John Ferry John Ferry

Scotland’s ferry network is sinking, and taking the SNP with it

(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Pool/Getty Images)

There has been more ferry chaos this week for Scotland’s beleaguered island communities, so much so that it now looks like the Scottish government is bringing in the Ministry of Defence to help with the fallout. One senior SNP MP, Ian Blackford, has urged military bosses to provide a ‘short-term solution’ to the ferry network breakdown. Blackford’s pleas come after warnings that, with further disruption to services, Highland companies could be at risk of going bust.

On top of this, this last week has seen days of disruption after the MV Loch Seaforth, state owned ferry operator CalMac’s largest vessel, developed problems with its engine control system. The boat is the main vessel linking the Isle of Lewis to the mainland.

Commenting on the breakdown, Helen Sandison, who runs the Western Isles Cancer Care Initiative, highlighted the case of one patient and the impact it had on them. ‘We had one service user today who was due to start chemo in Inverness,’ Sandison explained to the BBC. ‘They were already disrupted because of the Loganair flights to Inverness have been disrupted for the past few weeks, so they were having to travel by ferry and book an overnight stay which they wouldn’t have had to have done if the flights were operational. That chemo tomorrow has been cancelled – it’s an added stress and worry for a patient who was ready to start their treatment.’

Scotland’s Clyde and Hebrides ferry services operate under public ownership and are run by a combination of Transport Scotland, ferry operator CalMac and procurement body Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd, which are both owned by the state. The ‘lifeline’ ferry services are thought too important to be touched by the private sector. The problem is the state, at least under SNP administration, has completely failed in its responsibilities, and Scotland’s islanders are paying the price.

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