New Western Isles ferry link by next summer?

By Annie Smith

Pressure is being placed on the Scottish Government about a new ferry service between Lochaber and the Western Isles as early as next summer.

Campaigners hope that a year-round service will begin on the route when CalMac’s MV Isle of Arran ferry becomes available in 2011, as a newly-built ferry for the connection to Islay comes into service.

A recent meeting in Mallaig of five groups representing the communities of the Uists and the west coast mainland, including Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Highland Council, Mallaig Harbour Authority, Mallaig Community Council and South Uist community company Storas Uibhist discussed how Calmac could create a timetable in the existing fleet to provide a summer service in 2010.

The meeting resulted in a plan to ask the Scottish Government and CalMac to introduce a summer sailing in 2010, and in subsequent years a year-round service

That each organisation submits written support to the ferries review for the introduction of the Lochboisdale-Mallaig service.

That HITRANS, the Highlands transport partnership, publicly reiterates its own strategic objectives for the introduction of the service.//

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