Orcadian column, 06/08
A couple of weeks spent ‘island hopping’ has provided a reminder of how much Orkney Ferries crews do to respond to the needs of island communities and passengers. Invariably working with vessels that have long since exceeded their shelf life, crews manage to keep the show on the road remarkably well all things considered.
Timetables are revised to cater for regattas, shows, trip days and even weddings or funerals. They go the extra mile, often quite literally, for passengers too as I saw over recent days. Last Friday, a woman trying to get to Stronsay found herself on one of the ferries heading to Sanday for the Shows. A quick detour via Eday saw her dropped off to await the Stronsay ferry, due to arrive in Eday shortly afterwards.
There was then the example on Monday this week when Orkney’s MSP got caught up chatting to local residents in Graemsay only to arrive at the pier as the ferry was steaming off to Moeness. Mercifully, the crew took pity on someone who really should know better but who has now sworn a solemn oath to learn his lesson. Needless to say, I am enormously grateful to Richard and the crew for not leaving me stranded, as I deserved.
Travel mishaps aside, I’ve really enjoyed my ‘island hopping’ over the past month. It may not be a holiday, but parliamentary recess allows me to pack in engagements that are hard to accommodate when having to travel back and forth to Edinburgh each week.
As well as advice surgeries and catching up with constituents, there’s been the chance to help with repairs to the world famous North Ronaldsay sheep dyke and hunting for bees in Egilsay, Westray and Sanday in my role as the new Species Champion for the Great Yellow Bumblebee. These are long days where I also need to keep an eye on emails but they are also hugely rewarding.
The same could be said of attending the various agricultural and industrial shows. I’m in awe of the effort put in by organisers behind the scenes, at a time when it is getting ever harder to sustain such events with changes in working patterns and the make-up of communities. Yet the shows are so important in bringing people together, keeping skills alive and showcasing what Orkney has to offer. Hopefully they will get the support they need and deserve, despite the poor weather forecast for the coming days.
In addition to visiting different islands and shows, parliamentary recess offers more opportunity to meet with local groups who often tend to hold their meetings midweek when I’m usually in Edinburgh. One such example is the Visually Impaired People’s group who invited me along last Wednesday. I spent a very interesting and enjoyable hour or so hearing about what life is like living with serious sight loss in Orkney and some of the challenges faced, not least in accessing services.
Not surprisingly, one of the key concerns raised by members of the VIP group was the cuts to Loganair’s services. These will have a serious impact on those needing to attend ophthalmology appointments in Inverness, who now face added uncertainty, inconvenience and cost.
These are concerns I have relayed again to the Transport Secretary, Stephen Flynn on the back of last week’s meeting, urging him to step in to ensure the services on these lifeline routes are restored as soon as possible. As it happens, I am due to meet Mr Flynn next week and will seek firm assurances that this issue is being prioritised by the Scottish Government, who own Highlands & Islands Airports Ltd
Mr Flynn must also confirm that he recognises the importance of government leading a strategic review of air services across the region. I’m not expecting Loganair to start nipping back to pick up heedless MSPs who have been busy chatting to constituents and missed their flight, but recent events have shown that it’s not just visually impaired people in our islands who are desperate to see our lifeline air services put on a more resilient and sustainable footing over the long term.