Ferry shambles

I was interested to read your account of the awarding of the ferry service from Mallaig to Knoydart, in particular the comments of Councillor Graham Phillips (Scotsman.com, 14 March). Had he been at the so-called consultation meeting with council staff and the local community recently he might have a greater awareness of our needs and ­concerns.

I hope the Highland Council can learn from this process. There was no consultation with us to discuss our needs as a community prior to the tender being put together, so a procurement process was entered into which met a basic council specification.

When an alternative tender, substantially cheaper, was submitted the council had no choice (understandably) but to accept. Cllr Phillips may think a constant stream of small, fast boats seven days a week is an improved service (and for some it might be; it has been a useful supplementary service for many members of the community when running in parallel to the existing service).

However, quantity is not always an ­improvement on quality, ­certainly where safety is an issue. A token “consultation” meeting was organised with the community after the decision was made.

It would have been more honest of council officers to admit that this meeting was to tell us what we were going to be getting rather than to waste the time of more than 40 members of our small community pretending it was a consultation ­exercise. To be further patronised throughout the meeting was insult to injury.

The Highland Council (along with bodies such as the Fire 
Brigade) need to look at how they provide lifeline services to communities, particularly remote rural ones.

Communities understand budget constraints but if we are involved at the outset then we can work with local authorities to look at different ways of achieving the service so that both sides achieve their aims.

Angela Williams

Knoydart