Lochboisdale ferry cancellation has left islanders 'beyond crisis'
BBCIslanders on South Uist say their community has been left "beyond crisis" after its ferry service was cancelled for the rest of June.
They are calling for compensation over operator CalMac's decision to cut this month's sailings from Lochboisdale to Mallaig on the mainland.
MV Lord of the Isles, which serves the route, was redeployed to Islay due to ongoing repair issues with the fleet.
CalMac has apologised and said it had increased sailings on other routes.
Chief Executive Robbie Drummond has also promised to visit the island next week, after locals gathered at Lochboisdale Pier on Sunday to show their frustration.
And First Minister Humza Yousaf said compensation payments to affected islanders were "not off the table" and that "we will look at what we can do to support business".
Disruption to sailings earlier this year led to claims that it was having a worse economic impact than the Covid lockdowns.
Christina Morrison owns the Croft and Cuan food business near the Lochboisdale ferry terminal.
She told the BBC that ferry passengers make up more than 50% of her business and said the current situation was "beyond a crisis".
"We need the Scottish government to step in and really to help us support the local economy going forward," she said.
"We don't want compensation, we 'need' compensation."
Christina said the feeling on the island was that they were better off during Covid than they are now, because there was support in place to pay wages.
Christina's view is shared by Calum MacAulay, who owns the nearby Lochboisdale Hotel.
He said the island economy was being "severely dented" by the ongoing ferry disruption.
"Within the first 24 hours of the latest announcement that we're losing our service, we've had over 20 cancellations.
"By the end of June I really do suspect the cancellation level will probably hit in excess of 100."
Calum said he "hates to think" what would happen if the ferry was removed again after June.
Local people insist that there is not enough capacity on the other mainland routes from Barra and North Uist to absorb the disruption in South Uist.
Gary Young is head of golf operations at Askernish Golf Club.
He said takings were down 70% since the ferry service was cancelled, but the disruption goes beyond his business.
"The ferries are affecting me at my work, family life, waiting on medication," he said.
"My son has allergies, so waiting on food coming over and things that are delayed because of ferry cancellations.
"It has made us question how long we'll stay on the island."
Local authority Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has also reacted with anger at the situation.
Former transport minister Kevin Stewart, who stepped down earlier this week on health grounds, had previously said he was disappointed that CalMac had not fully engaged with communities about the disruption.
He said: "I am fully aware the direct impact the loss of service is having on the community."
CalMac's Robbie Drummond said the community was "understandably angry" as he announced his visit to the island next Monday.
He added: "This decision has clearly affected people living in the area, as shown by the holding of a public protest at Lochboisdale port.
"I will be in Lochboisdale to meet local representatives so that I can listen to the concerns of local residents and businesses.
"I hope be able to explain the alternative options we have considered, as well as how our route prioritisation matrix helps us to arrive at these extremely tough decisions."
Transport Scotland said it was "acutely aware" of the issues on South Uist and it had been engaging with communities.
A spokesperson said: "We have made very clear to CalMac that they must continue to explore all avenues to keep this disruption to an absolute minimum.
"We are pleased that they too are engaging with the communities involved, and bolstering contingency options on the other CalMac routes via the Sound of Barra.
Transport Scotland said ministers had invested more than £2bn in ferry services since 2007 and had a five-year plan to invest a further £700m to improve infrastructure.
A spokesperson added: "While operational decisions regarding the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services lie with CalMac, we recognise this issue is not just about transport performance - it's about delivering the confidence needed to sustain local populations."