Whilst the the prolonged absence from the fleet of the Caledonian Isles will not be impacting Mull’s broader summer timetable, there is set to be a three week period of disruption resulting from it. In addition, the knock-on effect of pier works at Kennacraig will also result in disruption to Mull over two busy weekends.
Fèis Ìle
Islay’s week-long Fèis Ìle begins on Friday May 24th (May bank holiday) and runs through to June 1st the following weekend. Normally some extra sailings are laid on to help meet increased demand. However, this year it coincides with works being undertaken at Kennacraig in preparation for the arrival of Islay’s two new ferries, the first of which was recently launched in Turkey. Turnaround times at Kennacraig have been increased because of the pier work, and working time limits mean that extra sailings cannot be operated by Islay’s pairing of FInlaggan and Hebridean Isles. Some Friday and Saturday services have had to be dropped. Islay is not getting the service it needs right now.
Sharing of vessels across the network in order to help out neighbouring islands is routine, necessary and totally understandable. As that shuffling has become more common and long-term however, some of these decisions have become more contentious.
We were presented with options to provide help to Islay last Friday, and were given the weekend to respond. We argued firmly in favour of other solutions that did not impact Mull and Iona as badly, yet still provided Islay with additional capacity. However, CalMac have opted to proceed with plans to operate the IOM to Islay on the two consecutive weekends at the start and end of Fèis Ìle. We have not been given any detailed answers as to how CalMac appraised community responses and arrived at a final decision, other than “it was the best option open to us”. The disruption itself will be impactful, but CalMac’s poor handling of the consultation has not helped. We have made our disappointment with the rushed and opaque ‘consultation’ process clear to CalMac management.
The upshot is that on Friday May 24th and Saturday 25th, MV Isle of Mull will deliver a much reduced timetable. This will be repeated on Saturday June 1st and Sunday June 2nd. To help back-fill, the MV Coruisk will move down from Mallaig to join the Frisa over both weekends. Daily vehicle capacity will therefore be reduced, as will foot passenger spaces. CalMac will soon be publishing the detail for both of these weekends through the usual channels.
Finlaggan dry-docking
Yesterday (Friday) we were presented with another consultation on proposed disruption, and again given three days to respond. This time, it concerns a wider cascade of vessels resulting from the delay of the MV FInlaggan’s dry-docking, coinciding with the unplanned absence of the Caledonian Isles.
The Finlaggan will be in dry-dock in Liverpool for three weeks between 17th April and 8th May. It is proposed that the Lord of the Isles will leave the Mallaig – Lochboisdale route and cover for the Finlaggan. That potentially leaves Lochboisdale without a service (Loti is the only major boat that can operate to Mallaig), so the next alternative is for the MV Isle of Mull to run services to South Uist out of Oban instead. That could either be a dedicated service, with no sailings to Craignure by the IOM for three weeks, or some degree of shared service, with IOM splitting her time between Craignure and Lochboisdale. Coruisk could be made available to help fill the gap left by the Isle of Mull (leaving Mallaig – Armadale with a single boat service).
We will be arguing for fair and proportionate sharing of the resources available. So for example, we will argue that in line with CalMac’s ‘Route Prioritisation Matrix’, destinations that also have a fixed link available should be lowest priority. So at the minimum, the Coruisk should be re-deployed to Mull whilst the IOM is being shared with Lochboisdale. We will also be analysing traffic figures to determine how the IOM can be most fairly shared with South Uist for these three weeks. But some degree of disruption to Craignure-Oban services is inevitable, in order to avoid an unreasonable concentration of pain or complete cessation of service elsewhere.
On the positive – there is an end in sight to our repeated winter chaos. By the end of the summer, CalMac should have two new ferries in service – the Glen Sannox and Isle of Islay. That should give the company a bit more flexibility in how it moves ships around. By the end of 2025, a further four vessels should have been delivered (three more ‘Islay Class’ from Turkey, and the Glen Rosa from Fergusons). That should allow a cascade of vessels that ultimately will benefit Mull and Iona. It is likely that either the Finlaggan or Caledonian Isles will replace the Isle of Mull, providing an interim uplift in capacity ahead of procurement of entirely new ships for the route.
It’s a nightmare for residents and visitors alike…Mull businesses are difficult enough to stay viable as it is. Unfortunately CalMac (like so many others) are not prepared to listen. You do a good job keeping everyone informed.