It may seem like a sea storm in a teacup, but whether the chief executive of CalMac can get his car on one of his own ferries because it was full is really no small matter.

It is certainly no trifling issue to islanders who have been told they will be cut off from the mainland for the rest of this month and are seeking at the very least recognition that lifeline services are not good enough.

But concerns have surfaced over an apparent reluctance by the ferry operator to admit that CalMac chief executive Robbie Drummond could not get on a ferry to meet irate islanders because it was full.

The protests on South Uist are the latest symptom of the ferry fiasco which has seen ageing vessels shifted like pawns on a chess board to cover for those that are broken down.

For those on South Uist, who have once again become victims of a route prioritisation matrix which attempts to place ferries in positions to ensure the least impact on the public, real recognition from those in charge that things must change is just the first step towards a solution.

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The depth of feeling was there for all to see on a sunny Sunday when 500 residents, 200 cars, 40 vans and 20 lorries gathered at Lochboisdale, the main port on South Uist to protest over publicly owned operator CalMac's decision to cancel almost every ferry service in June.

With talk of compensation from the Scottish Government to make up for the loss of income during the peak holiday season burning ministerial ears – it was down to CalMac's chief executive Robbie Drummond to shuffle over to ferry-less South Uist for a couple of days on Monday to keep the peace through meetings with residents and community and business leaders.

The issue was how he was to get there after having to go on a huge detour just to get to the alternative crossing from Uig on the Isle of Skye to Lochmaddy on North Uist.

And the single ferry on the crossing, the MV Hebrides was choc-a-bloc. Mr Drummond, instead of driving to his meetings in and around Lochboisdale – abandoned his car on the mainland, became a foot passenger on the ferry and found another way to get the 40-odd miles from Lochmaddy.

What became troublesome for some of those meeting Mr Drummond is how CalMac went into what was perceived to be 'denial mode' after Mr Drummond had admitted to those gathering that he was forced to leave his car.

CalMac later on Monday said in response merely that he "deliberately took the decision to travel as a foot passenger to ensure he was not taking up any space that any customer could use".

The ferry operator also declined to discuss the finer details of Mr Drummond's travel arrangements.

The Herald:

With no mention that the reason was that the ferry was full, it was a response described by one member of the South Uist Business Ferry Impact Group as "a load of tosh".

Those campaigning for change on South Uist had been getting a briefing of their own from within CalMac that an attempt was made to book last week and the message was that it was full.

The account of the meeting with Mr Drummond, from a delegation of islanders that has been put to CalMac says that Robbie Drummond when quizzed said that he could not get on the Uig to North Uist ferry because it was full.

It began when Mr Drummond told residents and representatives of the South Uist Business Ferry Impact Group that they were trying to ensure a lifeline service was in place.

One said: "But you have taken our lifeline service away."

Mr Drummond responded: "We have. But there is access, and I know it is not convenient, but there is access through Barra, and access through Lochmaddy. It is inconvenient, we understand that."

He was asked: "How is it you got access today yourself."

Mr Drummond said: "It was access through Lochmaddy, so I came to Lochmaddy. It's inconvenient, I understand that."

According to the account he was asked if he got his vehicle on the ferry and he said he did not.

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The chief executive was told by John Daniel Peteranna of the South Uist Business Ferry Impact Group: "So there is no capacity then. You are telling the press that we the people of South Uist can go [elsewhere] and have proved to yourself that the availability isn't there."

Mr Drummond said: "But the availability isn't there in Arran or Islay... we are stretched across the whole network."

The CalMac response went down like a 20-ton anchor.

One of those attending said: "The understanding given was he tried to book last week when the meeting was planned and he was told then it was fully booked.

"He couldn’t take his car over because the sailing was full."

Another said: "It is an embarrassing situation for Mr Drummond to not get on the ferry, but this is the islanders' experience. Why not just come clean and say that you cannot get on the ferry because it is full."

In response, CalMac later said that Mr Drummond did not attempt to take his car across, saying this was standard for senior managers during busy periods so that they do not take up space which could be used by a customer.

The ferry operator added that Mr Drummond was going by foot as per the company policy and an assumption that the sailing would be busy. The ferry operator said he would have switched to taking his car if there were unused spaces, but as there were not, he went as a foot passenger.

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