to where it came from has been described as “baffling”.
It emerged yesterday that MV Coruisk, which was taken off the Mallaig to Armadale run to go to Mull, is to return to Skye following campaigning there and in Lochaber.
Mull based Councillor Mary Jean Devon said: “The Coruisk has been a game-changer for Mull. It would be devastating to see the resource taken away from us.
“We are an island community, we need ferries to keep us connected to the mainland; they are a lifeline service. If CalMac take the Coruisk away from us and don’t replace it with a vessel of similar size and durability then they’ll be cutting our lifeline, which is totally unacceptable.”
She continued: “Skye has a bridge to the mainland; it is no longer an island. I find it utterly baffling that our extra ferry should be taken away from us, an island, where we have no other travel options, and given to Skye, an extension of the mainland.
“It was the Scottish Government that introduced RET, making it cheaper for people to travel by ferry. This has brought a welcome boost in visitor numbers but has also put a huge pressure on our infrastructure. It is ridiculous that the same government won’t then resource us properly. I would hope the Scottish Government, champions of community empowerment, will listen to the disappointed, upset, angry community on Mull.”
She added: “I will fight this, my other councillors will fight this, the community will fight this. We will not be quietly passed over.
“I have written to Nicola Sturgeon on this matter and look forward to her reply. If there was an identified need for an extra ferry for Mull just a few months ago I want to know what has changed.”
A CalMac spokesman said: “Returning the Coruisk is one of the solutions we are looking at to help address reliability problems on the Mallaig Armadale route. However, any vessel realignment has consequences for other routes and we are currently exploring all the implications such a change would have before any final decision is made.”
