Coll crofter hits out over ‘unreliable’ ferry service
A COLL crofter has said the unreliable ferry service is making it impossible for people to run businesses on the island, writes
Steven Rae.
Colin Kennedy is vice-convener and commissioner of the crofting commission in the south-west Highlands and has other business interests on Coll.
He was due to travel from Oban back to Coll following a business meeting on January 21. However, the MV Lord of the Isles ferry was delayed in leaving Oban by more than two hours, and once underway needed to turn around and return to Oban due to the weather. He claims that the weather was, in fact, better at 8.15am and the sailing would have been possible were there no delays.
He said: ‘It’s a lifeline service. How can the captain justify it being delayed for two hours and then leaving? The forecast said the wind would be getting up later in the day; the captain must have seen that. People can’t run a business on the island because of this.
‘A two-hour business meeting for me ends up costing me five days because of the service. It’s turning into the St Kilda of the modern era and could end up uninhabited. The service simply isn’t up to standard.’
A CalMac spokesman said: ‘On January 21, the departure of the MV Lord of the Isles was delayed until 10.30am due to adverse weather and the forecast was for the wind to ease off slightly later in the day. Unfortunately, due to constant 50mph winds the vessel did not manage to get into either Coll or Tiree and returned to Oban. Several other routes were affected by bad weather that day.
‘Adverse weather is fact of life at this time of year and every effort is made to provide a service as long as the safety of the passengers, crew and vessel is not likely to be compromised. We fully understand customers’ frustrations when sailings are cancelled or disrupted but trust that they recognise that their safety must be our number one priority.’