Two Caledonian MacBrayne board members appointed three years ago haven’t visited a single port on the ferry network.
Tim Ingram and Grant Macrae joined the board in 2021 and have only ever visited dry docks.
Kay Ryan has also never visited a port, but she was only appointed to the board seven months ago.
Meanwhile, Sharon O’Connor has been to Oban, Craignure, Fionnphort, Iona, Tobermory, Kilchoan, Kennacraig, Port Askaig and Port Ellen.
David Beaton, who was appointed last year, has visited Mallaig six times, Armadale eight times, Uig nine times, Tarbert six times and Stornoway twice.
However, it’s not clear when or in what capacity these visits occurred.
Not a single member has stepped foot on Arran or South Uist, which are among the islands worst affected by the ferry crisis.
CalMac chairman Erik Østergaard has never been near any CalMac port since an initial visit to Stornoway and Oban shortly after his deeply controversial appointment in 2021.
None of the four appointees had any connections with the islands but three, in addition to Østergaard, had been appointed to other unrelated quangos by SNP Ministers.
Calls for CalMac’s ‘absentee board’ to be replaced with islanders
It’s led to the board being described as “the absentee board”, with calls for members to be replaced with islanders.
The revelations have emerged in response to a Freedom of Information request that CalMac initially refused to answer.
Following an appeal, they have continued to claim not to hold the information but “acknowledge that some of this information is available from the Board members themselves”.
A further appeal seeking full disclosure will now be lodged with the Scottish Information Commissioner.
North Uist councillor and Western Isles Council transport chair Uisdean Robertson was “shocked by the FoI response” which, he said “underlines their lack of interest in the islands which depend on this company for our lifeline connectivity”.
Councillor Robertson added: “A service that is the lifeblood of a community should not be overseen by those whose interest is in boosting their CVs and receiving payment for attending Board meetings.
“Islanders who understand the services and their impact must be appointed to replace those who have shown such complete disregard for our communities.
“I hope those identified as not having the knowledge of our islands to represent them on the MacBrayne board reflect on this and step down to make way for islanders to be appointed in their place”.
Holyrood committee chair, Edward Mountain MSP, said: “I find this unbelievable. How can these people run a ferry business if they haven’t even visited the ports?
“This is a disgrace and it is not only Robbie Drummond (the former CalMac managing director) who should have lost his job.”
Mr Mountain added: “I have been looking at these ferry issues since 2016 and there hasn’t been a single Scottish Government minister who lasted for more than 18 months.
“They come and go, they haven’t the knowledge or background and they don’t have a clue what living on an island is about. No wonder they are happy to appoint these people”.
MSP Rhoda Grant said: “It is shocking that the board of Calmac have such little knowledge of the communities they serve.
“The SNP Government treats these islands like colonial outposts to be governed by distant boards who know nothing of the reality of living and working on islands.”
CalMac initially dismissed the FoI request completely, claiming that the information was “not held centrally”.
On Tuesday, the company finally responded: “While David MacBrayne does not hold this information centrally on our systems, we acknowledge that some of this information is available from the Board members themselves”.
Former Scottish Office Minister Brian Wilson, who pursued the FoI request, said: “Even I am astonished by the brazen contempt these people have shown for islands and islanders through a critical period of recent history.
“This is a puppet board appointed by SNP Ministers to keep any influence over CalMac operations as far away as possible from the people most directly affected.
“Scotland’s public appointments system is a revolving door racket which must be reformed.
“The appointment of Ostergaard was shameless and he should now resign followed out the door by the other itinerant quangoteers”.
Conversation