CALMAC has ended the emergency timetable brought in to deal with a surge in Covid-related absences - but one lifeline service remains suspended because of ferry repairs to one of its oldest vessels.
But it has been confirmed that services to and from South Uist which have been suspended since January 3, when the timetable was brought in, will remain so.
The new ferry timetable introduced at the start of the month saw cuts to ten of CalMac’s 26 routes including introducing a single vessel rather than the double ferry timetable for the service to and from Brodick on Arran - one of Scotland's busiest routes.
Last week CalMac extended the cut to services saying that the increasing number of crew on vessels and staff in ports either testing positive, self-isolating or waiting for Covid test results has meant that CalMac is "unable to operate to full capacity" at the current time.
CalMac said at the time that the latest figures showed that 203 members of staff are unavailable because of Covid, 17 more than when last reported the previous week.
But the ferry operator said that it there was a rise of 50 from when it introduced the curtailed timetable at Hogmanay.
The temporary timetable was due to continue till February 6.
But the state-owned ferry operator said that the essential services timetable has been ended early and that a winter timetable for most routes will resume from Wednesday. Port offices will also revert to normal opening hours.
But it confirmed that the Mallaig to Lochboisdale service will remain cancelled due to "vessel availability" being impacted by "emergent steelwork repairs" on the 29-year-old MV Caledonian Isles discovered while it was undergoing an overhaul.
As a result, CalMac said it cannot release MV Hebridean Isles to cover the Oban-Lochboisdale sailing. CalMac said that MV Isle of Arran is currently berthed in Campbeltown and is not operational due to a lack of crew.
Therefore, the ferry operator said it was not able to deploy her on the Oban to Mull route which would, in turn, have released the MV Isle of Mull to operate the lifeline service for South Uist.
"We are continuing to review the crewing situation with MV Isle of Arran and will look to deploy her once the crewing situation further improves," said CalMac.
CalMac managing director Robbie Drummond said: “I am pleased to say that because of a significant drop in the number of staff unable to work due to covid we can now offer a full winter service on the majority of routes.
“Thank you to all passengers for their patience and understanding and we look forward to welcoming them back on board.”
The Oban to Lochboisdale service was the only one to be suspended for the duration of the timetable in response to staff self-isolating due to Covid.
Stòras Uibhist a community owned company that manages the 93,000 acre South Uist Estate comprising the Outer Hebridean islands of Eriskay, South Uist and parts of Benbecula questioned why the Lochboisdale service was the only one to be suspended.
It has written to the Scottish government asking why the Lochboisdale service was the only one across the entire CalMac fleet to be suspended.
The group said: "This is clear evidence that our service is treated as dispensable and demonstrates a complete lack of care and respect to our community."
CalMac has said that alternative services are available via a detour to Lochmaddy on North Uist.
South Uist residents say it has added six hours to the travelling time of a return trip to Glasgow as ferry users have to divert to get the ferry from North Uist and travel to Skye.
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