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Plans for a successful Brodick Highland Games were nearly scuppered on Saturday when ferry cancellations and delays were announced, both in the morning as visitors and participants tried to reach the island, and later in the day when they wanted to return home.
There was widespread frustration at the weekend when Arran lost the services of the MV Isle of Arran due to disruption elsewhere on the network.
Talks are continuing as Arran pleads for a second ferry to ease pressure on 38-year-old MV Isle of Arran which is trying to serve the island on its own.
A young mum from Brodick is at her wits end with ferry disruption and NHS cancellations that have delayed her young sons hospital appointment eight times.
Ferry operator, CalMac have taken the decision to pause all food, drink and retail offerings in an effort at protecting and reducing staffing requirements during the worsening Covid pandemic which is causing disruption to its services.
CalMac have announced that their summer timetable for next year will see marginal ticket price increases for all vehicles with the exception of motorhomes which will be hardest hit.
A special cargo-only sailing scheduled by CalMac last week brought vital fuel supplies to Arran and allowed refuse to be removed from the island following disruption to both of these services owing to ferry cancellations.
The repeated cancellation of the 7am ferry from Ardrossan to Brodick has resulted in refuse piling up on Arran and the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) in Brodick having to close as it cannot accommodate any further refuse and recycling.
The Arran Recovery Group say that the island’s recovery is being impacted by a continuing deterioration in the level of service provided by the ferry.
