CalMac Ullapool-Stornoway ferry cancellations to enter third day
ALL ferries in and out of Ullapool today have been cancelled due to continuing problems with the ship's engine, CalMac has announced.
Ferry passengers had earlier held out hope that a review at around 2pm might bring good news for the 5.30pm sailing from Ullapool to Stornoway.
But in an update posted just minutes ago, the ferry operator dashed hopes that MV Loch Seaforth's engine issues might be resolved on Tuesday.
And, in another blow to passengers and Lewis and Harris residents, the disruption will continue into a third day.
The 7am Stornoway to Ullapool service on Wednesday has been cancelled, and CalMac has warned that a review will be carried out at 7am tomorrow to decide if the 10.30am service from Ullapool to Stornoway will go ahead as planned.
Related: Ferry cancellations enter into second day
The overnight freight sailings are also cancelled tonight.
In a bid to ease a backlog of traffic, CalMac has announced that it will be running additional sailings of its Skye-Harris ferry, with these leaving Tarbert at 8.40pm and Uig at 10.50pm, but warned that capacity is limited.
"This service will be prioritising freight including food, medical supplies, animal feed and time sensitive loads. Any remaining space will then be offered to general traffic," said a CalMac spokesman. "Our port teams will be handling the prioritisation of traffic and will contact affected customers."
They added: "To stay informed, download our app or follow our Twitter @CalMac_Updates so we can provide you with timely updates, with the latest information we have available. Alternatively, you can also sign up to our service status text updates."
The travel misery began for passengers and island residents on Monday when an issue with the MV Loch Seaforth's engine control system sparked the first cancellations.
The delays will now extend into at least a third day following this afternoon's announcement.
