Corran Ferry Works

There is some uncertainty about exactly what will be happening at Corran Ferry later this year when the slipway on the Nether Lochaber (Fort William) side is closed for major repairs. After a vigorous local campaign, spearheaded by our Community Councils, Highland Council decided not to close the ferry altogether but to instal a pontoon, linked to the upper part of the Nether Lochaber slipway by a steel bridge, against which the ferry can berth.

The exact dates don't seem to have been finalised, though the pontoon won't be in action until after the Mull Rally, 8th-10th October. The works will be completed by Christmas - that's the promise.

At present the Maritime & Coastguard Agency have ruled that no vehicle weighing more than 3 tonnes may use the temporary jetty, which will give access to the Maid of Glencoul, the smaller of the two ferries which is in use at that time of year while MV Corran is undergoing its annual maintenance. So a lot of traffic will be going round the end of Loch Eil - including the local Shiel Bus which will, therefore, arrive much later in Fort William. The MCA is also threatening to ban all use of the facility after dark - whatever that means, bearing in mind how dark it can be on a rainy day both in the late morning and early evening. The general feeling is that, once the barge is in position, the MCA may relax these rules: the barge has worked very well out on Raasay. For the car user crossing during daylight hours, business should be much as usual.

In the face of all this uncertainty, the Diary sincerely hopes that Highland Council will make very sure that, as early as possible, full details will be published in a form accessible both to local users and our many visitors at that time of year.