INVENTIVE methods of summoning often vital transport links across much of remote Scotland, including among the country's inhabited islands.

The smallest permanently occupied island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, Easdale, lies 200 metres off neighbouring Seil, which itself is connected to the mainland by the "Bridge over the Atlantic".

But with no vehicular access to Easdale Island, travellers have to park up and catch the small passenger ferry by sounding the klaxon in the tiny waiting room on the pier.

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Reached via the ten-person ferry, there are no vehicles, roads or street lights.

Ulva, which Sir Walter Scott used as inspiration for his poem Lord Of The Isles, has a popular but limited service.

Also an island in the Inner Hebrides, it is separated from the west coast of Mull by a narrow strait, and connected to the neighbouring island of Gometra by a bridge.

The crossing from Ulva Ferry only takes a couple of minutes and is on demand -summon the ferry by uncovering the red panel on the pier, but travellers are urged to cover it again as the boat approaches.

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The ferry which takes foot passengers and bicycles runs Monday to Friday, from nine to five, during summer months.

The Kerrera Ferry, the small ferryboat that runs frequently across the narrow Sound of Kerrera from Oban to the island.

In summer, the ferry can also be hailed by turning a board, which sits at the top of the slipway, to black, to make the 500-metre crossing.