Professor John Robertson OBA

In the Orcadian today but getting no mainstream media coverage:

Orkney residents aged under 22 will soon be able to travel between islands free of charge, the Scottish Government has announced. The new scheme comes into force at the beginning of April, allowing young residents to travel for free as foot passengers on inter-island ferry services within Orkney by showing their Young Scot or National Entitlement Card. Residents in Shetland and the Outer Hebrides are being given the same government subsidy.

https://orcadian.co.uk/under-22s-to-travel-free-on-inter-island-ferries/

Emma Roddick MSP (SNP) had already announced this to a similar media silence in December 2024:

Since the rollout of the free bus travel scheme, I have consistently argued that young islanders should be able to access the same benefits of those living on the mainland, through an expansion to inter-island ferries.  I often find myself making the point to some of my Central Belt colleagues that islanders rely on ferries in the same way they rely on cars and buses. 

Alongside Shetland and Orkney’s MSYPs, I have met with multiple Transport Ministers over recent years to push for this progress, and was delighted with the news last year that Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, had commissioned work into scoping the cost of delivering this in future. In amongst each of these very welcome commitments was confirmation that our years of campaigning has been successful, and free inter-island ferry travel will indeed be made available to young people in our island communities. 

I am hopeful that this will empower young islanders to access numerous new educational, professional, and social opportunities that may have previously been inaccessible for them due to cost. 

https://emmaroddick.scot/2024/12/09/free-inter-island-ferry-travel-for-under-22s-secured/

I had completely missed this news, like most of you, I’m sure, for the simple reason that it does not fit with the MSM agenda on ferries.