How 80-year-old Waverley paddle steamer put SNP to shame over Scotland's ferries
After yet another CalMac ferry breaks down, a rather special vessel is on hand to save the day
Terrible news from Mull, where dozens of passengers on the ageing Waverley paddle steamer found themselves stranded after this grand old lady of the sea sadly broke down. But, fortunately, a CalMac ferry was able to rescue everyone... Oops, no, sorry, we got that completely wrong!
It was the CalMac ferry that broke down – of course it was, what were we even thinking? – while the last seagoing paddle steamer in the entire world was the one that came to the rescue...
Forget metaphors or satire or jokes. Real-life now appears to be effectively trolling the Scottish Government over its calamitous mismanagement of our ferries. Waverley is all of 80 years old – an octogenarian – and yet she’s putting our passenger fleet to shame (although at 39 years old, the Isle of Mull ferry is hardly a spring chicken). Long-suffering CalMac staff must be pulling their hair out.
So here’s a policy for the SNP to consider: bring back paddle steamers. They’re clearly built to last and are perhaps more your speed. And to all the Waverley’s crew and the company, take a bow, you are heroes.
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