Scottish Ferries: Residents want to ditch ferry for tunnel

Mainland users of the busiest single-vessel ferry route in Scotland are pushing to ditch ships and build a tunnel or bridge in the wake of a continuing failure of the lifeline service.

It has emerged that a survey of over 1000 people from communities served by the Corran ferry service found that 54% majority were happy to ditch the ferry and go for a fixed link.

The five-minute Corran service is the busiest single-vessel ferry route in Scotland, carrying more than 270,000 cars each year.

It acts as a lifeline service, connecting the communities of Fort William, Ardgour, Sunart, Ardnamurchan, Moidart, Morar, Morvern and the Isle of Mull.

But the return of the ageing 23-year-old main vessel MV Corran had been delayed since October last year due to problems and it only made its return a month ago.

The older 48-year-old relief vessel, the MV Maid of Glencoul was put out of action again in mid-August. It remains sidelined.

Residents relying on the ferry remain concerned that they were without a ferry for four months – with only an emergency service for foot passengers between Corran and Ardgour in place during that time.

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The road alternative route left drivers facing diversions of up to 86 miles that can take up to two hours.

Since April, a team from the Ministry of Defence was called in to assess if the military could provide a replacement service until Highland Council’s service is restored.

This could have been provided via landing craft operated by the UK military.

But the council said one of its own vessels would be returning and the military help would likely not be needed.

The community survey comes as the beleaguered service was to receive £20m in a budget package announced by the UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

Highland Council, which operates the Corran service, says that the money will go "some way" towards enabling shoreside infrastructure improvements for the ferry.

The return of the ageing main vessel MV Corran had been delayed since October last year (Image: Newsquest)
But Highland Council has told communities that the earliest opportunity for a replacement electric ferry through the small vessel replacement programme run by Scottish Government-owned ships and ports owner and procurer Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) in the longer term is the end of 2026 or beginning of 2027.

The timetable for Phase 1 of the replacement programme, seen by The Herald, does not include the replacement of the Corran service.

The Highland Council response to a Corran Ferry steering group said also that in the meantime there are "no capital funds available" for a new diesel ferry to be built in lieu of an electric version.

It indicates that MV Maid of Glencoul will not be back in action until January at the earliest.

And it rejected calls for locals to be granted free travel for a designated period as compensation for lost revenue, additional fuel costs, extended travel times and missed appointments.

Dr Michael Foxley, the former leader of Highland Council and vice chairman of Ardgour Community Council said those that are in favour of a fixed link do have reservations.

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"Those in favour believe it will give better access and bring in more tourism.

"You are paying 40% more to live in the rural area and you have ferry costs on top of that.

"The main concern of a fixed link is we don't want to have what happened to Skye [with the bridge] and in 2023 they are just overwhelmed by tourists. We could do with more tourists... but we have to have something that is sustainable.  

"It is something that Scotland has to deal with. You don't let unlimited numbers into Yosemite National Park [in the US]. There are those concerns we have all seen.

"They need to start planning for a fixed link in the medium to long term, but they aren't thinking about it.

"And in the short term they have to order a second diesel ferry now before the current one breaks down again because it surely will."

The council warned ministers in February during a parliamentary inquiry into the future of ferry services that the risk of breakdown of the two vessels was "significant".

The two existing ferry vessels have been deemed to be in need of "urgent replacement" for some time.

Even if an order is made now for replacements, the council has told ministers the estimated delivery was four to five years away.

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The Corran Narrows Socio-Economic Study concluded that, in the absence of a fixed link, the provision of a frequent, reliable, and high-capacity ferry service at Corran is fundamental to the economic viability and future sustainability of the peninsula.

The council had put through a request to transfer responsibility for the service to the Scottish Government agency Transport Scotland based on principles set out in the Scottish Ferries Plan, in the hope this would pave the way for a replacement.

But the council subsequently said that the solution would have to be funded and delivered by them.

The council also told ministers earlier this year that it continues to face "significant budget pressures" and its latest capital programme categorised the ferries as "outwith the affordability envelope" and seen as an essential project looking to "attract inward investment" and "additional partnership funding".

Highland Council's economy and infrastructure committee chairman Ken Gowans said: “The Highland Council continues to work diligently with partners to find funding towards sustainable solutions for the operation of the Corran Ferry.

“The reallocation of £20 million from the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal is funding from the UK Government (which was granted on the basis of landside infrastructure) is very welcome and ensures that the overall aims of the project that has been openly discussed at every Corran Stakeholder Group meeting, is now significantly closer.

“Efforts will continue to look at funding options for the replacement of ferries, and the stakeholder group will continue to meet at regular intervals. Having modern, roll-on, roll-off compatible infrastructure will be an important step forward to enable a resilient ferry solution to be realised.”

He added: “The Corran fixed link costing report is due to be published shortly which will ascertain the options and viability of long term solutions for Lochaber and the Ardnamurchan Peninsula.

“To ensure the public are fully aware, I’d like to reiterate previous communications by saying that the fixed link costing report’s key purpose is to further develop and inform longer-term investment planning decisions and at this juncture is not about choosing/comparing between the viability of a fixed link against the urgent short to medium term requirement for ferry replacement and infrastructure.”