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Ferry travel in Scotland

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Struner

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Scotlands Transport Minister Michael Matheson twittered this:
- With immediate effect ferry companies will no longer take non-essential travellers. From now on Ferries will be for those who live on our islands, who have an essential need to travel to or from the mainland and for essential supplies or business. Nothing else.
- Those who do not normally live on the islands and have travelled there in the last few days will be able to leave to reduce pressure.
 
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Scotrail314209

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Scotlands Transport Minister Michael Matheson twittered this:
- With immediate effect ferry companies will no longer take non-essential travellers. From now on Ferries will be for those who live on our islands, who have an essential need to travel to or from the mainland and for essential supplies or business. Nothing else.
- Those who do not normally live on the islands and have travelled there in the last few days will be able to leave to reduce pressure.

This is a good move. Because there are no doubt if people go to the rural islands that they will ransack all the shops leaving the residents with barely any. If they take essential passengers only, maybe they could also have room to transport more supplies over to the islands.
 

hexagon789

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Scotlands Transport Minister Michael Matheson twittered this:
- With immediate effect ferry companies will no longer take non-essential travellers. From now on Ferries will be for those who live on our islands, who have an essential need to travel to or from the mainland and for essential supplies or business. Nothing else.
- Those who do not normally live on the islands and have travelled there in the last few days will be able to leave to reduce pressure.

Sensible move, frees up space for essentials to be ferried over too
 

Struner

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Rumour has it that campers are coming up to the Highlands, for “self isolation”. That will put a strain on local resources.
 

Esker-pades

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Rumour has it that campers are coming up to the Highlands, for “self isolation”. That will put a strain on local resources.
Yes. As I said on another thread, at least one MP for the area has posted asking people not to come up and spread it around. Such a phenomena has been observed in Iran, and possibly other countries (but I only know of Iran).
 

Elwyn

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Hmm, I wonder whether if they've made it there's any point turning them back though?

I think the argument is that hospital facilities are scarce in the Highlands and so they don't need any coronavirus cases brought up from England, or even a significant number of elderly people who might be taken ill there for more conventional reasons. Turning them back will resolve that as well as sending out a message.

I suspect there will shortly be an announcement of some sort to close camp sites and perhaps restrict vehicle travel in some way, that will also impact on folk in caravans and RVs.
 

hexagon789

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I think the argument is that hospital facilities are scarce in the Highlands and so they don't need any coronavirus cases brought up from England, or even a significant number of elderly people who might be taken ill there for more conventional reasons. Turning them back will resolve that as well as sending out a message.

I suspect there will shortly be an announcement of some sort to close camp sites and perhaps restrict vehicle travel in some way, that will also impact on folk in caravans and RVs.

Apparently they will be turning them back, I heard it on the news. Very understandable, as many of even the larger islands have only the one hospital I believe and some only a cottage hospital which could easily be overwhelmed.
 

Elwyn

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Apparently they will be turning them back, I heard it on the news. Very understandable, as many of even the larger islands have only the one hospital I believe and some only a cottage hospital which could easily be overwhelmed.


I visit the Outer Hebrides regularly. There’s a modest hospital in Stornoway. But for anything serious you go to either the Raigmore Hospital in Inverness or the Belmont in Fort William. Those 2 hospitals cover all serious medical work for the whole of the north of Scotland. If it’s urgent and you are on one of the islands then they fly you to Inverness or Fort William in the Coastguard Helicopter based at Stornoway Airport. There is just 1 helicopter, so you can see that a rush of serious cases would be a nightmare.

It’ll be easy enough turning RVs away from the ferries but stopping them parking up on the mainland might need a bit more management.
 

hexagon789

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I visit the Outer Hebrides regularly. There’s a modest hospital in Stornoway. But for anything serious you go to either the Raigmore Hospital in Inverness or the Belmont in Fort William. Those 2 hospitals cover all serious medical work for the whole of the north of Scotland. If it’s urgent and you are on one of the islands then they fly you to Inverness or Fort William in the Coastguard Helicopter based at Stornoway Airport. There is just 1 helicopter, so you can see that a rush of serious cases would be a nightmare.

It’ll be easy enough turning RVs away from the ferries but stopping them parking up on the mainland might need a bit more management.

Not sure of its still the case, but Arran used to only have a cottage hospital, so again you'd imagine serious cases would require transfer to the mainland. When you think of the logistics involved you can very easily understand not only why the government doesn't want tourists/visitors coming up to the islands but also why it's important that they are discouraged in the first place.
 

nlogax

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I've had a Kennacraig to Islay booking confirmed for a little while but am perfectly happy to see it pushed back to at least July. By which point it'll definitely time to drink whisky and celebrate what will hopefully be an easing of the situation.
 
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