By
Rebecca Gibson |
Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) Ferries is to offer a twice-weekly, winter ferry service between Mallaig and Lochboisdale, Scotland, for the first time since 2001.
Implemented as part of a three-year ferry pilot, the new schedule will see CalMac’s Lord of the Isles sailing two return journeys between Lochboisdale and Mallaig every Tuesday and Saturday. Lord of the Isles will offer the first sailing from Lochboisdale on Tuesday 12 November, and continue the service until early April, with a three-week break in February.
“We know how much this service means to the South Uist community and are pleased to have been able to help Transport Scotland make it possible,” said Martin Dorchester, managing director of CalMac Ferries. “We hope it will prove popular, not just to ferry travellers to and from South Uist, but also as an alternative means of reaching Barra, North Uist and Benbecula. The service is also a welcome addition to our services out of Mallaig.”
Announced by Scotland’s Transport Minister Keith Brown in September, the three-year ferry pilot also involves a series of planned improvements to the winter services to South Uist and Barra. These include an enhanced winter timetable with increased sailings on the Oban-South Uist and Oban-Barra routes. As part of Scotland’s Ferries Plan, the government will also enhance the country’s ferry services over the next decade.
“The Scottish Government has listened to local communities and I am delighted to see sailings start on the Mallaig-Lochboisdale route,” said Keith Brown, transport minister. “In the Ferries Plan we made clear our intention to consider introducing a Mallaig – Lochboisdale service, when deciding on the specification for the next tendered CHFS contract and we are delighted to have been able to do this now, earlier than planned. In addition, as part of our Ferries Plan, we will be making further planned enhancements to ferry services across Scotland over the next decade.”