Highland Council says Corran Ferry will be back in service by early June

People living in Ardnamurchan and Morvern have been told Highland Council is still expecting the Corran ferry to be back into service by early June.

But residents say they are not holding out much hope for the MC Corran to return by then, and they think it will now be well into June until the vessel returns.

They believe problems in the dry dock will delay the return of the vessel.

On Friday, Highland Council’s deputy chief executive, Malcolm Macleod, is planning to visit the dry dock where the ferry is being repaired.

Corran ferry delay

Jeff Forrester, who runs the Corran Narrows Crossing Facebook group, said he was concerned there had been no regular updates about progress with the vessel.

This was in spite of Highland Council’s chief executive Kate Lackie telling community meetings she would give weekly updates to residents.

He says like many others in the community they do not believe the ferry will be back by early June.

The Corran ferry went out of service on April 15, and since then residents and tourists have had to follow a route around Loch Linnhe, use a passenger vessel from Corran, or take a passenger ferry from Fort William.

Residents hope to raise the matter of the Corran Ferry at an upcoming edition of BBC Question Time, due to be filmed in the town

Businesswoman Joanne Matheson wrote on the Corran Narrows page to outline her question. She said: “Highland Council have failed to plan ahead and the Corran Ferry service has now completely failed and it’s having to go cap in hand to Westminster for funding – should Westminster take them all out of those Scottish hands, and employ some Scandinavians instead, whom clearly understand how to do the job better?”

The road route adds at least 43miles and more than an hour onto any journey. 

In a statement a spokeswoman for Highland Council said they were still expecting the ferry to be back in place by early June.

Corran ferry to return by early June

She said: “The chief executive has been in touch with the community representatives this week to advise them, that an update will follow after the depute chief executive returns from his visit to the boatyard.

“He is going there tomorrow.”

She continued: “A message also went to community representatives on Friday May 12  providing an update that included information on the revised timetable for the three-times-a-week foot passenger service from Ardgour – Fort William following input from the community.”

She also confirmed: “The return date for MV Corran remains early June.”