Jura calls for ministerial intervention over ferry row

placeholder image — Isle of Jura | Katharine Hay

Islanders have questioned the council’s handling of the ferry timetable.

Residents of Jura have called for ministerial intervention in a growing dispute over the cancellation of the island’s longstanding evening ferry sailing without consultation with the community.

Jura Community Council (JCC) has appealed to the Scottish Government to intervene, warning that the loss of the 9.30pm crossing to neighbouring Islay has undermined confidence in the council’s management of the publicly funded service and left the island’s 258 residents facing continued uncertainty.

Residents told The Scotsman last week that the flexibility of the late evening ferry is essential to daily life on Jura, providing access to after school clubs, healthcare and veterinary services on Islay, as well as connections to the mainland through CalMac ferries and flights from Islay Airport for both islanders and tourists.

Feolin ferry terminal on the Isle of Jura | Katharine Hay

In its briefing to ministers, JCC said the dispute had raised wider concerns about the reliability and accountability of Argyll and Bute Council’s management of a service vital to the island’s residents. It said crewing arrangements introduced during the Covid lockdowns had reduced operational resilience, contributing to the cancellation of scheduled morning sailings following overnight emergency call-outs because of mandatory crew-rest requirements.

The community council also highlighted delays in delivering a £100,000 pontoon at Feolin, for which funding was allocated in 2022 to provide safer passenger-only crossings during ferry breakdowns. Four years on, the infrastructure remains undelivered.

JCC said discussions with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency had identified a potential solution to restore both early-morning and evening sailings. Under the proposal, the ferry would operate with a skipper and one deckhand, rather than the current arrangement of a skipper and two deckhands, subject to a 28-passenger limit. The community council said this would allow a return to half-day shifts while retaining the existing week-on/week-off rotation, with additional arrangements to accommodate busier sailings.

An Argyll and Bute council spokesperson said the authority recognised the importance of the ferry to residents, businesses and communities.

“The current arrangements are not our preferred long-term solution, and we have an action plan to improve communication and consider sustainable options for the service,” they said.

The council said recruiting suitably qualified staff remained “challenging”, with the authority competing against other marine operators in a sector facing “a skills shortage”.

It said it had reviewed shift rotas and was increasing training, but any changes had to be “affordable, safe, sustainable and legally compliant”.

The council said it was continuing discussions with JCC about the survey findings, its action plan, future timetables, crewing options and the proposed ferry forum.

The JCC, however, warned an additional ferry forum could place an additional administrative burden on the four unpaid volunteers who make up the organisation and suggested that council officers instead attend the first 20 minutes of its existing meetings.

The Scottish Government confirmed transport secretary Stephen Flynn would respond to the JCC “in due course”.

A spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government must respect the autonomy of local authorities to develop their own standards and accountability to local electorates for the delivery of ferry services for which they are responsible. This is enshrined in the Verity House Agreement which respects both parties’ democratic mandate that sets out in law the powers allowing them to manage their day-to-day services.

“We want to do more where we can to support councils in improving services in their area, including the Jura ferry route. However, this does remain an operational matter for the council.

“In addition to the £275.8 million allocated to Argyll & Bute Council for 2026-27 which amounts to a £12.1 million or 4.6% increase from last year, we have provided a further £11.4 million of resource and £15.5 million capital for inter-island connectivity. This underlines our wish to see our island communities better connected and provides Argyll & Bute Council with greater flexibility to deliver the ferry services they are responsible for.”

The evening sailing, which had operated for several decades on a bookable basis, was withdrawn in July. Argyll and Bute Council said it had prioritised an early-morning sailing because demand was greater. However its own figures, shared by the JCC, challenge that justification. Between January and July this year, the evening service operated 96 times and carried 468 passengers, compared with 22 early-morning sailings carrying 81 passengers.

The withdrawal came after the council had agreed to consult residents before making changes. JCC said it learned of the decision from residents who had been informed by ferry crew, rather than through formal notification.

At meetings in August, senior council officials acknowledged failures in communication and consultation, promised an immediate review and agreed to explore restoring an evening sailing before the new school term. The council later described the withdrawal as a suspension rather than a permanent change.

Islanders said the loss of the crossing has disrupted medical journeys, jeopardised onward connections and forced some passengers to pay for overnight accommodation. They pointed to young people having lost out on opportunities to attend after-school activities on Islay, while the island’s tourism sector has also been impacted.