If you run a business on any island served by CalMac, you may now be able to apply for the new round of compensation announced by John Swinney during the Scottish election campaign.
The scheme is still restricted to tourism-related businesses, and fishers/farmers selling perishable foods. What was initially announced as a “£10m fund in the first 100 days of the new government” is actually a £4.4m fund for this financial year, with the promise of more over the next five years. If Hebridean businesses are still feeling the effects of the ferry crisis a year from now … let alone 5 years …. then the impact on the local economy would be far more serious than feared. Nevertheless, this is a welcome package of assistance that many businesses desperately need.
Visitor numbers remain suppressed. Passenger numbers on the Craignure – Oban route in 2025 were 16% down on their pre-Covid levels, and data we have for 2026 so far shows next to no improvement. The crisis should be easing however – this winter we will have a 2-vessel service for all but a few days, and a further four new vessels are due to join the fleet within months. That should avert the need for the chaotic re-deployments of the past few years, and will hopefully feed through into improved visitor confidence.
Follow this link to apply for assistance from HIE, who are administering the fund. Applications close on September 28th.