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CLANSMAN departed from Oban yesterday with the 15.30 sailing to Barra seven minutes early.

Having boarded twelve cars, one of which was towing a trailer with a jet ski attached, one crew’s car, two pedal cyclists and sixty-one foot passengers, her ropes were cast off at 15.23.

Having boarded fifty-nine cars and vans, four livestock trailers, one caravan, two motor cyclists, three pedal cyclists and 150 foot passengers she departed from Oban at 16.07.

The weather was not kind to us as we sailed out the bay. Oban was shrouded in cloud and the rain was falling without mercy.

As the Craignure vessel pointed her bows towards the Firth of Lorn we passed EIGG inward bound from Lismore.

Within a few minutes the rain stopped, the sky cleared and we enjoyed an excellent sail to Craignure where ISLE OF MULL berthed, stern first, at16.53.

After a quick turn around we departed for Oban at 17.07 having loaded twenty-four cars, four vans, a bus and nearly 200 foot passengers, some of whom were from the bus.

It became apparent that ISLE OF MULL had faced an attack from a boarding party of “pirates”. However they were a friendly bunch who posed no threat to their fellow passengers.

ISLE OF MULL arrived back to a bright and sunny Oban where we berthed at 17.51.

Two cruise ships will be plying their trade among the Western Isles during the month of October.

HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS. Oban 3^rd, 10^th, 14^th, 21^st, 25^th, 31^st. Eigg 1^st, 8^th. Tobermory 2^nd. Rum 4^th, 15^th, 24^th. Shieldaig 5^th, 22^nd. Ullapool 6^th. Portree 7^th, 23^rd. Ulva 9^th. Craobh Haven 11^th, 26^th. Gigha 12^th. Port Ellen 13^th. Plockton 16^th, 23^rd. Gairloch 17^th. Kyle of Lochalsh 18^th. Salen 19^th. Lismore 20^th, 30^th. Jura 27^th. Colonsay 28^th. Iona 29th.

QUEST. Oban 1^st, 8^th, 14^th. South Uist 2^nd. Eriskay 3^rd. Stornoway 4^th. Rum 5^th. Treshnish Isles 6^th. Islay and Gigha 7^th. Salen 9^th. Inverewe 10^th. Plockton and Portree 11^th. Inverie and Rum 12^th. Tobermory and Lismore 13^th.

A new book entitled “ From Burma to Barra” written by Captain Sandy Ferguson has been published Ardminish Press, Gigha.

Sandy, a retired Master with Caledonian MacBrayne, gave a talk with the same title to the West Highland Steamer Club on Friday November 25^th 2005.

The book contains good colour photographs of many historic ships in the CalMac fleet.

“From Burma to Barra” is priced at £10.99 plus £1.50 post and packaging and is available from Ardminish Press, Heather Lea, Gigha, Argyll, PA41 7AA.

The Berneray - Leverburgh (Sound of Harris)route is facing disruptions due to tidal conditions.

Due to low tides on Tuesday 30^th the 12.05 sailing departing from Berneray and 13.30 sailing from Leverburgh have been cancelled. There will be additional sailings departing from Berneray at 10.30 and departing from Leverburgh at 11.40 on the same day.

The Castlebay-Oban sailing on Friday 26^th at 18.50 will now sail via Lochboisdale due to operational reasons. The timetable will now be:- Depart Castlebay 18.50, arrive Lochboisdale 20.20, depart Lochboisdale 20.30, arrive Oban 01.30.

HEBRIDEAN ISLES was unable to call at Colonsay when returning from Oban on Wednesday 10^th due to adverse weather conditions. Having abandoned attempts to berth, she carried on to Port Askaig and Kennacraig.

The next day LORD OF THE ISLES sailed from Colonsay to Port Askaig, picking up the passengers who though they were only on a day trip to Colonsay. She returned to Oban straight from Port Askaig. Sounds like a good day out for a shipping enthusiast!

The same day ISLE OF MULL was delayed at 17.00 as a result of a medical emergency. She left Craignure at 17.20.

On Friday 12^th CLANSMAN made an additional call at Lochboisdale to uplift livestock, arriving back in Oban two hours behind schedule.

LOCH BHRUSDA sailed for pastures new on Friday. She left Gourock bound for Mallaig with overnight stops at Campbeltown and Craignure.

On Tuesday 16^th LOCH BHRUSDA departed from Mallaig at 10.10 with LOCHNEVIS following in her wake. While the former vessel sailed for Eigg the regular Small Isles vessel made for Muck where she was delayed by tidal difficulties.

LOCH BHRUSDA carried out berthing trials at Eigg where she arrived at 11.35 and departed at 11.45.

The two vessels passed each other off Muck where LOCH BHRUSDA berthed at 12.30 and departed at 12.45.

The next day LOCHNEVIS sailed for Rum and Canna as usual but, instead of lying at Canna pier, carried out drills before returning to the pier and resuming her scheduled service back to Rum and Mallaig.

A debate on the recommendations by a parliamentary committee into the future of ferry services was held last week in the Scottish Parliament.

Issues such as timetables, fixed links, the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) scheme, faster services, integration with other public transport, private ferry services, tendering and new services and the European Union were brought up by MSPs.

Transport Minster Stewart Stevenson outlined the areas, which the Scottish Executive had already taken forward such as the three-year RET pilot, free fares for bicycles, a daily service from Oban to Lismore and changes to timetables.

Colonsay, which is not in the RET scheme, was cited as being particularly vulnerable. Mr Stevenson replied by saying that considerable funding had been invested in the new air service from Oban to Colonsay, which would contribute to Colonsay’s future economic health.

Mr Stevenson added that the assessment into the reintroduction of the ferry service between Campbeltown and Ballycastle was nearly complete.

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, a former supporter of Caledonian MacBrayne, has changed his opinion and is now calling for the break-up of the routes served by the company.

Lord Robertson has appealed directly to the European Transport Commissioner saying that millions of pounds has been miss-spent on CalMac.Lord Robertson, who was appointed to the board of Western Ferries in February 2006, has endorsed a report by Roy Pederson, which stated that the tendering of the CalMac routes in a single bundle was holding back the development of ferry services.

After years of lobbying from islanders consultants have been selected to carry out a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) study on ferry services to and from Lismore.

The study was supposed to start in June but Lismore Community Council has heard nothing about it until now.

A local steering group comprising Caledonian MacBrayne, Caledonian Marine Assets Ltd, the Scottish Executive, Argyll and Bute Council and the local community, will carry out the STAG study.

Lismore is served by the CalMac passenger and vehicle ferry from Oban to Achnacroish, which takes about fifty minutes, and the ten-minute passenger ferry from the north end of the island to Port Appin.

A report is being sent to the Scottish Executive from the island of Kerrera following a public meeting on the island last week.

A new road, better ferry services and a community centre can’t be left to the islanders to fund.

The islanders have told Argyll and Bute MP Alan Reid that they are struggling due to a lack of basic services.

Kerrera is the only island without a subsidised ferry service and also has no proper roads. Mr Reid will ask for the recently announced review of ferry services, which only covers publicly funded routes, to include the ferry service to Kerrera.

One of the biggest vessels to be seen in West Highland waters in recent years, the 16,200 tonne Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel MOUNTS BAY is on exercise in and around Loch Linnhe this week.

The 176 metre landing ship was taking part in exercise “Wet Raider” in Ballachulish Bay.

A review of ferry services is to consider everything from faster routes and fixed links to fare structures.

Scottish transport minister Stewart Stevenson announced the review on Friday 29^th August and saying it was part of the Scottish ministers’ commitment “to improving and enhancing ferry service across the board”.

The Scottish Executive’s transport committee made the recommendation for the review among a number of recommendations after carrying out its own study into ferry service around the country.

The review will run into the autumn of next year and will take into account transport appraisals already carried out, for example the fixed link to Luing and those under way for Easdale and Lismore.

A high-speed passenger ferry has been launched to a crowd of islanders and invited guests.

The service, which sails from Tayvallich to Craighouse, now means that foot passengers can get on and off the island in under an hour.

Travellers from Jura can be in Lochgilphead in an hour and a half, courtesy of a bus connection at Tayvallich.

There has not been a direct service to the island since 1972 when Caledonian MacBrayne withdrew from the service.

Operated by Islay Sea Safari (www.islayseasafari.co.uk), the 600hp twelve-seat vessel takes in breathtaking scenery down Loch Sween to Jura with a single journey costing £15.00

The service is subsidised by Argyll and Bute Council and implemented by the Jura Initiative at the Edge Group in addition to the Jura Development Trust.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) provided £140,510 to the Trust towards improvements at Craighouse, which includes three landing pontoons and an access bridge as well as improvements to the pier buildings.

The project will be funded for three years by Argyll and Bute Council, HIE and the European Union.

The ports and islands of the Western Isles will be playing host to the following cruise ships during September.

HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS-Oban, Huishinish, Portree, Inverie, Eigg, Shiant Isles, Berneray, Muck, Iona, Ulva, Colonsay, Dunvegan, Gairloch, Craobh Haven, Port Ellen, Lismore, Tobermory, Tiree and Castlebay.