If you need to get into town, you probably reach for your car keys or maybe hop on the bus. If you’re lucky you might even be able to walk in. What you might not know is that for some, namely residents of the Hebrides and Shetland islands off the north coast of Scotland, the daily commute includes a ferry.
One such ferry has been floating along the Hebridean waterways for nearly 40 years now, but it’s time has finally come. Nicknamed ‘Heb Isles’, she’s being retired after four decades of service taking passengers and freight up and down the country.
The boat’s final route, between Islay and the mainland, is receiving two brand new ships in the next year, but her absence will be felt, according to Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), the ferry operator.
Craig Ramsay, CalMac’s fleet management director, said: ‘Vessels become a part of the fabric of the island communities they serve, and CalMac colleagues and islanders, particularly on Islay, will be sorry to see [her go].’
You may be wondering why they don’t just fix her up if she’s so beloved, but it isn’t that easy. Craig explained: ‘If the Heb Isles were to be retained, she would require a significant programme of work in overhaul due to her age and general condition and this would keep her out of service for months.’
So this is it. Her final weeks of operation will be this November, before she’s sent to the big scrapyard in the sky. CalMac has mentioned plans to ‘mark her departure’ when it’s time to say goodbye, but hasn’t announced any details yet. We hope she gets a goodbye party that is as iconic as she has been for the last 38 years.
Transport in the UK
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