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Due to operational difficulties at Port Askaig , the 18.00 sailing on Monday 26^th May and the return sailing at 07.00 on Tuesday 27^th May will operate from Port Ellen instead of Port Askaig.

The Berneray - Leverburgh (Sound of Harris) sailings will be disrupted from Mon 2^nd June until Friday 6^th June due to tidal conditions. Due to very low tides the following sailings have been cancelled. Monday 2^nd Berneray 10.40 and Leverburgh 12.05. Tuesday 3^rd Berneray 12.05 and Leverburgh 13.30. Wednesday 4^th Leverburgh 12.05 and Berneray 13.30. Thursday 5^th Berneray 14.40 and Leverburgh 16.00. Friday 6^th Berneray 13.30 and Leverburgh 14.45.

The following cruise ships will be calling at ports and islands of the Western Isles during the month of June.

ANDREA Iona 1^st 08.00-17.00, Port Askaig 2^nd 07.00-12.00, Gigha 2^nd 15.00-18.00, Oban 10^th dep 18.00, Gigha 11^th 07.00-18.00, Iona 12^th 08.00-17.00, Loch Scavaig 13^th 08.00-19.00, Mingulay 14^th , St Kilda 15^th.

HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS Oban 08.00-19.00 6^th 13^th 20^th 27^th. Barra and North Uist 1^st, Hushinish 2^nd, Stornoway 3^rd , Shiant Isles 4^th ,Tobermory 5^th, 12^th, 26^th, 30^th, Loch Scavaig 7^th, 21^st, Gairloch 8^th, 22^nd, Ullapool 9^th, 23^rd, Stornoway 10^th, 24^th, St Kilda 11^th, 25^th, Gigha 14^th, Port Ellen 18^th, Jura 19^th, Colonsay 28^th, Tiree 29^th.

SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE St Kilda 4^th 12.00-17.00, Canna 5^th 08.00-16.00, Tobermory 21^st 11.00-18.00.

A new mail contract, the text of which was issued on 9^th April 1952, provided for a subsidy to David MacBrayne Ltd of £360,000 per year, subject to certain conditions, including the construction of two new vessels. The duration of the agreement was from 1^st January until 31^st December 1961.

The first of the two was CLAYMORE, a passenger and mail vessel, launched at the Dumbarton yard of William Denny & Bros Ltd on 10^th March 1955. The second of the two vessels was LOCH ARD, a cargo vessel, launched at the Port Glasgow yard of Ferguson Bros (Port Glasgow) Ltd on 23^rd May1955.

After completion she entered service in June succeeding HEBRIDES (1898) on the fortnightly Outer Isles cargo service from Glasgow.

Although similar to LOCH CARRON (1951) in many respects, the new ship had certain innovations. The most obvious, externally, was the self-supporting bipod mast, with derricks fore and aft, capable of lifting five and ten tons respectively.

Until LOCH ARD entered service her sister, LOCH CARRON, had the distinction of having the most powerful lifting gear of any of the Company’s ships – 7 ½ tons.

Heavy loads were expected to be carried to the Outer Isles over the next few years in connection with major construction work – causeways, bridges etc hence the need for the increased lifting power.

Being a versatile ship, LOCH ARD was readily adaptable for the transportation of livestock – including up to 130 head of cattle – and had plenty of space for deck cargo. Buses, lorries and cars could often be seen on her cargo hatches.

The Company’s house-flag, worked in metal, was affixed to the front of the bridge – another innovation credited to the ship. She was fitted with the same navigational aids as CLAYMORE.

From1964 she was employed principally on the Glasgow – Islay service. However, in 1968, Western Ferries opened a service between Kennacraig and Port Askaig using the stern-loading ferry SOUND OF ISLAY. She soon ate into MacBrayne’s traffic, which was carried by LOCH NEVIS (1934) and LOCH EIL (1939).

The Company fought back by chartering ARRAN, one of the pioneering ABC ferries, from the Caledonian Steam Packet Ltd. Resplendent in the MacBrayne livery, she opened the traditional service from West Loch Tarbert using her hoist loading facility. She soon won a proportion of the traffic back from Western Ferries.

Unfortunately this meant the end for LOCH ARD. In 1970, at only fifteen years old, she was withdrawn from the fleet – a victim of the changes sweeping over the ferry services to the Western Isles.

LOCH ARD is pictured on the July page of the 2008 Club calendar on her launch day and at Port Askaig on 2^nd July 1967. Photographs courtesy of the J Birss Collection and Lawrence MacDuff.

Caledonian MacBrayne has offered to divert the Islay ferry from Port Askaig to Port Ellen two nights a week to guarantee access to the neighbouring island of Jura twenty-four hours per day throughout the week.

The 190 islanders on Jura are angry that the new slipway built by Argyll and Bute Council for the service between Jura and Port Askaig is proving too difficult for ferrymen to use.

Consequently the ferrymen have been using the linkspan built for the CalMac ferry for the past two months. However the CalMac ferry lies overnight at Port Askaig on Monday and Friday nights denying the Jura ferry access. As a result nobody from Jura can catch the first ferry to Kennacraig on the mainland on Saturday or Tuesday mornings.

The service to Port Askaig on Mondays and Fridays was introduced to provide a better connection to Jura. If the Jura ferry can’t sail then it defeats the purpose of this important link. By diverting the ferry to Port Ellen the service can be maintained and Jura’s early morning and late night sailings can be preserved.

Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne is writing to the Lord's Day Observance Society (LDOS) detailing concerns about media reports which suggested that Sunday sailings on the Sound of Harris, which were introduced in April, 2006, often carry "no passengers at all".

Ferry Operator Caledonian MacBrayne today (Monday, May 19) launched a major new feature to the Company website www.calmac.co.uk which will bring significant advantages for customers.

After four years, work on the construction of two walkways at the Oban Ferry Terminal is nearing an end.

The first walkway was opened in time for the Jolomo Charity Cruise to Colonsay on Friday 9^th. The artist John Lowrie Morrison and Ian Fox, CalMac’s regional manger for Argyll, were the first to board the ship using the new walkway.

Now that CalMac has two walkways there should be no need to keep vessels waiting in the bay.

Money raised from the event was donated to The Princess Royal Trust for Carers. Mr Morrison and his wife, Maureen, are patrons of the charity.

CalMac’s historian, Ian McCrorie, led an auction for a Jolomo print, which sold for £1,600.

The Caledonian MacBrayne and David MacBrayne submissions to Scottish Parliament Transport Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee Ferries Inquiry.

This submission takes two forms: firstly a summary of some key issues which might inform the basis of our dialogue; and secondly, a number of documents which have been forwarded to the Clerk of the Committee for examination and discussion.

Drivers travelling to Oban today were advised by Caledonian MacBrayne to check road conditions with the police after a major accident at Crianlarich. All ferry services were running on time.

LOCH BUIE has been out of service with ramp problems. LOCH LINNHE took over on the Fionnphort-Iona route on Monday 5^th after spending the night at Craignure.

RAASAY, the spare small vessel at Oban, relieved LOCH LINNHE on the Tobermory-Kilchoan route.

WAVERLEY set out on her annual sojourn among the Western Isles on Friday 2^nd, departing from Glasgow at 07.00 with a healthy number of passengers on board.

Campbeltown was the first port of call. As soon as she rounded the Mull of Kintyre an original MacBraynes houseflag, supplied by Ian Quinn, was raised at the foremast. The flag will remain at the foremast while she is sailing among the islands.

She sailed into Oban with 350 passengers on board. Three coach-loads of passengers returned to Glasgow and one coach-load returned to Campbeltown.

WAVERLEY returns to the Clyde on Tuesday 6^th. After her arrival she will enter the dry-dock in Greenock.

The Berneray - Leverburgh (Sound of Harris, LOCH PORTAIN) service is facing disruptions and cancellations from Sunday 4^th untilThursday 8^th due to tidal conditions.

The following sailings have been cancelled. Sunday 4^th 13.30 from Berneray and 14.40 from Leverburgh. Monday 5^th 13.30 from Berneray and 14.45 from Leverburgh. Tuesday 6^th 13.30 from Leverburgh and 14.40 from Berneray. Wednesday 7^th 13.30 from Berneray and 14.45 from Leverburgh. Thursday 8^th 14.40 from Berneray and 16.00 from Leverburgh.