ISLANDERS have warned a ferry company not to pit one fragile community against another in a row over ferry cover.
CalMac faced uproar from businesses on Skye after taking the reliable Coruisk ferry off the Mallaig to Armadale route to provide a much-needed second boat between Oban and Craignure.
Now islanders on Mull are threatening to take on CalMac if it takes back the additional vessel it has fought long and hard to secure.
The row escalated after Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP Ian Blackford posted a statement on social media expressing his delight that CalMac had decided to return the Coruisk to operate the service between Mallaig and Armadale.
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He claimed CalMac was now merely seeking the support of Transport Scotland to “sign off on the redeployment” and added: “This is good news for users of the service.
The deployment of the Coruisk enhanced by the additional capacity of a second vessel will add to the attractions of the route, giving a considerable boost to the economy of Skye and the mainland.”
But islanders on Mull have warned of the impact of such a move on the economy there.
Neal Goldsmith, chairman of Mull and Iona Ferry Committee, said: “What we don’t want is a Skye and Mull argument, but that is what is being created through a lack of engagement.
The community don’t know what is going on, not once has anyone from CalMac got in touch with the ferry committee to talk to us about this.”
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Argyll and Bute Councillor Mary-Jean Devon, from Mull, said: “CalMac and the Scottish Government can be assured that they will have a fight on their hands. We are an island community, we need ferries to keep us connected to the mainland.”; they are a lifeline service. Skye has a bridge to the mainland; it is no longer an island.”
Argyll MSP Michael Russell, backing the Mull community’s case, said yesterday he had spoken to the Transport Minister about the situation.
He said: “Whilst I have the greatest sympathy for the people of Sleat and for my colleagues Ian Blackford and Kate Forbes who represent them, I am utterly opposed to the removal of the Coruisk from the Mull route where it is performing well and implementing a new timetable that took years to negotiate.
“CalMac needs more boats and has to get on with finding at least one more in the charter market with great urgency.”
He warned: “What it must not do is set one fragile community against another and that is exactly what would happen if Mull was treated unfairly by having the Coruisk removed.”
The two-ferry timetable has made it possible for the first time for islanders on Mull to commute to work full-time on the mainland.
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An Argyll and Bute Council spokesman said: “We are in discussion with CalMac on this matter. The additional vessel on the Oban-Craignure route has made a huge difference to our communities on Mull. It would be very disappointing if this key community resource was removed.”
A CalMac spokesman said: “We are looking at several options to address reliability problems on the Mallaig Armadale route and have recently made timetable changes as part of this process.
"Any vessel realignment has consequences for other routes and we are currently exploring all the implications such a change would have before any final decision is made.”
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “Vessel deployment is an operational matter for CalMac.
CalMac has made timetable changes which have improved reliability and are further exploring options for the Mallaig to Armadale route.”
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