CalMac ferry crisis: 'Certainty' hopes dashed after Hebrides overhaul delay causes significant knock-on impact
Hebrides should be back on Little Minch routes but remains docked in Leith
CalMac's hopes of providing a "level of certainty" to islanders after weeks of disruption have been dashed by a delay to the return of one of its large ferries from annual overhaul.
Hebrides, which can carry 600 passengers and 90 cars, was due to be back in service on Saturday but is still docked in Leith.
The 26-year-old ferry was scheduled to take over the Little Minch triangle of routes between Skye, Harris and North Uist, but CalMac said said “emergent issues” had caused a delay, with an update due on Monday.
It means the resumption of normal services on several other routes has been postponed because other ferries are unable to return to those on which they normally operate.
CalMac chief executive Duncan Mackison had announced last Thursday: “This remains a fast-moving situation but the expected return of two major vessels by Monday allows us to provide all communities with a level of certainty for the next month.
“Though we are not out of the woods yet, we’re in a relatively stable position and are hopeful that things will continue to improve.”
However, the latest setback prolongs the long-running disruption that saw up to ten vessels - nearly a third of the fleet - out of action over the last few weeks, which coincided with the start of CalMac’s summer timetable and the Easter holidays.
These included Loch Seaforth, CalMac’s largest vessel, breaking down with a damaged bow door days after SNP leader Jon Swinney sailed in it to Stornoway as part of an election campaign visit.
The absence of Hebrides means fellow vessel Clansman will continue to run Little Minch sailings until at least Monday.
That has put off its planned return to the Oban to Coll, Tiree and Colonsay routes, which will continue to be served by Isle of Mull.
CalMac warned that the disruption meant Oban-Colonsay services were at “heightened risk” of cancellation on Tuesday, but options were being reviewed and there would be an update on Monday.
Isle of Mull’s delayed return to the main Mull route will mean a continued reduced capacity service between Oban and Craignure until at least Wednesday while smaller ferry Coruisk continues to stand in for it along with secondary vessel Loch Frisa.
CalMac still expects Lord of the Isles, the last of its large vessels undergoing repairs, to leave dry dock in Greenock on Monday from where it is likely to be moved to Oban.
The operator has been assessing on which routes the ferry will be deployed, but it is scheduled to operate between Oban and Colonsay on Wednesdays from this week.
CalMac had been keeping its fingers crossed that its fault-plagued new ferry Glen Sannox would successfully complete port berthing trials in Oban and Castlebay in Barra so it could temporarily take over that route from Monday afternoon.
That in turn would enable the operator’s newest vessel, Isle of Islay, to return from the Barra route to the Kintyre-Islay service for which it was built.
The operator announced early on Monday that the trials had been successful and Glen Glen Sannox would switch to the Barra route.
Joe Reade, chair of Mull and Iona Ferry Committee, which represents passengers, said: “News that Isle of Mull would return to her home island was greeted with jubilation and relief here. So whilst it is disappointing there is a delay, we are still looking forward to normality returning to our part of the network.
“For tourist businesses in particular, it comes as a massive relief. Last year, our summer season was decimated by months without our main vessel, resulting in much reduced capacity and far fewer visitors than normal, so we are just hugely relieved not to have that repeated.”
A CalMac spokesperson said: "Hebrides has been delayed departing dock, with emergent issues identified during final preparations to leave.
"This has a knock-on effect on our plans to cascade vessels across the network, with the current deployment plan remaining in place for slightly longer.”
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