TRAVELLING to Scotland’s west coast islands will normally entail taking a CalMac ferry where you can enjoy the vessels’ legendary macaroni and cheese or a full cooked breakfast.
They always hit the mark and sustain you well into your onward journey wherever you may be going.
Now as the sun begins to shine and the country starts to reopen again, thoughts inevitably turn to a ferry trip or two this summer to enjoy everything the islands have to offer.
Unfortunately, the omens for a smooth crossing are not great, after a series of ferry breakdowns severely disrupted the network just as the tourist season is due to begin.
Of course, while it is inconvenient for us fairweather visitors, the disruption has hit island businesses extremely hard and has reopened the arguments about chronic mismanagement of the network.
It is important to stress that it is not CalMac’s or workers’ fault, but years of mismanagement in Edinburgh which has left the ferry company operating with ageing and unsuitable vessels.
Most of the fleet is currently well past its operating lifespan and there are currently no available spares to fill in when one breaks down.
This inevitably causes chaos as vessels are shifted around with delays across many of the routes.
Islanders, understandably, have simply had enough and are demanding more smaller ferries instead of the increasingly larger vessels that are instead delivered.
This situation is chronic mismanagement on an industrial scale and comes through, perhaps, from people in Edinburgh in charge of procurement riding roughshod over the needs of islanders.
It also comes at a time when the Highlands in general are facing serious problems with de-population and an unreliable ferry service is not helping.
Why would anyone move to the islands and start a business that can employ staff when they have to rely on the ferries to transport their goods to the mainland markets?
But, of course, it is not just the ferries that are at fault.
A businessman has recently warned of a new phase of “Highland Clearances”, sparked by an imbalance between vocal environmental campaigners anxious to protect its precious natural heritage and businesses seeking to create jobs.
Gael Force Group managing director Stewart Graham warned the swing towards protecting the environment – which he suggests is often driven by people from outside the area – could result in vast parts of the country becoming economic wastelands and little more than “a playground for tourists”.
Provocative words indeed, but he is absolutely right.
The Highlands cannot be sustained on beauty alone and is at a crossroads, with the influx of tourists matched by an outpouring of youngsters heading to other parts of the country for work.
Politicians need to listen to locals, but during the election, their silence has been deafening.
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