For Argyll

Over sixty islanders on Jura turned up to a meeting with senior Argyll and Bute Council officers involved in the disastrous contract for the new slipway at Port Askaig on Islay. This is so flawed that it cannot safely be used by the Jura ferry to Feolin. Andy Law, Director of Operational Services and Peter Ward, the Council’s principal engineer were forcibly reminded that this situation had not arisen for want of telling. Islanders and the ferry operators had, from the start, consistenty warned that this would be the outcome but, as is the way, no one listened. You need stripes on your sleeve to command attention. Anyway, Jura Community Council Chair, Willie MacDonald, told the pair ‘We’re not expecting miracles but we do expect something’. The situation on the island was rammed home the day of the meeting when eight daily sailings were lost. Bad weather confined the CalMac ferry at the linkspan at Port Askaig - and with the new slip unusable for embarkation and disembarkation, the Jura ferry had nowhere to go. Engineering firm also involved, Arch Henderson, sent no representatives to the meeting. According to Mr Law, they required to be paid to attend.