A twice-a-week winter ferry service between Mallaig and Lochboisdale started during the week beginning 11th November. It is the first time a service has operated on this route since 2001, and signals the start of a three year pilot announced by Transport Minister Keith Brown in September. The CalMac service will provide two return sailings per day on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The first sailing by the 3,504gt/1989 built Lord of the Isles (above) was to have departed Lochboisdale at 0600 on 12th November, arriving in Mallaig at 0930. However, bad weather caused its cancelation.This winter’s pilot will run through to early April with a short three week break in February when the Lord of the Isles is unavailable due to refit cover elsewhere in the network. Alas the service has suffered at the hands of the weather from the outset, quite literally, thus generating some negative press. The first round trip was lost and, as an example, on 30th November the Lochboisdale to Mallaig service was cancelled in favour of sailing to Castlebay and Oban instead.

The detrimental effect on South Uist has been voiced by officials and residents alike. Meanwhile Caledonian MacBrayne has beaten 13 major ferry companies to be named for the fourth year in a row, “Best Ferry Company” in the prestigious Guardian and Observer Travel Awards. On 27th November it was announced that the delivery date of the new £42 million Stornoway ferry Loch Seaforth has been delayed by two weeks after a storm hit the shipyard. Gales ripped off part of the roof of the ship building hall at the Flensburger shipyard in Germany where the vessel is being built.

The hull of the Loch Seaforth had been due to be launched in February. She is expected to be in service between Stornoway and Ullapool on an unconfirmed date in summer 2014.