I NOTE the letter by Hugh Andrew (October 16) about Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) and the Mull winter ferry timetable and as one who has lived on islands for more than 50 years I can sympathise with the residents of Mull faced with an unacceptable schedule.

Mr Andrew is critical of the council’s maintenance of Craignure pier but fails to realise that any maintenance, major or minor, would mean ferry disruption as contractors could only work when there was no ferry alongside, berthing or loading/unloading at the pier. In our island’s case when Wemyss Bay pier was closed for repair our ferries diverted to Gourock, a longer ferry crossing, but at least we still had rail/bus links. Mull has no diversionary port for the ferry so if Craignure Pier had to close for major repairs there would be no Oban/Mull ferry service, which would have massive and drastic consequences for the island. The council therefore faces a Catch-22 situation, carry out minor repairs and disrupt the timetable or undertake essential major repairs, close the pier and stop the service completely for the duration of the works. It’s no excuse for not maintaining the pier but which option would Mr Andrew choose?

He also started his letter with "I am lucky enough to have a house on Mull", lucky indeed, for I lived and worked there for nine years, latterly as assistant housing officer, and personally experienced the dearth of housing for locals or essential incoming workers, nurses, doctors, teachers and so on caused by the large number of second homes which lie empty for the greater part of the year and the high prices paid for them which excludes locals from the housing market.

Mr Andrew’s comments on the state of our "lifeline ferry services" and their associated links are welcome but were he a permanent resident of the islands perhaps he would fully appreciate the fragility of these links and the true scale of the difficulties islanders face in their travel to the mainland.

George McKenzie,

Rubha nan Gall, 48 Ardbeg Road, Rothesay, Isle of Bute.