SNP MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Alasdair Allan, today asked a question in the Scottish Parliament voicing the concerns of local communities in Harris and Uist about the potential impacts of CalMac’s proposed summer 2022 timetable.

Allan asked what consultation was being undertaken with communities regarding next year’s summer timetable for the CalMac network, and why an overall reduction in services from Lochmaddy and Tarbert to Uig is being proposed. He also asked why the consultation period for the proposals was seemingly so short.

Commenting on the two options outlined in response by the Transport Minister, Allan said:

“It is vital that our ferry services prioritise the needs of islanders, as well as providing adequate availability for tourists.

“There are understandably a huge number of operational and logistical factors that need to be considered, including of course ensuring that crew members get the Hours of Rest they need.

“However, I would urge CalMac and Transport Scotland to look again at these proposals, as less capacity on these routes next summer - routes which CalMac themselves say have already been under increasing pressure in recent years - would clearly be detrimental to the communities of Harris and Uist that CalMac’s ferries are meant to serve.”