Latest news with #LordoftheIsles
STV News
26-05-2025
- Business
- STV News
Island businesses say 'no sign' of promised £4.4m amid ferry crisis
Businesses on South Uist are calling on the Scottish Government to come good on their promise of £4.4m of resilience funds for those worst affected by the ongoing ferry crisis. The Government's original announcement came one month ago, the day before transport minister Fiona Hyslop travelled to the island to attend South Uist Business Impact Group's (SUBIG) crisis meeting, where over 50 businesses presented testimony on how the ferry crisis has affected them in the hopes of discussing a way forward. However, since the meeting, the business group has heard no further mention of the fund. John Daniel Peteranna, director of local community landowner Storas Uist, said: 'Uist has suffered a severely reduced ferry service all this year. 'Island businesses stand ready to work with the government on how the fund might work, but are disappointed at the government's slow approach. 'This fund is urgently needed to ensure island businesses can survive until the ferry service improves.' The call comes after South Uist's ferry, the Lord of the Isles, returned to its home port of Lochboisdale for the first time since Hogmanay. Saturday saw the first service between South Uist and its 'usual' mainland port of Mallaig for almost six months. Loti is the only 'large' ferry in CalMac's fleet capable of entering Mallaig harbour while also able to travel out to South Uist. At 37 years old, it is one of the oldest in the fleet and prone to breakdowns. Last September, a fire in the engine room during the crossing led to its removal from service for weeks, further disrupting the island's economy. The return of the island's ferry also means the island's full summer timetable can finally commence, albeit two months later than planned. This shorter route to Mallaig, only three and a half hours instead of the five and a half hours to Oban that businesses, families and other travellers have endured for the past six months, also means South Uist will benefit from two sailings a day on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays in the full summer timetable. But, as the MV Lord of the Isles slunk into her berth on Friday evening, shrouded by squalls of long absent rain, islanders know that this full summer timetable will last for only two weeks. For most of June and July, CalMac is cutting one service a week to the island and redirecting two others to distant Oban instead of Mallaig. 'Island businesses and families need a timetable they can rely on', Mr Peteranna added. 'We shouldn't live in fear of our service being cut every time there's a problem somewhere else in CalMac's fleet. We call on the government to present the details of the resilience fund.' With its regular ferry returning from helping out on routes to islands CalMac prioritises above South Uist, there is cautious optimism from hospitality and other businesses that something might yet be made of the summer season. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Scotland's island communities and businesses face many challenges, we recognise the need to provide additional targeted support and that is why we have allocated an initial £4.4m to establish a resilience fund to support island businesses. 'People and businesses need to have confidence in ferry services running reliably and frequently to support their livelihoods, among many other factors and it is clear that any delays or maintenance to vessels can create real difficulties and we are determined to do everything we can to support islands, local businesses and employers through these challenging times. 'We are currently working at pace with partners to refine eligibility criteria and so that we can open for applications as soon as possible.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
10-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Ferguson Marine seeking direct award to build major new CalMac ferry
Shipyard lobbying for contract for Lord of the Isles replacement Sign up for the latest news and analysis about Scottish transport Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Scottish Government-owned Ferguson Marine shipyard is hoping to be handed another major CalMac ferry order, The Scotsman has learned. Ferguson Marine is seeking the direct award of a contract to replace the 500-passenger Lord of the Isles, which the yard built 36 years ago. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The MV Lord of the Isles | CalMac The news comes after ministers this week awarded Scottish Government-owned CalMac a new contract without a competition, unlike previously. The Port Glasgow yard is still struggling to complete the second of two-hugely late ferries for CalMac, whose delays have been blamed on previous management, including before the firm was nationalised in 2019. Glen Sannox was finished in November last year, six-and-a-half years late. Sister vessel Glen Rosa is not due to be delivered until at least September. Ferguson Marine is desperate to secure new work to follow Glen Rosa. Ministers decided against directly awarding the yard seven smaller electric CalMac ferries and Ferguson Marine subsequently lost the competition to a Polish firm. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Deputy Minister Kate Forbes argued that a direct award could have triggered a legal wrangle and delayed construction. An industry source said of the latest contract: 'Ideally, they want a direct award to build the replacement for Lord of the Isles, but if not, then they would register interest should there be a competition. 'They think the CalMac contract announcement sets a precedent for a direct award of some kind and are in the process of engaging with [Transport Secretary] Fiona Hyslop to find out what is possible.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lord of the Isles serves the Mallaig-Lochboisdale route | CalMac The Scotsman has learned a decision over going ahead with the order is due to be made by Transport Scotland's investment decision making board next week, which would need to approve its outline business case. Transport Scotland said last month this year's Scottish Government Budget 'had provision to procure the tender for replacement of the Lord of the Isles'. The vessel, known as Loti, normally operates between Mallaig and Lochboisdale in South Uist, but has been temporarily redeployed to the Islay route to cover for another vessel. West Scotland Liberal Democrat MSP Jamie Greene said: 'If Ferguson Marine is confident it can build this ship on time and within budget, I don't see any reason why they shouldn't be allowed to. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The Scottish Government has given the direct award of the west coast ferry contact to CalMac, stating there were no legal barriers to them doing so. And yet oddly, it used the opposite argument as to why it couldn't give a direct award to the publicly-funded Ferguson Marine. 'For years, the SNP repeatedly stated that there would be a pipeline of work at Ferguson for generations to come. Instead, contracts have gone to Turkey and Poland, with things looking increasingly bleak for the workforce at the yard.' Louise Gilmour, Scotland secretary of the GMB union, which represents workers at the yard and has campaigned for direct awards, said: 'We were told repeatedly how there are legal obstacles, but these are insurmountable when convenient for ministers and dissolve when not.' Scottish Conservatives shadow transport spokesperson Sue Webber said: 'These are the sort of contracts Ferguson Marine will require if they are to flourish in the future. However, due to the SNP's botched nationalisation of the yard, it has left them at a huge disadvantage in bidding processes like this.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Transport Scotland said procurement rules meant direct awards were only possible 'in strictly limited circumstances'. It said that under the UK Subsidy Control Act, such shipbuilding contracts 'must be capable of withstanding legal challenge'. A spokesperson said: 'Ministers will consider future vessel contracts from public agencies on a case-by-case basis to determine whether any might legally be open to direct award.' Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, which orders ferries for the Scottish Government, indicated it was not expecting a direct award. Its spokesperson said: 'Subject to approval next week of the outline business case for the Loti replacement contract, and funding, we intend to begin an open procurement process for the new vessel in the middle of June.
Telegraph
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Prince and Princess of Wales celebrate 14th wedding anniversary in Scotland
The Prince and Princess of Wales are celebrating their 14th wedding anniversary by helping to spruce up a small community centre on the Scottish island of Mull. The couple, who will stay on the island in a self-catering cottage on Tuesday night, are marking their marital milestone with public engagements celebrating 'the power of community and social connection'. Their Royal Foundation is funding a new soft play area for young children on the island, as well as refurbishing halls that house events, including wedding receptions and yoga classes. They are spending two days on Mull and the smaller island of Iona, with a particular focus on the power of nature. They married at Westminster Abbey on April 29 2011 and now have three children, who are not travelling with them. On Tuesday morning, they met residents in Tobermory, the picturesque harbour town famous for its colourful seafront houses and as the setting of children's television show Balamory. The Prince and Princess also stopped for a tour of Aros Hall, built in the 19th century and now home to a community fridge saving food from landfill, a charity shop and a children's indoor play area used by Home-Start Lorn, a family support charity. They will also visit the nearby harbour to chat to makers and creators at Tobermory Producers Market, co-ordinated by Aros Hall. They will end their day by travelling to a combined croft and restaurant on the west coast of Mull, touring some of its 50 acres of land, seeing the Hebridean sheep farmed on site and helping select garden produce for the menu. The couple are officially known by their Scottish titles the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland and have a connection with Mull, as the island is part of lands once ruled by the Lord of the Isles, one of a number of Scottish titles that Prince William inherited from his father. They have visited the island once before, as university students, where they travelled with friends for an ordinary holiday. Prince William and the then-Kate Middleton met at the University of St Andrews in Fife. The visit aims to highlight the importance of communities and protecting and championing the natural environment. On Wednesday, they will visit a forest and spend time at Pennyghael Community Hall and on the island of Iona after taking the public ferry from Mull and meeting those who use and run the service. The Royal Foundation's Community Impact Programme is providing undisclosed grants for the renovation of facilities at Aros Hall in Tobermory, and at Pennyghael Community Hall. The money will go towards roof repairs and refurbishment, as well as adding a soft play area and toys for children to use through the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood partnerships with LEGO and the Co-op. Banjo Beale, an interior designer and the presenter of the BBC's Designing The Hebrides programme and a Mull resident, said: 'It's an absolute joy to be working with the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales to redesign and preserve these vital community spaces. 'Together, we're not just restoring old walls – we're reimagining what's possible when community and creativity come together. I'm excited to breathe new life into beloved buildings and celebrate the island's warmth, resilience and quiet magic.'
Evening Standard
23-04-2025
- General
- Evening Standard
Prince Louis beams in new photograph to mark William and Kate's son's seventh birthday
William has a connection with the Isle of Mull because it is part of lands once ruled by the Lord of the Isles, one of a number of Scottish titles he inherited from his father when Charles became King.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Minister to attend 'crisis' meeting on Uist ferries
Scotland's transport secretary, Fiona Hyslop, is to attend a "crisis" meeting later, called by islanders on South Uist over disruption to ferry services. The direct route to the mainland from the second largest island in the Outer Hebrides is currently served by a ship restricted to carrying just 45 passengers. A business group said the island's economy had been suffering from years of unreliable ferry services due to lack of investment. On the eve of the meeting, the Scottish government announced it was creating a £4.4m resilience fund to help islanders during the current difficulties. 'Exceptional' pressures force CalMac fleet reshuffle CalMac cuts passenger numbers over safety failure South Uist has been under particular pressure recently as state-owned ferry operator CalMac struggles with a shortage of ships while it awaits replacements for its ageing fleet. Winter maintenance has uncovered new problems with several vessels, forcing CalMac to rejig its schedules and move ferries onto different routes. MV Lord of the Isles, which normally sails between Lochboisdale on South Uist and the mainland port of Mallaig, is deployed elsewhere until mid-May. A replacement vessel, MV Isle of Mull, although designed to carry 900 passengers is currently restricted to just 45 - the number that can fit in the traditional lifeboats. This is because of a fault with its emergency evacuation chute system. Instead of sailing to Mallaig, it travels to Oban, 85 miles away from the normal scheduled port, which adds more than four hours to the crossing time. John Daniel Peteranna, from the South Uist Business Group which is hosting what it calls a "ferry crisis summit", said the island's economic potential in areas like seafood, distilleries and tourism was being stifled. He said businesses had suffered five years of reputational damage due to unreliable transport links to the mainland. "When we set up the business group three years ago we didn't think things could get any worse but they have surprised us," he told BBC Scotland News. The meeting will be attended by local MSPs as well as representatives from CalMac, although the operator's chief executive and chairman will not be present. The business group will be asking for more details on the resilience funding and whether more can be done to improve services until the return of Lord of the Isles in May. It will be also be seeking an update on plans to replace the 36-year-old vessel and upgrade the harbour facilities at Lochboisdale. The Scottish government said it was working out eligibility criteria for the resilience funding, and this would be discussed at the meeting. Islands Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: "We know that the current situation of delays and ongoing maintenance to some vessels has created real difficulties for some. "We are determined to do everything we can to support islands, their local businesses and employers through these challenging times." CalMac said it had put on extra sailings from South Uist to Barra, which offers an alternative route to Oban on the mainland. The firm's chief operating officer Diane Burke will attend the meeting. A spokesperson said: "We recognise the current challenges with our major vessel fleet has led to disruption on a number or routes, particularly on South Uist. "We've been in regular contact with local representatives throughout this period of disruption to ensure the community is kept informed about the service." Two ageing vessels MV Hebrides and MV Caledonian are currently undergoing repairs, while MV Hebridean Isles was retired from service late last year. Ferries procurement body CMAL is awaiting the arrival of the first of four new CalMac ferries being built in Turkey, but these are delayed and the first vessel MV Isle of Islay is not expected until later this summer. The long-delayed MV Glen Sannox, built by the Ferguson Marine shipyard, is now in service on the Arran route but its sister ship MV Glen Rosa is still under construction and a new update on its delivery is awaited. CMAL said the redevelopment of Lochboisdale and the replacement of MV Lord of the Isles were both dependent on funding approval by Transport Scotland. 'Island ferry problems meant my child could not travel' 'Exceptional' pressures force CalMac fleet reshuffle CalMac cuts passenger numbers over safety failure
