Full ferries
With the Stornoway-Ullapool ferry seemingly full every weekend and close to full most weekdays, an urgent solution needs to be found.
The solution is to demand a new ferry - or ferries - and not banning camper vans.
I know that they are disparagingly referred to a "bin fillers" because of the perception that they take all their supplies with them, and buy little locally.
As one the purposes of RET was to attract more tourists, then to be surprised that we have, er, more tourists merely demonstrates the success of the pseudo-RET scheme.
CalMac - and that really means SNP and Labour - need to start budgeting for bigger ferries in their manifesto programmes, as this is going to be a major issue at the coming election.
The problem is....just how much capacity is out there? So how big do the new vessels need to be?
Allowing for all the tourists who turn up at Ullapool on spec and then don't travel when they realise that the ferry is full, I would be guessing that a 30% increase in capacity is required.
The immediate short-term solution?
Seven-days sailings will take a slight amount of the pressure off, but the real answer is the urgent need to replace the Muirneag and augment the service provided by Isle of Lewis.
Over to the Scottish Government to find the cash and show their intentions towards the islands......
The solution is to demand a new ferry - or ferries - and not banning camper vans.
I know that they are disparagingly referred to a "bin fillers" because of the perception that they take all their supplies with them, and buy little locally.
As one the purposes of RET was to attract more tourists, then to be surprised that we have, er, more tourists merely demonstrates the success of the pseudo-RET scheme.
CalMac - and that really means SNP and Labour - need to start budgeting for bigger ferries in their manifesto programmes, as this is going to be a major issue at the coming election.
The problem is....just how much capacity is out there? So how big do the new vessels need to be?
Allowing for all the tourists who turn up at Ullapool on spec and then don't travel when they realise that the ferry is full, I would be guessing that a 30% increase in capacity is required.
The immediate short-term solution?
Seven-days sailings will take a slight amount of the pressure off, but the real answer is the urgent need to replace the Muirneag and augment the service provided by Isle of Lewis.
Over to the Scottish Government to find the cash and show their intentions towards the islands......
27 comments:
The quickest, cheapest and easiest option to improve the capacity in the short term is to introduce 3 return sailings every day. Extra crew will be required (creating jobs..!) and no long wait for the funding for a new ferry / ferries.
Campervan visitors do represent a genuine incremental revenue opportunity for the islands. They may spend less than a visitor staying in a hotel, but they do spend something, and its better spent here than elsewhere in Scotland.
"Campervan visitors do represent a genuine incremental revenue opportunity for the islands. They may spend less than a visitor staying in a hotel, but they do spend something, and its better spent here than elsewhere in Scotland."
Yes..plus campervanites who have a good experience here will spread the word back home and increase visitor numbers including those who will use hotels, B&B etc. Presumably not everyone they know will be campervan users!
Campervans should be encouraged, with more hard standing sites built for them. They do contribute to the local economy more than some people claim; it's a myth that they don't. We've had a lot of experience of them here, and people who don't like them fall into two categories:
1. Residents who don't like them because they (the vans) are usually driven by English people, and by having an expensive van they display wealth. Get over it, folks.
2. Residents who don't like anything at all spoiling "their" views and "their" beaches, which they seem to think they own.
There's been a lot of nastiness on Berneray about this, ironically stirred up by incomers who've moved there. It keeps the local police busy.
Like other types of tourist, most campervan owners are responsible, and a small minority are not. Which you can also say about car drivers, cyclists, canoeists et al.
The Barra Boy's target is obviously the reduction in the level of RET for the camper vans.
There are a couple of points over his article.
1) Camper vans (motor homes)between 5 & 8m in length are not charged the same as cars. Camper vans under 5m are. A simple look at the timetable/fares page on Cal Mac's site shows this clearly. Obviously he or his "assistant" didn't bother checking this (possibly too busy eating Toblerones?)
2) He should be pushing the council to provide more waste disposal sites for the vans.
As a general point a lot of these vans are hired for the week or a fortnight and not owned.
Could an interim measure not be to run the "Muirneag" during the day taking lorries and op to 12 passengers whilst only taking cars, bikes and vans on the IoL? This might need some jiggling with the timetables to allow for the difference in speeds between the vessels but.........
I've wondered about the possibility of having 2 smaller, faster ferries running simultaneously, along the lines of what Bute has. Getting the crossing time down to sub-2 hours, with twice as many ferries, would be great. However, it'd be expensive up front, obviously, and probably expensive to run. Has anyone done any serious research along those lines?
Looks like the media circus will be rushing back by ferry or plane for a big funeral on Berneray in few days as Prince Charles expected to attend.
Has anyone talked to the campervan folk or the van hirers?
Coming from a caravanning family (oh, the shame!) I know that most are folk who a) like to be independent, so won't use hotels or B&Bs anyway, and b) like moving about, so won't use self-catering cottages as the latter usually have minimum stays of a week.
Many do load their vans up with food etc. (my parents used to get a month's tinned food into our caravan for our annual trip to France! Yum.) but that's often because they aren't sure of getting what is familiar, or know they can get it cheaper in Tesco in Inverness. Show me an islander who doesn't do the same given half a chance.
It's an entrepreneurial opportunity, folks. Design services for them and 11.04am is right: they spend something, and that's better than nothing. Now, who's got a scenic croft we can put some tarmac and some loo points on?
We need to welcome all the visitors we can get, not be discriminating against some because of their chosen mode of transport. What next? No cyclists on the roads at peak times so we don't suffer the inconvenience of having to slow down occasionaly.
Many of these motorhomers own their £30k - £60k vehicles, so I doubt they are concerned about spending a few hundred quid when on holiday up here.
Most would welcome the increased visitor numbers in the current economic climate as a positive thing. Instead, yet again the islands are portrayed as having a glass half empty attitude thanks to our dumbass MP having to tell about his latest letter, in a bid to justify his existance.
The simple answer is more frequent ferry sailings (Sunday from Tarbert anyone?)and for larger ferries to be built in the near future.
The more traffic/passengers that are carried now makes the case for spending money on new ferries easier to justify.
As ever the islands are last in the chain, late to the show. Tourism facilities here are frankly pretty sh*t because the investment was never made. Now we are clammering to catch up, by which time it will be too late.
It will take a couple of years for facilites to emerge, by which time we will be on stumps as we will have shot ourselves in the foot that many times.
anon 7:10 PM
I can honestly say that the drivers on these islands are the worst in Scotland and probably the worst in Britain, especially the maws on the west side.
Anyone cycling is putting their life at risk. Attitudes locally have to change.
The small mindedness and NIMBYISM of these islands will be shown if they decide to give up RET for camper vans. We get something positive, decide we don't like it, resort to the old. As has always been up here,
-Shrugs shoulder-
A quick postscript to the Camper van story.
I met a resident of another group of islands who said after reading of Mr MacNeil and his concerns in the P+J.
'So the Western Isles doesn't want tourists? Ask them to send them our way ...'
More ferries, more places for campervans to dispose of waste, more sites about the place (lots of campervans want to be out and about), more campsite for tents with good basic facilities.
There are a huge number of crofts lying idle. Get some facilities on there but dont go ruining the machair any further.
Sacrificing Horgabost, Huishnish and Reef has damaged just what the tourists come to see.
How about some joined up thinking and using some of the 'reseedinds' that are now being abandoned.
Sorry, completely off topic here, but annoyed. WHFP reports that Samso island is solely reliant on windpower. It isn't and claiming that is is is damaging - from Wiki:
"In 1997, Samsø won a government competition to become a model renewable energy community. At the time Samsø was entirely dependent on oil and coal, both of which it imported from the mainland.[1]
An offshore wind farm comprising 10 turbines (making a total of 21 alltogether including landbased windmills), was completed, funded by the islanders.[4] The people of Samsø heat their homes with straw burned in a central heating system and they power some vehicles on biofuel which they also grow. Now 100% of its electricity comes from wind power and 75% of its heat comes from solar power and biomass energy.[5] An Energy Academy has opened in Ballen, with a visitor education center.[6]"
So it is 100% renewable using a variety of generation methods, something that would be brilliant on the Western Isles!
I note Angus is lying low on the windfarm stuff 7.20pm.
He gave evidence at the Eishkein Inquiry, but has clearly lost his sense of democracy at the results not being published.
Perhaps he knows what the result said - these developemenst are not economically viable of offshore islands. Just look at the stramash on Shetland of late.
Blimey. I used the word stramash. One I certainly need to use more often
Interesting that supporters here once used Shetland as an example of windfarm support compared against the "Luddite" or NIMBY opposition on Lewis and Harris. So much for Brian Wilsons' aspirations to be the Tom Johnston of renewables. He certainly ain't no hero. However having cashed in, what was it, £12 million? from the sale of Airtricity to SSE maybe he's not that bothered, and is now living a quiet life in the rarified environs of Uig. Are there any plans for major windfarms in Uig ? No, I thought not.
Lets hope he continues to be more successful with Harris Tweed than he was with AMEC!
Anon 1:04 PM
You must be one stupid F**K wit as You obviously do not give praise where praise is due.
It looks like you were quite happy to see the Harris Tweed industry ruined. Brian, Alasdair and the other directors of Harris Tweed Hebrides have saved the industry.
A question I would like to ask you. Where were our two useless elected representatives in Holyrood and Westminster when this was happening? If you want the answer please respond and I will tell you.
6.44pm
When you lose a debate you always resort to vulgar abuse.
Is it really down to elected members to tell a private individual (Mr Haggas) how to run his business. I think not.
6.44 you need to calm down a bit. I was being sincere.
I (1.04)applaud the efforts of Harris Tweed Hebrides, hopefully along with everyone else on the island. It was appalling to see the industry being run into the ground, and so many people including the MP's and the council being so utterly ineffective, if not negligent. It was pathetic to see the council pleading with the Scottish government for the weavers fund, while effectively squandering cash on other useless projects which were complete dead ends. Their bad judgement is on a par with Haggas.
Harris Tweed is a stunning product, which is a 'real' sustainable industry, employing people who actualy live here, and creating masses of spin off crafts and products for island shops. The biggest problem I foresee is attracting young weavers, to meet demand as people retire.
I have little interest in what our two MP's were doing at the time, assuming that as normal, they would be doing something of no interest or value. If I am wrong or it is entertaining then please do tell.
As for the involvement of Brian, Alasdair and the others in bringing the blight of big windfarm developers to the island, they deserve all the criticism that is piled on them and more.
Next time, maybe try counting to 10 and taking some deep breaths. Loosing your rag in public is seldom cool, especially when you are wrong.
best wishes
the F**k wit!
Anon 11:12 AM
I apologies for my earlier outburst in calling you a F**k Wit. From your latest statement I for one do not look at the weavers fund as squandering money. The tweeds woven with the fund will used to keep the industry working all year round instead of the 6 months the weavers and the mill workers normally get. Apart from the council, HIE and the two operating mills have also put money in to the fund.
I hope Anon 11:12 AM you will accept my apology.
Best wishes
Angry 6.44
No problem 6.44, and just in case there is confusion I too agree with the weavers fund, my point is it just should have been done a lot quicker and with much less political posturing. Existing indigenous sustainable economic activity, however small should be treasured, protected and cultivated, and getting back on topic that includes facilitating campervans.
Have a goodnight!
On campervans: I'm relieved to see some sense amongst the comments. I heartily endorse the comment on encouraging 'joined up' thinking. My family have been in the caravan park business for over 40 years and have been campervan holidaymakers themselves for just as long and I have ovserved firsthand the huge income potential caravanning brings.
Why not start up a campervan hire in Stornoway, solving some of the ferry probs and ensuring people buy locally; or perhaps a wee google search to see how other places are coping quite successfully (without having to chase them away with a big stick) with campervan tourists (NZ springs immediately to mind)
Rather than trying to scare them away, for pity's sake, put the resources in place to prevent damage to environment and other problems.
I note from today's P+j that the lack of fairness in ferry costs has become a political issue in the Northern Isles.
No doubt we can thank Mr MacNeil and his lack of political judgement for that. If ever an elected representative was a camper van short of a full ferry load ...
5.51 is right regarding joined up thinking and has also highlighted the biggest problem that people have with campervans at the moment which is the increased useage of the machair as a 'free camp' in many places. Whilst everyone acknowledges that facilities for them is pretty poor they also have to understand that it doesn't mean that sites such as machairs and dunes etc are to be used either. Until such a time as facilities are improved there needs to be some focus on ensuring that information regarding vehicle access (motorised vehicles have no rights off road without permission and the term 'wildcamping' isn't applicable to vehicles either)is provided to people coming over to ensure our fragile areas which are special to both locals and tourists are not further damaged.
1.34 - locals may not own the 'views' or 'beaches' but in many parts of the islands they own the land that people park on in order to be able to enjoy them!. There is no doubt that most campervanners who visit the island are responsible but unfortunately it's the minority who show a complete disregard for the local people or environment that spoil it for everyone else. There is no doubt that 'no camping' signs will be on the increase if the current situation continues.
There are miles of old single track road around the island which could easily be reconnected to provide pull ins. The road to Uig and South Lochs stand out. Plus the abandoned quarries. With a little bit of work a huge amount of sites could be identified and make Lewis/Harris (don't know what situation is on the southern isles) a really competitive destination.
Give me Camper Vans anyday they don't stay long and generally they do take there rubbish with them
It's a local person here in Shawbost who dumps his garden waste on the approaches to Shawbost beach, thus dispoiling the amenity of everyone. Plus in order to do this he drives his sit on mower on the public roads, no doubt without insurance, tax, or a licence.
Maybe if someone knows who this resident is in North Shawbost they could have a quiet word!
Post a Comment