Without CalMac’s Western Isles ferries, communities and businesses in the islands simply can’t survive.
Ferry routes are the vital links that connect the Western Isles to Scotland’s mainland.
Some, like the route between Stornoway and Ullapool, are a lifeline for the area’s biggest towns…
While others provide inter-island connections.
The ferries scandal has seen new vessels for CalMac’s fleet undelivered…
…And has left these routes served by ferries far older than the recommended age.
…By the end of the decade, Transport Scotland wants all ferries to be under 15 years old.
With figures obtained by the Press & Journal, we can see exactly how age is affecting these vital ferries.
There will always be ferry cancellations, for various reasons. But the percentage of those cancellations caused by technical issues with the vessels themselves, rather than external reasons like poor weather, is increasing over time.
In 2007, the routes saw almost no cancellations due to technical faults.
Now, breakdowns are all too familiar to islanders.
With the increase in technical faults in mind, it’s not surprising that overall reliability across the routes has also dipped.
For both the Stornoway-Ullapool and Uig-Lochmaddy/Tarbert routes, their reliability in 2023 was the lowest in over a decade.
How is CalMac responding to the breakdowns?
A spokesperson for CalMac described the less obvious ways that ageing ferries can impact reliability.
For instance, not only do older ferries break down more, but replacement parts become increasingly harder to source.
Some parts have to be made from scratch – meaning that the ferries are out of service for longer.
“I know that disruption to services due to breakdowns and technical faults is extremely challenging for local communities and I am sorry for the effect this has on customers,” says CalMac’s Chief Executive, Robbie Drummond.
While acknowledging the rise in issues, he noted that “95% of all scheduled sailings go ahead”.
He says that “environmental factors such as adverse weather and tidal conditions” are still the leading cause of cancellations.
CalMac are “working hard” to combat the effects of ageing on the fleet, he says.
‘We face a difficult period’
“Investment in maintenance grew to well over £43m in 2023 compared with just £20m in 2017.”
“The six major and 10 small new vessels coming over the next few years are very much welcome,” Mr Drummond says.
“However, we face a difficult period as we wait in anticipation for them to be fully operational on the network.
“In the meantime, we will continue to work in partnership with local stakeholders and communities to ensure the best possible outcomes for all who rely on our services.”
More local reporting from the Western Isles:
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