Flynn says islanders 'deserve' reliable air and ferry connections

Scotland's new transport secretary Stephen Flynn has visited the Western Isles to hear first hand islanders' concerns about air and ferry travel.

CalMac's west coast ferry network was badly disrupted by breakdowns earlier this year, while Loganair is to reduce flights between the islands and Inverness in July.

After meeting community leaders, Flynn said he did not think it was "too much to ask" that islanders be able to go about their daily lives.

Uisdean Robertson, chairman of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar's transport committee, said he welcomed the minister's decision to visit the islands so soon after his appointment.

Just days before Flynn's visit, the results of a Visit Outer Hebrides survey suggested 96% of island businesses had encountered problems due to ferry disruption since the start of the year.

At one point in April, 10 vessels from CalMac's 32-strong ferry fleet were out of action due to technical faults, annual overhauls or crewing issues.

The company has said the disruption was "unprecedented" and its fleet had now returned to normal operations.

Earlier this month, Loganair said it could no longer maintain the current level of service between Inverness and Wester and Northern Isles "without impacting the wider business".

Flynn told BBC Alba's An Là programme he had offered islanders a reassurance that he would listen to their solutions to problems affecting travel.

"Folk deserve to go about their daily lives, and folk deserve to visit the islands and know for certain they can get home and get to where they are going," he said.

"I don't think that is too much to ask. In fact, I think it is probably the bare minimum."

Uisdean Robertson said talks were held on the reliability of services and costs, and Flynn was presented with a paper setting out suggested improvements.

Brian Currie, ferries representative on Barra and Vatersay Transport Committee, said islanders appreciated change would not happen overnight but hoped Flynn would take a different approach to transport challenges.