Boat's grounding disrupts Isle of Harris ferry services

The MV Fame was taken to Tarbert harbour after it ran aground

A damaged boat has prevented ferry services operating to and from Harris.

The MV Fame, which was carrying fish feed, ran aground near Tarbert on Sunday morning.

It was later refloated and has been tied up at Caledonian MacBrayne's ferry berth in Tarbert awaiting a full assessment of the damage.

Ferry services have been suspended and passengers told to travel via Stornoway in Lewis. Western Isles SNP MP Angus MacNeil has criticised the situation.

'Commercially sensitive'

He said the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) should have had the boat inspected sooner, and at another location.

Mr MacNeil said: "The salient point is that the MCA should have been here first thing on Monday morning to look at that boat, and should be looking to move it off a commercially sensitive berth perhaps to Scalpay or elsewhere so that normal services can resume."

The MCA said its efforts to deal with MV Fame had been hampered due to bad weather and a landslip that had blocked the main road on Harris.

It said a surveyor had made an initial assessment of the boat.