‘Must not go on’ frustration over CalMac cancellations on Uist route

Urgent improvements are being demanded by politicians after ferry operator CalMac cancelled a lifeline route.

CalMac announced that the MV Lord of the Isles will be withdrawn from service on May 17 to allow for repairs.

This means that the Mallaig-Lochboisdale, South Uist service will be suspended for an estimated eight days.

Fiona Galbraith, area operations manager for the Hebrides, said: “Every effort will be made to complete this work in the shortest time possible to ensure the disruption of service to our community is minimised.

“I fully understand the impact this will have on our community and would like to reassure everyone that these works are necessary to provide resilience and reliability to MV Lord of the Isles.”

Alasdair Allan, MSP for for Na h-Eileanan an Iar,

called on the transport minister to press CalMac for urgent improvements to ferry services.

He said: “South Uist far too often draws the short straw when CalMac’s aging vessels succumbs to another technical issue.

“Islanders have already experienced severe disruption in recent months with Lochboisdale without a ferry for almost the entirety of March.

“It is my hope that a plan to meaningfully improve South Uist’s ferry service can be identified

and enacted as the current situation cannot go on like this indefinitely.”

Highlands and Islands Conservative MSPs Jamie Halcro Johnston and Donald Cameron reacted angrily to the news.

Mr Halcro Johnston, said: “It is worrying that as the tourism season gets into full swing this crossing is suspended with less than a week’s notice..”

Mr Cameron added: “This is the inevitable outcome of the neglect of

CalMac’s ageing fleet.”

Lochboisdale will once again be without a ferry service.