Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne has no intention of introducing Sunday ferry sailings to Lewis this winter. The company has also confirmed that the issue of Sunday flights to the island, confirmed by flight operator Loganair yesterday, is not on the agenda for the regular meeting of the CalMac Board of Directors which will meet in Greenock next Wednesday.  

The company has confirmed that Sunday sailings have not been included in the timetable for Winter 2002-3, which is at the final draft stage and undergoing its final checks before going to print. The timetable is due to start on October 22.  

Lawrie Sinclair, CalMac Managing Director, said today: “There has understandably been a good deal of interest in various issues arising from Loganair’s confirmation of their intentions. I can confirm that the Board meeting to take place next week is one of our regular Board meetings, which had been planned well in advance of this announcement. The issue will not be appearing on the Agenda as a matter for discussion, nor is there any indication at this stage that members will wish to raise it as an issue. Directors and Board members are already fully aware of the situation and they will be receiving the normal reports from Directors which will take account of all the circumstances relating to our own business.”  

Mr Sinclair also confirmed that no requests for Sunday sailings to or from Lewis had been received through the formal mechanism of Shipping Services Advisory Committee (North) at the last meeting in April and that there had therefore been no need to discuss the issue.  

He added: “There is inevitably a good deal of speculation about various issues arising from the announcement this week, which is a commercial matter involving another company and we would not wish to comment on that.  CalMac is happy to set the record straight about its own intentions at this stage. The company is currently fully preoccupied with the preparation for its bid for lifeline services on the west coast and would encourage customers to focus on the opportunity offered there to take part in the debate about ferry services on the west coast.”