Campaigners have criticised a new £4.4 million support fund for island businesses affected by ferry disruption, warning it excludes many of the communities worst hit by the ongoing "shambles".
The Mull and Iona Ferry Committee said only a “small proportion” of impacted islands were eligible for the Scottish Government’s Island Business Resilience Fund (IBRF), branding the scheme “exclusionary”.
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The IBRF, which opens for applications on Tuesday July 2, will offer grants of up to £35,000 to businesses on South Uist, Colonsay, North Uist, Eriskay, Benbecula, Berneray, Grimsay and Arran — eight islands identified as having faced ferry disruption on more than 15% of services over the last three seasons.
The Scottish Government said the average cancellations of ferry services across the Calmac network during that time has been around 7%.
The scheme is targeted at firms reliant on tourism or involved in the production or transport of perishable goods, such as seafood. Awards will range from £3,000 to £35,000, based on business size and demand.
Applications will be managed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), with the deadline set for midday on Sunday September 1. Decisions and payments are expected by Thursday October 31.
Announcing the fund, Islands Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “We know that Scotland’s island communities face distinct challenges, not least in terms of their economic and social resilience.
“Reliable and regular ferry services are key to this connectivity for people and businesses, and we know that the current situation of delays and ongoing maintenance to some vessels has created real difficulties.
“We are determined to do everything we can to support islands, their local businesses and employers through these challenging times.”
Rachel Hunter, HIE’s director of enterprise and community support, said the fund was designed to help organisations in the most affected sectors and areas “strengthen their resilience”.
She added: “Our focus will be assessing applications promptly so that funding can be awarded as soon as possible after the closing date.”
But the ferry committee said the government had missed an opportunity to provide meaningful support across the network.
A spokesperson for the group said: “The ferry shambles is about more than just the number of sailings cancelled — it is about the fundamental undermining of Hebridean business and society, by this never-ending crisis of capacity and confidence.
“The damage done to our tourism sector will last long after the ferries are fixed.”
They added: “This is a crisis affecting all our islands, and one that demands a comprehensive response — not selective support that ignores many of those suffering the most.”
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