Anger over Campbeltown ferry service suspension
- Published
The MV Isle of Arran has been redeployed from the Ardrossan-Campbeltown summer service
The ferry service between Ardrossan and the Kintyre peninsula will be out of action for a month.
Ferry operator Calmac said repairs to one of its vessels had overrun, forcing it to divert its Campbeltown ferry to lifeline island routes.
But the announcement has angered Kintyre residents who claim it will hit tourism, with several sports or cultural events planned for May.
Calmac said it was "making every effort" to restore the service.
The ferry operator has run six sailings between Ardrossan in North Ayrshire and Campbeltown every weekend in the summer since 2013.
Around 10,000 passengers use the route every year and it was due to begin again this weekend.
It provides an alternative to the 135-mile drive to Campeltown from Glasgow.
However CalMac said it would be suspended "until further notice" but it hoped to reinstate the service on 24 May.
The problem is due to a delay in completing repairs to the MV Clansman which normally operates from Oban and provides services to islands off the west coast.
Calmac said repairs to MV Clansman had taken longer than expected
Parts of its propulsion system had to be sent to a specialist firm in Denmark, and the ship has been out of action since February.
The complications have had a knock-on effect on a number of Calmac services.
The MV Isle of Arran, which was due to run the Ardrossan to Campbeltown summer service, has been deployed to Islay and Arran.
'Very angry'
Calmac says it has a duty to prioritise services to island communities over locations that have alternative road access.
Several buses a day run between Campbeltown and Glasgow and there are also a number of flights.
But the suspension of the Campbeltown service has angered residents who claim it will damage the Kintyre economy.
The sailings have typically been used by 10,000 people a year - and offer an alternative to a 136-mile drive.
John Armour, a local councillor in south Kintyre and chairman of the Campbeltown ferry committee, said: "I've had a lot of people contact me and they are very angry.
"Over the last two years we've had a lot of cancellations due to weather, which can't be helped of course - but also due to the Isle of Arran boat breaking down.
"We were off for the whole of the month of June last year because the boat had to go and get fixed. So confidence in the service is not great."
In a service update on its website on Saturday, Calmac said: "Due to the overrun of essential vessel repairs, resulting in the redeployment of vessels on our network, there will be no service between Ardrossan and Campbeltown until further notice.
"We are making every effort to return to our normal timetable by 23 May with the next scheduled sailing due to take place 24 May.
"We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause to you and your travel plans."
Visitors 'concerned'
Mr Armour said the delay could have a negative impact on the tourism industry in and around Campbeltown, with four major events due to be held in the area before the end of May - a race and cycling event and a songwriter festival, as well as a half-marathon and 10k race.
He added: "I know there are accommodation providers that have already been contacted by concerned guests who are now reconsidering whether they will come to Campbeltown and go Kintyre for these events.
"We really need something to be put in place to restore the confidence to the people of Kintyre."
That sentiment was echoed by Campbeltown resident Gail McKay.
She told BBC Scotland: "I don't know how financially challenged Calmac is but broken promises to the small communities that depend on tourism is unacceptable and they need a strategy to cope with an ageing fleet of vessels to provide the service that they originally tendered for."
CalMac said it was "making every effort" to return to its normal timetable
A Transport Scotland spokesman said that while the issues were an operational matter for CalMac, it understood "the frustration of the communities which rely on their ferry services".
He added: "Transport Scotland had discussions with CalMac earlier this week where they have confirmed they are exploring additional sailing to help ease the pressure and that they will continue to review all of their options.
"Our vessel replacement and deployment plan, which has been agreed by Scottish ministers, identified the Outer Hebrides routes as a priority.
"Work is already under way to appraise, and subsequently to deliver on further improvements to the ferry services to the Western Isles including the important Ullapool-Stornoway route."
- Published24 April 2018
- Published3 April 2018
