Government lets down large parts of country

Scotland is a relatively small country with many rugged areas of natural beauty. Small communities living in these scarcely populated areas have always had to put up with poorer public services and infrastructure.

Those of us who live in such areas are penalised simply for where we are born. And yet these communities are and have always been a part of Scotland, historically and culturally. Basic human rights such as healthcare, the right to travel, the right to employment and to a range of simple human needs and services should not be left unfulfilled because of your proximity or otherwise to the country’s main administrative centres. Living in Dunoon (hardly remote) my autistic son has been failed by public services all his young life. After a recent and severe crisis we have been informed that our health authority has only one functioning adolescent psychiatrist. We fall under Highland Health Board and the specialist is based in Inverness!

In Argyll, I do not think anyone could defend the current Scottish Government-run debacle that is Calmac. We are also affected by the ongoing Rest and be Thankful farce. Meanwhile the silence from our MSP and MP continues to be deafening.

After a decade and a half of SNP government many had expected improvement, not decline to our essential services and infrastructure. Our government is always happy to promote our beautiful country for its own benefit but it’s high time that they provided fairly for those of us who live there.

DUNCAN F MACGILLIVRAY Dunoon, Argyll & Bute