Readers will be well aware of the endless reporting of individual instances of CalMac ferry problems.
Evidence is emerging that their message is getting across and putting tourists off planning travel to the Scottish Islands.
See this today:
What are the facts?
On Sunday 11 June 98.9% of 379 CalMac sailings were on time and the seasonal average is 95.4%: https://www.calmac.co.uk/calmac-performance-data-browser?date=11%2F06%2F2023
Brittany ferries with only 9 or 10 sailings per day on massively profitable routes, rarely reaches 90%: https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/information/sailing-updates/sailings?ports=GBPME&ports=GBPOO&ports=GBPLY
Balanced reporting? Scotland’s MSM is long capsized!
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
I was in the Outer Hebrides a week or so ago. I’ve been a regular summer visitor for quite a number of years. It was definitely quieter than in the past. Accommodation with spare capacity when they were full, etc.
We travelled up and back down the island. All the ferries ran to time and all had spare capacity. On the way back, the Loch Boisdale / Mallaig route was off. Both the Eriskay / Ardmhor and Castlebay / Oban ferries had lots of space. The Eriskay ferry was running extra crossings.
Yes ferries need to be upgraded and that has not happened on a regular basis for decades, and there should be consideration given to more smaller ferries and other types like catermarans.
But I suspect the accommodation providers are now really losing out with the continual politicisation of ferries.
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In the recent BBC Reporting Scotland coverage of the Mallaig-Lochboisdale route cancellation there was never any mention of other routes. The reports made it sound as if this was the only route when in fact there are alternatives as you point out.
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Will the Scottish media be asking islanders if their “reporting” has resulted in damage to tourism?
Scots have to start realising that the MSM in Scotland has an agenda and that it is not to benefit the people of Scotland but to serve the interests of the London establishment.
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MY SON WAS UP ON ISLAND CAMPING
AND COULD NOT FIND MANY OR VERY FEW SITES
AND FERRIES WERE FULLY BOOKED
SO NOT SURE WHOEVER IS ‘PEDDLING’
THIS BAILIE DRIVEL IS TELLING LIES MAYBE SARWAR AND BAILLIE
LINKED TO ROSS, COAL HAM
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Arran was hotching 2 weeks ago, we had booked the 1600 odds ferry back to Ardrossan but unfortunately a wee problem developed with our Frenchy at home. We decided to try and get an earlier ferry and we were put in the standby land which was pretty full by the time the ferry came in. The Calmac guys were brilliant and managed to squeeze in half the standby line, we were the last on.
I loathe the liblabtory politicians and their scumbag media supporters. Yes yesterday, Yes now and Yes forever.
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I arrived back from a trip to the Hebridies from Oban to Oban via Mull, Ardnamurchan and Skye with no difficulty in booking or just turning up for the ferries a week ago.
Seven ferries in all, on time with great staff doing a great job. Do any of the journos ever take a ferry or do they rely on anecdotes for information? We hear about the difficulties on a constant basis, but there’s another story to tell with the majority of passengers getting to their destinations and on time.
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Perhaps Reporting Scotland Down should simply place a big billboard at the border near Gretna stating : ” We’re closed – F*ck off home ! ”
I’m pretty sure that was discussed at a Pacific Quay news conference recently .
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There has been one ferry built ever year. Same as before. The increase in tourism happened because of COVID and exceptional weather. Not experienced before.
There are 4 ferries in production. To meet the higher demand. The delayed ferry prototype will always take longer but save in the future. Reduced fuel costs will save £Billions. Ferry fuel costs are can be high, with rising prices. The ferries are highly subsidised by the Scottish Gov. Residents get half price flights. The unexpected higher passenger numbers could not have been predicted. There are other routes. Road, sea and fights. Everybody does not come at once.
Scotland in surplus in fuel and energy pays more. Westminster policies refused parity. Scotland nearer the source. The Energy companies wanted Scotland to pay less, for parity. Westminster refused. A burden on the whole Scottish economy.
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The effects on well-being of these propaganda games are always secondary to the political objective, no matter the subject.
Yet by far the greater problem is the amplification provided to these propaganda games by a media no longer bound to basic journalistic rules of context and impartiality.
Are islanders today any more ‘agitated’ by disrupted ferry services caused by breakdown, accident or delay in fabrication than they were 20 years ago ? – I suggest not.
As perfectly demonstrated by Stewartb in comments to the earlier QEUH piece, Lisa Summers & Susie Forrest abstracted ONLY that information which fitted the BBC Scotland framing, specifically ignoring any which conflicted even from the same source they quoted.
There has always been an element of political influence on BBC output, so the blatant disinformation from the BBC in Scotland is sanctioned at some political level, but it sure as hell isn’t in Scotland.
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My son has just returned from a short camper holiday in west os Scotland islands
He said the areas were very busy and ferries fully booked
So all our devious unionist English spies are making up stories to ruin Scotland
And its tourist trade
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