Highland firms 'back in lockdown' due to Corran Ferry disruption

Highland firms will go bust if there is further disruption to the Corran Ferry, a community councillor has warned.

Joanne Matheson, who runs a shop in Acharacle, Ardnamurchan, said the lack of business was akin being "back in Covid lockdown".

Highland Council-run services between between the Ardnamurchan peninsula and Corran have been cancelled for at least six weeks as two vessels are repaired.

The council said it was working to minimise disruption.

A reduced service has been running since January while the route's main vessel, the MV Corran, is repaired.

MV Maid of Glencoul - a smaller, older ferry - had been covering the five-minute crossing of Loch Linnhe until it broke down on Friday.

Highland Council announced on Wednesday it was setting up two alternative foot passenger routes and improving road safety measures for vehicles using the detour along the A861, which adds more than an hour to the journey.

A statement added that the repair of the MV Corran was ahead of schedule, though it is still expected to be six to eight weeks before it is back in service.

Mrs Matheson said a community council meeting was held on Wednesday night after the council announced the mitigation measures. "Frankly everybody is absolutely livid," she told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland.

She accused Highland Council of failing to draw up contingency plans despite knowing the MV Corran had a 20-year working life when it was introduced in 2001.

The community council leader warned the road diversion would lead to large vehicles travelling on unsuitable routes.

"It's going to turn a lot of our tourism trade away, accidents are going to happen and it still doesn't address the big issue," she told the programme.

Mrs Matheson agreed priority should be given to local people who need to travel for work and school. "But we need to deal with the traffic issue and businesses are going to go under unless this is addressed," the community councillor added.

She said the ferry cancellations had already affected her business.

"It's just been very quiet sitting in my shop the past few days which should have been one of the busiest weekends of the year," Mrs Matheson said.

"It's felt like we're back in Covid lockdown."

She said it was "questionable" whether her arts and crafts shop, Artisan, could survive eight weeks without the ferry in service.

"Even if they get the MV Corran back or the Maid of Glencoul, there's nothing to say it won't happen again a week later or 10 days later," Mrs Matheson told BBC Scotland.

"These are old vessels that are not up to what they have been required to do."

She added: "If it continues beyond that eight-week timeframe then no, frankly my business will not survive."

The Corran Ferry is the busiest single-vessel ferry route in Scotland and carries more than 270,000 cars each year.

People living in Fort William, Ardgour, Sunart, Ardnamurchan, Moidart, Morar, Morvern and the Isle of Mull are among those who regularly use the service.

Highland Council is planning to replace the ageing vessels on its Corran Ferry service with two new electric ships, but it has to find £62m to pay for them.

Alternative road routes can involve journeys of up to 86 miles (138km), depending on the destination.

Highland Council said that senior officials - including chief executive Kate Lackie and economy and infrastructure committee chairman Ken Gowans - were in Lochaber on Thursday to discuss the ferry cancellations and mitigation measures with community representatives.

"The council, along with multi-agency partners are continuing to work together to do all they can to support communities until the ferry is back in operation," a spokesperson said.

While the MV Corran is being repaired, the first alternative foot passenger service began on Wednesday from Fort William Pier to Ardgour.

The catamaran vessel, operated by Cruise Loch Linnhe, can carry up to 65 foot passengers. The sailing will run two return trips on a daily basis, seven days a week.

A second service will take up to 12 foot passengers across the Corran Narrows on a covered fast-rib vessel using the same route as the ferry.

This sailing is expected to begin early next week when the vessel arrives.

The council said it was also "exploring options" to set up a linked shuttle bus service on the peninsula.