Build a tunnel or bridge to replace Corran ferry for good

Councillor Angus MacDonald, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Ross, Skye & Lochaber has today called for the Scottish Government to build a short tunnel or bridge to replace the Corran Ferry.

The Highland Council-operated Corran vehicle ferry has been out of action from early April and will not return until at least June.

The main vessel, MV Corran, has been out of action since January and the relief boat, MV Maid of Glencoul, suffered a breakdown at Easter.

The ferry crosses Loch Linnhe, nine miles south of Fort William, at the Corran Narrows. It is the busiest single-vessel operated route in Scotland, carrying more than 270,000 cars each year.

The route involves 30,000 sailings from early morning to late evening, 363 days of the year. When the service is unavailable due to bad weather or breakdowns it is a 42-mile detour to get from Corran to Ardgour.

Mr MacDonald's call comes after a parliamentary motion asking the Scottish Government to explore fixed links such as this, filed by Shetland MSP Beatrice Wishart, received support from members of all five Holyrood parties.

Fort William councillor and candidate for Ross, Skye & Lochaber, Angus MacDonald said:

“People living on both sides of the Corran Narrows are frustrated and angry at the disruption they have faced in recent months. Businesses are feeling the squeeze because tourists cannot come to visit. The Transport Minister Kevin Stewart should be paying a visit to apologise to all of those facing such an upheaval and discussing a long term solution.

“Even before the latest breakdown the ferry was a suboptimal solution because it does not run 24 hours a day. That means that an ambulance may have to detour more than 40 miles, just to travel 500 metres.

“In the short-term Highland council will be putting together a bid for a replacement ferry but it’s time to start thinking of a permanent solution. A short tunnel or bridge would be more resilient in bad weather, much cheaper to run, less prone to technical breakdowns and would be open 24 hours a day.

“It’s not good enough for the Scottish Government to pin the burden for such a project on the beleaguered and overstretched Highland council. The Edinburgh government has helped other communities with projects of this type and in the face of Scotland’s floundering ferry network, there is clearly support across parties for looking at permanent solutions.

“Sadly, there seems to be a vast gulf between what the out of touch SNP government will do for central belt communities, compared to the deal we get here in the Highlands.

“As a councillor and prospective MP, I will keep the pressure on ministers to deliver a solution that works.”