Stranded after weather sees ferries cancelled
More than 60 passengers required accommodation
More than 60 passengers had to be accommodated at hotels, halls and private residences last Thursday as severe weather caused the cancellation of a number of CalMac sailings.
Earlier in the afternoon, two MV Isle of Arran sailings, the 3.15pm from Ardrossan and the 4.45pm from Brodick, were cancelled, as well as an unscheduled 8.15pm sailing timetabled to accommodate passengers at Ardrossan. Owing to deteriorating weather conditions, it was cancelled, along with a 7.20pm sailing from Brodick which left a number of passengers stuck on the island.
Sheila Gilmore of VisitArran, after liasing with Police Scotland, issued a Facebook plea to accommodation providers and Arran residents and, with community assistance, managed to accommodate all of the passengers who were left stranded.
Provision was also made, with CalMac’s assistance, to transport a coach with 25 elderly passengers on the Claonaig ferry.
Sheila said: ‘There were approximately 60 people stranded last Thursday night.
‘It’s really important to highlight local port staff have little say in whether boats sail or not and VisitArran was happy to help some of the customers affected.
‘With the help of various island businesses - not all accommodation operators - and community residents who had offered accommodation, we were able to secure a bed for everyone who contacted us, adults, children, babies – even a chihuahua.
‘In fact, such was the response that some people got transported by eager islanders who wanted to assist, even when accommodation had actually been sourced elsewhere.
‘In addition to the 60, CalMac managed to get a bus party of 25 pensioners off via Claonaig. Transport was provided for many and Police Scotland kindly assisted in some cases where families were involved. Huge thanks to the wonderful Arran community, to all the island businesses and, indeed, everyone who got involved, particularly my neighbour Carol Brown who kindly manned the VisitArran phone, whilst I rang round on a mobile.’
Owing to continued MV Isle of Arran cancellations the following morning, and continued adverse weather, timetabled sailings continued to be disrupted, with passengers struggling to secure a position on the ferry. Scheduled sailings being made by Arran’s other vessel, MV Caledonian Isles, were delayed throughout the day due to the volume of traffic trying to make use of the single ferry service.