CalMac has warned it is having to prioritise as it reshuffled its pack and chartered more vessels after a breakdown of one of its ageing ferry fleet.
Services to four Inner Hebrides islands are being hit as MV Bhrusda is being drafted in following a leak which has seen 26-year-old MV Loch Alainn out of action for the second time in less than two weeks.
At the end of June, a steering fault with MV Loch Alainn meant that the services on the inter-island ferry between Barra and Eriskay - used as an alternative route to the beleaguered South Uist route - had been cancelled for three days.
The Scottish Government-owned ferry operator had to charter another vessel to provide a passenger-only shuttle service after a fresh technical issue which required further investigation was discovered at around 5.30pm on Sunday.
MV Loch Alainn has now been withdrawn from service and users have been warned that no vehicles were being carried on Monday.
The issue is with the vessel's 'void space' an enclosed section in the cargo area and CalMac said a repair plan is being drawn up.
Now it has emerged that MV Loch Alainn, which can take 150 passengers and 20 cars, will now have to go to dry dock in Greenock for repairs.
READ MORE: Ferry chief says ministers must consider privatising lifeline CalMac services
It means that MV Loch Bhrusda has been brought in as cover, but CalMac has warned that capacity on the vessel is "significantly less".
It means that a restricted service will operate MV Loch Bhrusda's run to the islands of Eigg, Rum, Muck and Canna on Saturday.
The 40-passenger catamaran MV Larven, normally operated by Western Isles Cruises has been brought to provide a passenger-only service to and from the islands. MV Spanish John, normally owned by Mallaig-based Milligan Transport is to operate a vehicle and freight services but CalMac says it cannot accommodate all vehicles due to having to be loaded from the beach.
Users of the Barra to Eriskay route have been warned by CalMac that it "will be necessary to prioritise traffic, with lifeline supplies being accommodated in the first instance".
READ MORE: 'Come what may, Holyrood protects CalMac': Should vital ferry services be privatised?
Users have been told: "As a result of this, some bookings may need to be cancelled. Our port teams are currently working on this on a day by day basis and will be in contact with customers who's bookings are affected."
The ferry operator is trying to find additional crew to allow the Loch Bhrusda to carry out additional sailings whilst she is deployed on the route.
One ferry operator official told users: "I am very sorry that we are facing further disruption in the Western Isles, particularly coming up to a busy fortnight with festivals and games."
Some users have registered their concerns about the latest developments.
One South Uist resident said: "More cancellations! How much more can Uist businesses take? When you think it can't get any worse it always does!"
The Eriskay to Barra service was last month providing an alternative route to Lochboisdale on South Uist - which had all services stopped for most of last month due to other breakdowns and delayed annual maintenance checks and has been at the centre of major island protests.
The 38-year-old MV Hebridean Isles, which has been hit with issues since Boxing Day, was out of action and remains so.
It was removed from the CalMac firing line on February 16 with freight services providing vital supplies to Arran from Troon suspended.
The vessel was forced back into dry dock as the vessel experienced what the Scottish Government-owned ferry operator CalMac described as "pitch control issues".
CalMac cancelled sailings to South Uist for most of June after MV Lord of the Isles, which runs between Mallaig and Lochboisdale, was redeployed to Islay as the ferry operator looked to juggle its vessels across Clyde and Hebrides services.
The ferry operator then had to charter the passenger-only boat Karleen Belle from Uist Sea Tours to run services between Barra and Eriskay. MV Alainn is big enough to take 150 passengers and 20 cars.
The ferry operator brought back MV Lord of the Isles early to provide a one off relief sailing for cars so that people hit by the MV Loch Alainn failure were able to get off Barra. The service was to take people between Castlebay and Lochboisdale which has been out of action since the start of the month.
The issues arose after a public meeting on South Uist attended by 250 people and CalMac chief executive Robbie Drummond which registered a vote of no confidence in the ferry operator.
The move to visit South Uist came after an estimated 500 residents, 200 cars, 40 vans and 20 lorries converged on Lochboisdale - the port which links South Uist to the mainland - to protest about the decision to stop nearly all services over June.
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