Skye's Uig ferry port to be closed for six months

A major west coast ferry port is to be closed for six months for repairs.

The closure of Skye's Uig pier between October and next March will disrupt services to Harris and also North Uist in the Western Isles.

Uig provides Harris with its only direct route to the mainland, and one of two routes out of Uist.

West coast ferry operator CalMac will hold a series of events in early April in the communities affected to discuss how services could be maintained.

Highland Council, the local authority for Skye, said the work was needed to replace parts of the pier that had come to the end of their life and to make improvements to the structure.

It said winter was a quieter time in terms of ferry traffic and the six months allowed for delays to the work caused by bad weather.

The council said it would work closely with the contractor to try and reduce the length of time the pier was closed.