Highland Council making Corran problem worse
I don’t know about anyone else but I’m starting to get a little sick of hearing Highland Council representatives claiming they are “support[ing] residents and local businesses” through the Corran ferry breakdown.
Other than the fortunate few for whom a foot-passenger service to Fort William helps, Highland Council is doing nothing to support us and is exacerbating the problem.
All those big yellow signs from Dumbarton north stating there is a “restricted/limited service” are putting most visitors to the area off even trying to cross.
Of course, this relieves the strain on the MV Maid of Glencoul, which should have been gracefully put to pasture years ago, but it ensures our businesses aren’t seeing a return to anything approaching usual levels of trade even when it is running.
If Highland Council gets its way, we will have another four years of this, whilst it applies for funding then wait for a new ferry to be built. I will be amazed if we don’t see businesses going under this winter and that will be repeated every year we continue to wait for the replacement.
As I’ve said before, we would all be sympathetic if it was brought about by a series of unfortunate events, but it wasn’t. This is the direct result of Highland Council ignoring pleas from the community and former elected councillors to come up with a replacement strategy before the situation became critical. As usual, it kicked the can down the road and our livelihoods were sacrificed.
The West Lochaber peninsulas have suffered one knock to trade after another. We had Covid impacts for three years along with everyone else, accompanied by the closure of a large local campsite business and now the Corran ferry fiasco has annihilated yet another year’s trade.
We are all doing the best we can to try to survive because we have no alternative, but please don’t insult us Highland Council, by suggesting you are “supporting” us in any way through this mess of your making, because as yet, you really aren’t.
Joanne Matheson, Acharacle.