I AM sure the general tourism trade is pleased to see the report of the increase in ferry traffic throughout the Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) empire in the Hebrides (“Caledonian MacBrayne hits five-million passenger mark for first time in 20 years”, The Herald, February 15). However, the figures offered up by CalMac are selective.
The large increase on the Craignure-Oban run is entirely because CalMac removed the purpose-built ferry from the Mallaig-Armadale run to double up services. Meanwhile the appalling service to south Skye led to a decline in many areas of its passenger and vehicle numbers. The new service to south Skye is so bad and untrustworthy that many commercial, local and tour bus services now avoid it altogether - a large inconvenience and cost for everyone.
The best passenger statistic comes from one of the smallest runs, from Kilchoan to Tobermory. with a massive 74 per cent increase. This is similar to the award given in the 1970s to a VW dealer on Skye whose salesmanship led to the largest increase in sales of any UK VW agency. A great honour, until you realised that one year he sold two cars, and the next year sold seven. Statistics are everyone's friend, a poor ferry service helps no-one.
Duncan MacInnes,
Ostaig House, Sleat, Isle of Skye.
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