Cluinnear gu leòr fhathast mu dheidhinn cùis nan aiseag ann an 2024

Tha e an-còmhnaidh rudeigin cunnartach a bhith a’ toirt seachad gheallaidhean mu cò ris a bhios a’ bhliadnhna air thoiseach coltach. Ach tha aon rud as an urrainnear a bhith glè chinnteach: cluinnear gu leòr fhathast mu staid nan aiseag sna mìosan ri thighinn.

Tha dùil ris an Glen Sannox ann an 2024, sia bliadhna air dheireadh.

[English-language version below]

Tha mi a’ creids' gu bheil cuid ann a chanas, “Ò, siud na h-eileanaich a-rithist a’ brunndalaich mu aiseagan, a bheil an còrr idir ann a tha a’ cur dragh orra?” ach ‘s e fìrinn na cùise g’ eil na duilgheadasan, a dh’adhbharaich g’ eil an suidheachadh air crìonadh cho mòr, fhathast follaiseach. ’S e sin, seann aiseagan nach dèilig ris an obair a tha air a cur rompha, agus cha tig rèiteach air a sin sa chiad ghreis.

Cha bu chòir dha a bhith duilich tuigsinn carson a tha aiseagan cho cudromach dha eileanaich. Às an aonais, cha bhodh e comasach a bhith beò air na h-eileanan is gach nì de ar beatha a’ crochadh orra.

Tha 29 slighean ann an lìonradh ChalMac agus cuid nas miosa dheth na cuid eile. Chan eil na tha sin de thrioblaid, an taca ri feadhainn eile co-dhiù, air a bhith ann bho chionn ghoirid eadar Steòrnabhagh is Ulapul, tè de na slighean as motha agus as cudromaiche.

Tha aiseag ùr air an t-slighe seo, an Loch Sìophort, ach nuair a dh’fheumas a toirt far na slighe gach bliadhna airson obair càraidh, ‘s beag a tha fhios dè seòrsa cnap-meirgeach a thig na h-àite.

Ann an Uibhist is Earra-Ghàidheal, ged-tà, tha aca ri bhith beò le seirbheisean gan cur dheth gu cunbhalach agus coltas gu bheil na h-aiseagan as sine gan sparadh orra-san.

Tha a h-uile càil a tha seo a’ tighinn air ais chun a’ mhaslaidh/a’ bhùtarrais/an sgrios/nam breugan poileataigich (taghadh fhèin an rud as fheàrr) a tha a’ cuairteachadh gàrradh MhicFheargais agus an dà aiseag ùr a tha a’ ruith sia bliadhna air dheireadh agus a tha a' dol a chosg nan ceud de mhilleanan nas motha na bha còir, rud a tha fhios a thug buaidh air nithean eile air an robh an Riaghaltas airson pàigheadh.

Tha dùil ris a’ chiad tè, an Glen Sannox, an-ath-bhliadhna agus bidh i a’ seòladh chun an Eilein Arainnich. Ach, chaidh a ràdh goirid ron Nollaig gun robh an tuilleadh dàil gu bhith orra. Cia mheud triop a tha sin?

As bith cuin a bhios i deiseil, feumaidh i deuchainnean-mara a dheànamh agus le sin, cò chanas cuin a nì i a’ chiad sheòladh gu coimeirsealta. Agus dè seòrsa earbsa a bhios aig daoine innte às dèidh an iomadach duilgheadas-togail a tha air a bhith ann?

Thig an darna taibhse à gàrradh MhicFhearghais às a dèidh, à Glen Rosa, ach cuin? Cò aige brath a tha fios.

Anns an eadar-ama, tha dà aiseag ùr gan togail thall san Tuirc agus dùil riutha-san ann an 2025, dha Uibhist, Loch nam Madadh, is dha na Hearadh, an Tairbeart.

Ma tha faochadh idir air fàire, ‘s ann an uair sin a bhios e, le ceitheir aiseagan ùra ag obrachadh air a’ chost' an iar – sin cho fad ‘s gum bi iad comasach air an obair a tha rompha a choileanadh!

Ach dhan uair sin, na bi dùil ri gin a ghealladh bho eileanach gum cùm iad sàmhach mu aiseagan. Bliadhna ùr ann no às.

English-language version:

Predictions, even couched in the sentiments of New Year indulgence, can be a dangerous game. But here’s a fairly safe one for 2024, and on which even the most generous bookie would refuse to give odds: the ferry crisis surrounding CalMac will continue for some time. There may be those safely ensconced in their urban comfort who will think: “Oh, no, here come the islanders again bleating about their ferries, have they nothing else to worry them?”

However, the reality is that the underlying causes which resulted in such a deterioration of service – an ageing fleet with unreliable vessels – will not be resolved any time soon. Understanding the importance of ferries to islands should not be difficult. They are a lifeline service, both socially and economically. Without them, any kind of modern existence would be impossible.

There are 29 routes throughout the west coast network and some of them have been worse hit than others. Stornoway-Ullapool, for example, one of the key routes, which has a relatively new ferry, has settled down to some kind of normality, except when the Loch Seaforth goes into dry-dock. Then it’s anyone’s guess as to what sort of rusting, creaking relic will be dispatched to cope with a three-hour Minch crossing.

For Uist and some of the Argyll islands and Arran, it’s a constant lottery of cancelled sailings and breakdowns as they seem to be at the sharp end of the problems caused by old ships. All of this is a direct fallout from the Ferguson Marine ferry scandal/debacle/shambles/political chicanery (delete as appropriate) and the two vessels that are six years behind schedule and have cost hundreds of millions more than initially budgeted, with deep repercussions for other Scottish Government spending commitments.

The first one of those, the Glen Sannox, for Arran-Ardrossan, is due next year, but has been hit by further delays, revealed just before Christmas. Given the need for extensive sea trials and testing, it remains to be seen just when the first commercial passenger will step over her gangway – let alone what sort of confidence anyone can have given the constant construction problems. The second Ferguson phantom, the Glen Rosa, will follow in her wake… hopefully, maybe, some time after. Answers on a postcard, please.

In the meantime, another two new ferries are being constructed over in Turkey, both of which are for the Western Isles, for the North Uist and Harris routes, currently served by a single triangular arrangement. They were actually only ordered on the back of the insufferable delays at Ferguson’s and are due for completion in 2025.

If there is to be any respite on the horizon, it will be at that point, with four new ferries having joined the fleet and, fingers crossed, serving with some sort of reliability. Until that point, however, just don’t expect any islander to make any kind of promise to be quiet about ferries. New Year or not.