Harbour works

On 8 September this year, the new ferry MV Loch Seaforth will arrive in Stornoway. She is due to take over from the current vessel, MV Isle of Lewis at a later stage.  As the new ferry is larger, and has a greater capacity for vehicles, the marshalling and carparking areas around the ferry terminal have to be enlarged. Works will commence, and those involved in the construction (like the contractors, Calmac and police) ask the public for patience. This article on the Stornoway Gazette website will outline the impact in the interim.
The main points for the next few weeks:

• Staff and long-stay carpark has closed
• Carpark at pier no 1 will be closed from 18 April
• Ferry will dock at pier no 1 from 5 May

Detailed plans are on display in Stornoway ferry terminal, in the bay to the left of the entrance from the carpark.

Clipper Ranger

Our new freight ferry, the Clipper Ranger, suffered a mishap last Tuesday (28 January), when she lost all power whilst manoeuvering to dock at pier no 1 here in Stornoway. As a result, the impetus of the ship carried her forcefully into the pier. Then she bounced off the fendering and drifted in the harbour, narrowly missing running aground in the Castle Grounds.
The damage to the ship necessitated it being patched up prior to it being taken to drydock in Liverpool for repairs.

For the time being, the MV Hebridean Isles is taking freight back and forth to Ullapool

Ferry tales

Our old freight ferry Muirneag sailed from Stornoway on 3 October to reach her new home in Turkey a fortnight later. On approach to Istanbul, she passed the Dardanelles, site of a bloody 9 month battle in 1915 which claimed half a million lives. Twelve of these were of men from the Isle of Lewis. I wish her well in her new life in the Black Sea.
Our new ferry Loch Seaforth is taking shape on a shipyard in Germany, and is expected to take over from the Isle of Lewis in July 2014. On Monday 11th November, the Pier & Harbour Commission will have an open day at the Stornoway ferry terminal for displaying their plans for the new ferry terminal. As the Loch Seaforth is larger than the Isle of Lewis, reclamation works will have to be undertaken to accommodate all the traffic. I’m wondering why this is only now being thought about, 8 months before the new ferry comes into service.
And although the Loch Seaforth is supposed to take the overnight freight runs as well, the relevant report on Hebrides News mentions that the linkspan on Pier #1 is to be refurbished - to take a future freight service. A prudent measure. During the summer, the ferry to Ullapool sails three times a day on Wednesday and Friday, leaving Stornoway at 6.00 am and completing the service at 1.45 am. Leaving just four and a bit hours to do the freight run which takes 8 hours back and forth. Well, I’m sorry, but even in the Outer Hebrides, a day only has 24 hours, not 29.

Muirneag

On 19 September, the replacement for our freight ferry Muirneag, the Clipper Ranger arrived in Stornoway. Today, Saturday 21 September, the Muirneag was taken off charter for Calmac from V-ships and was tied up at the Arnish pier. The Clipper Ranger took over at the same time.

Muirneag has come in for an unfair bit of stick over the years, acquiring the nickname the Olympic Flame (because she never went out). The vessel has brought all our goods to the islands, in all weathers (remember that storm in November 2005, when she ended up 60 miles north of the Butt of Lewis?) and all seasons.

The Clipper Ranger
Muirneag at Arnish

Flights take flight

Just a commentary after the event on the recent saga surrounding the axing of flights in and out of Benbecula.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar decided to axe flights between Benbecula and Barra, saving £148,000. This has had certain consequences, and in my opinion not all of them were foreseen by our local authority. Although the flights were poorly subscribed, they fulfilled a lifeline function. Transporting urgent medical supplies, and patients back and forth to the Uist & Barra hospital is but one that came to mind. Yes, there is the ferry from Eriskay to Barra, but I can’t imagine that many recently discharged patients from the U&B relish the prospect of a potentially bumpy 40 minutes on the high seas.
However, I really do wonder if CNES foresaw the logistical consequences - I doubt it. Withdrawing the Barra flights from Benbecula also resulted in a reduction in flights from Benbecula to Stornoway (to just 3 days a week) as well as in flights from Stornoway to Inverness and Edinburgh. I found it wryly comical when our MSP started to squawk at the prospect of his Friday flight from Edinburgh being axed so he couldn’t go home for the weekend. Cutting the Benbecula - Stornoway flights means that consultants coming from Stornoway can only do so on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, unless they are prepared to drive 75 miles (in total) and sit on a ferry for a whole hour to get themselves to the U&B in Balivanich, Benbecula. And do the process in reverse at the end of the day.
I am not convinced that CNES consulted with Loganair prior to implementing the decision to cut the flights. Reading the media reports at the time, everybody seems to have been caught out by the consequences. Another consequence is the loss of a subsidy from the Scottish Government for this lifeline service.

Cutting costs, which CNES has had to do to the tune of £6m, is a necessary evil in this time of economic stagnation. But cutting costs without due regard for the consequences is not good local government.

HS2

The British government have announced that HS2 will produce tens of thousands of jobs in the UK economy. On their Number10gov twitter account, the tweet reads: #HS2 is a ‘catalyst that will help secure economic prosperity & support tens of thousands of jobs’ says PM http://ow.ly/hboog

HS2 is also the postal code for rural Lewis, an open goal in this context.
Well, it’s good to finally see some recognition of the contribution made by the men and women of the rural parts of this island. Whilst not negating the similarly worthy contributions from the folk of Stornoway (HS1), it is particularly rewarding, after so many years, decades and centuries of neglect from Westminster, wilful or otherwise.
We can now look forward to the construction of some proper infrastructure, with HS2 being the high speed rail link, running from Butt of Lewis station in the grounds of the lighthouse down the west coast machair, or parallel to the A857, to Barvas Junction, where a low-speed spur runs over the moors to Stornoway. HS2 continues southwest to Carloway, where a subsea tunnel will take the line to Miavaig and Timsgarry Central. After rounding the bay, the line is expected to pass through Mangersta Outer, Islivig and Brenish. Another tunnel will take the trains under the outflows of Lochs Hamnaway and Tealasbhagh to Huisinish, from where HS2 will run down the fifteen miles to Tarbert Central.
HS1 meanwhile will also start at the Butt of Lewis, and speed south along the east coast of the island to North Tolsta. Hugging the line of the main road into town, the line will cross the Cockle Ebb from Tong to Steinish, and enter the town of Stornoway along the line of the Sandwick Canal. Stornoway Central will be located on the seafront, outside the ferry terminal. In order to mitigate the inclines that are met upon leaving Stornoway in a southerly direction, the line will retrace its course as far as Tong, then veer off to the west and south, gradually gaining height through Laxdale. HS1 will then run fairly straight across the moors towards North Lochs and South Lochs, crossing Lochs Leurbost and Erisort by bridge. Finally issuing along the shores of Loch Seaforth, the line will then make for the Harris Hills. The Clisham range will be tunnelled under, meeting the HS2 at Ardhasaig Junction before making for Tarbert Central.

Ach well, we can but dream…

Beast of burden

A few months ago, the Citylink bus company ceased to provide a useful service for passengers, going on the Ullapool to Stornoway (and vice versa) ferry. At Inverness, you could pop your bags on a van, which would take your luggage onto the ferry, and once at Stornoway, the bags would be put into the ferry terminal and off you went. Same happened in Stornoway, you’d leave your bags at the Citylink desk and you’d be reunited with your luggage in Inverness.

Nowadays, everybody has to tote their bags on board. Officially, Calmac allows you 40 kg of luggage, although under Health & Safety regs, you can’t carry more than 25 kg in the one go in a place of work. People that have a lot of luggage sometimes take one lot on board, then pop back to collect the rest. And that has now been banned by Calmac.
I have two solutions in mind. Why doesn’t Calmac and Citylink talk to each other and hire a man with a van to take the bags to and fro, as before? OK, I hear what you say, integrated public transport, what’s that?? Second option, Calmac to invest in luggage trolleys which it will haul on and off board at either end. This image from one of the islands off mainland Europe.

Luggage trolleys

Sunday ferry

It is reported that Calmac will start operating ferries with fare-paying passengers on board out of Tarbert, Harris, as of 23 October next. At the moment, the MV Hebrides leaves Tarbert empty on Sunday morning to sail to Lochmaddy for the two runs to Uig, Skye; returning empty in the evening. The company has applied for permission, likely to be granted without difficulty, to carry passengers on the Tarbert - Lochmaddy (and vice versa) run on Sundays. The crossing to Skye would be conducted from Lochmaddy. The return trip, in the evening, would also be done through Lochmaddy.

As the ferry is already running at any rate, it only makes sense to let passengers on as well - that’s what the boat is there for in the first place.

Whilst respectful towards those who genuineful feel that Sunday should be a day of rest, I am pleased that there will now be a 7-day ferry service out of Tarbert. To quote Calumannabel from a few years ago: “Is that the sort of thing you were after?” Answer: yes.
It is probably too much to ask for a bus on Sundays.

Of cars, brollies - and buses

Today, another scheme from our elected representatives in Sandwick Road, Stornoway to save the planet. All employees of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) will be encouraged to give up their cars, and as a reward they will be issued with umbrellas. That way, council employees will be able to walk to work dry.

I have found an umbrella an unfortunately useless accoutrement in our climate. Yes, it frequently rains here. But it also blows hard quite a lot. I once came across a gentleman who tried to put up an umbrella in a force 8 gale. He nearly flew to his destination.
So, people should use public transport, if they’re coming in from out of town. Well, that means taking the bus. I am the last person in this island to knock the bus services, but really, there have been reductions in the buses in recent years. The town circular is now more a triangular short hop, and some buses don’t come even though they’re timetabled to do so.

Quite a few hare-brained ideas on public transport are thought out by people who graciously plonk their posteriors in luxuriously heated plush carseats, that they will not give up for any umbrella. So why should anybody else?

Bus timetables

Today, 25 March, the summer timetables for the buses in the Western Isles came into force. Until yesterday, all bus routes in Lewis and Harris had their timetables combined into a handsome little book, which was handed out free to all who were interested. As of today, timetables are handed out a route at a time (there are nearly two dozen different bus routes in Lewis and Harris). This may be convenient for residents (I doubt it), but is thoroughly inconvenient for visitors who may wish to use several different routes.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar advises that it has stopped producing the timetable booklets for reasons of cost. I find that poor service. £160,000 is being spent on slopping some emulsion paint and ceiling tiles on the reception area of the Comhairle’s HQ on Sandwick Road, but providing a service for one of the pillars of the local economy costs too much. Even if the costs were prohibitive (how much does it cost to produce a glossy, full-colour, 52 page A5 sized booklet?), a small charge could be levied to cover the costs.
Incomprehensible.

Coastguard demo

I attended a rally at the Coastguard Station this lunchtime to join a protest against the proposed closure of the station. A short march was held in front of the station, with banners and placards protesting against the closure. A handful of people held speeches, some very powerful, and with the chant "Save Our Station", the rally was closed at 1.30pm. The weather was suitably inclement with strong winds and persistent rain. Our (current) ferry, the MV Clansman saluted the Coastguard station upon entering port by blowing her whistle.




Trades union banners


Save Our Station


The march

Fuel prices

I don't own a car, but whenever I pass one of the petrol stations in Stornoway, I do glance at their price board. Fuel prices are now well above £1.40 a litre, and diesel was at £1.50 on January 5th. I'll nip up the road later today to check, but in the meantime, I can report that these ridiculous prices are forcing people to leave the island, or at least relocate closer to their place of work. I heard from at least one person who is in the latter position.

There was a lot of hot air from our esteemed parliamentary representatives, when the idea of a rural fuel derogation was rejected by HM Treasury in London. I think there should be more emphasis on the discrepancies between rural locations. The same tanker that supplies Inverness and Scrabster also calls at Stornoway. So, why is fuel here so much dearer than in Inverness? I think that should be investigated by the council and / or the Scottish Government, and the causes dealt with immediately.

[Entry amended]

Sunday sailings

On 26 December 2010 and 2 January 2011, Calmac had a ferry calling at Tarbert, Harris. Both those days were Sundays. It was for the first time in history that a ferry had docked at Tarbert on the Sabbath. Calmac have explained that the aforementioned calls were for operational reasons, as not having a sailing on those days would have left Tarbert without a ferry for three days in a row.

It was revealed today that Calmac are conducting a consultation on implementing a Sunday service between Tarbert and Uig (Skye) with the start of the summer timetable on March 27th. Feelings within Harris appear to be divided. However, Calmac now have two precendents on their record where they have introduced Sunday sailings against some local opposition. The first was in 2006, with the Berneray to Leverburgh sailing, and the second in 2009, when the Stornoway to Ullapool ferry began to ply on the Sabbath. It would stand to reason to expect a Sunday service to be commenced on all the legs of the Uig - Lochmaddy - Tarbert triangle. You could argue that Harris residents could drive to Stornoway (40 to 60 miles away) on Sunday, but there is unfortunately no public transport to take non-drivers there on that day of the week.

Some 30 years ago, local fishermen had threatened to blockade Tarbert against a Sunday ferry. The image of a gentleman of the cloth prostrating himself across the Kyleakin slipway in 1965 also comes to mind. Should Calmac send the MV Hebrides into Tarbert on Sunday 27 March, I don't think the ripples will be any worse than those generated by the ferry's entry into East Loch Tarbert.

Pollution

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="MV Isle of Lewis, 13 December 2009"][/caption]

Calmac, our ferry operator, could face prosecution under pollution laws over the exhaust fumes of the Isle of Lewis ferry. Since this boat was converted to burning heavy fuel oil last year, it has been belching out thick fumes every day, prior to departure. Those who are ever in Stornoway town centre at ferry departure time, when there's a southerly wind, will be familiar with the sight and smell of the ferry's exhaust fumes. The picture from December 2009 shows it all. Calmac has declined to comment.

Bus tickets

New ticket machines are being installed on the main bus routes in Lewis (see this article on Hebrides News). I am pleased that more advanced technology is being installed on our buses, as outlined. I am just wondering whether this will allow cross-operator ticketing. That is a mouthful which simply means: can I buy one ticket which will pay for my journey from (e.g.) Point to Carloway? At the moment, you have to pay Bus na Comhairle for the section to Stornoway, and Maclennan's Buses for the onward portion to Carloway. If this is not the case, perhaps this possibility should be at least considered and at best implemented.

Annual overhaul

The MV Isle of Lewis, which plies the route between Stornoway and Ullapool, went into Garvel Drydock at Greenock today for its annual overhaul. MV Clansman is currently covering the route, but it should be noted that this vessel takes longer to sail from Stornoway to Ullapool and vice versa. Calmac has NOT advised any changes in its timetable, but be prepared for slightly later departure and arrival times through the day. I do not know when the MV Isle of Lewis will return on the route, but two weeks from now is a safe assumption.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="MV Clansman at Stornoway, 30 January 2007"][/caption]

Icy conditions

An expedition to Sandwick Cemetery foundered yesterday on the incredible ice-rink that is the footpath between Lower Sandwick and the Battery, Stornoway. Pavements in that area of the town look like this:



and I have great fun making my way from the turning point at the bottom of Miller Road to the start of the footpath to Sandwick. Once there, I found the length of the path to be like below:



and conditions within the cemetery no better. I did not come bearing skates, so I had to turn back and wait for the Atlantic to whirl some mild weather our way. I think that won't be very long, bearing in mind that a cargoship with 4,300 tons of roadsalt docked at Stornoway this morning.

Gritting - II

I was shocked to learn this morning that a young man of 24 died in a collision on the A859, Stornoway to Tarbert road, at the turn-off for Arnish Point. Five other people were taken to hospital with injuries, one of them was seriously hurt. My sympathies go out to friends and family of the deceased. A report on this incident will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal. Because of this, and on account of the on-going investigation into the cause of the collision, I cannot stress strongly enough that it is wholly inappropriate for me or anyone else to speculate.

Road conditions in Lewis at the moment appear to be atrocious (I'm off island at present), and I was severely critical of the council in yesterday's post. I think we want to bear in mind though, that the lack of gritting in the island is not wholly to blame on Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. It is not customary for me to stand up for our council, but on this occasion I am turning my fire on a higher authority: the Scottish Government. One of the sources of income of any council in Scotland (or indeed the UK) is the council tax. The Scottish Government has not allowed councils in Scotland to raise council tax bills since the current administration came to power in 2007. The result is that council budgets have grown tighter and tighter, and cuts are having to be made.

Cutting back on gritting is a bad choice and I maintain my criticism of the Comhairle for that. However, the council tax freeze appears to have been a populist move on the part of the Scottish Government and I'm sure everybody will have relished in the non-elevation of their council tax bills since '07. I wonder if that joy will continue, now that we're all slithering along roads and pavements, either on foot or in vehicles - because the council no longer has the funds to do the gritting.

Gritting

Following the news in the islands from a distance, I can only conclude that the council's new gritting policy should be scrapped. It is a disgrace that roads in the island remain more akin to an ice-rink than of the Queen's Highway. I am reading stories from South Lochs, where a lorry bound for Lemreway is stuck 4 miles away at Gravir, vehicles won't venture past Garyvard and even the bus won't go there.

It is the council's responsibility to keep roads in Lewis passable to all motorists, and the recent reductions in gritting hours is lunacy. I hope that as soon as more grit comes in (apparently, they're running out) these false economies will be reversed. I will take the liberty to remind readers that the Comhairle's failure to keep roads passable has cost lives in the past. Do we need to have another fatality to get things moving in the Sandwick Road area of Stornoway?

One other aspect, which has me gritting my teeth from afar, is the fact that pavements are a hazard to pedestrians as well. It has come to my attention that some of the pavements in the Newton area of Stornoway were gritted by a private citizen.

C'mon guys, get real. Grit those roads and do it now.

Extended summer service

Our MP has asked for the ferry summer timetable to be extended into November. Its current validity runs out next Saturday, October 24th. He states that the slashing of ferry fares, due to RET, has promoted ferry traffic last summer. Mr Macneil appears to be unaware though that the tourist season tends to end at the close of the midterm break, i.e. by the penultimate weekend in October. Five years ago, when I was travelling western Scotland, I could not help but notice that everything ground to a stop by October 24th or thereabouts, and that was not related to the ferry services. Being in the Isle of Skye at the time, which can be reached by bridge, it was very noticeable. Also, the Stornoway to Ullapool ferry service is the same right through the year. Other services in the Western Isles do see a reduction in service though.

However, if the summer service is extended in November and leads to an increase in tourist traffic to the islands, I'll be the last to complain.