Overland Route: Via Jura to Islay

I'm taking a certain risk writing this post since it is based on no more than a tweet from the Ileach Newspaper, although I take them very serious of course. The tweet I'm talking about is as follows: "Overland route through Jura, move freight Clydeport/Port Ellen and service cattle sales from Oban. See next issue". That's all. When I read it I had a pretty good picture in my head what this could mean although it is only based on speculation from my part. Let me explain please. A couple of months ago information leaked from the Ferry Review which has planned to publish their future ferry proposals in spring 2010. If you read the report carefully there is one very interesting and relevant paragraph I'd like you to keep in mind:

A shorter route from Jura to the mainland will be specifically considered as the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change committed the review to including this at his TICCC appearance on 3rd June 2008

Parts of the report that leaked out contained information that could lead to a proposal in which Islay could be served by ferry from the mainland through Oban. If this is realistic or not is not up to me but where there is smoke there is a fire and Lord George Robertson protested against this very scenario in his letter to First Minister Alex Salmond. So you could say that if someone like George Robertson took the effort and wrote such a letter to the First Minister a one port (Oban) scenario must have been mentioned somewhere. Continue reading....

It also surprises me that this protest is taking place at a point where the Ferry Review hasn't even officially published their "draft strategy and public consultation document", at least not officially. Perhaps drafts are circulating among national and local council members, that I don't know. According to the Scottish Island Federation public consultation will take place in spring 2010. This is the information that is more or less freely available. Now why am I triggered by this tweet. A couple of months ago we had an interesting discussion in the forum about the same issue and in one of the last posts I mentioned the Overland Route, a ferry route to Islay using the Isle of Jura as a sort of stepping stone. This Overland Route has been subject to discussion for many many years and it was for example mentioned in this video from the 1960s and there is a lot of information on the Ileach website about the overland route which was published in 1999 and it even mentions the formation of the Overland Route Company. A quote:

The Overland Route Company has been formed from the original Overland Route Project. This project proposed an alternative transport route in and out of Islay and Jura without using the large purpose built vessels used by Caledoanian MacBrayne. Such an alternative would be effected by a short, thirty minute ferry journey from Keills on the mainland to Lagg on Jura's east coast and then by road south to Feolin on the Sound of Islay, making use of the existing Serco Denholm ferry across the Sound to Port Askaig on Islay. This solution would allow a greater frequency of crossings than is currently the case using the existing Caledonian MacBrayne ferry from Kennacraig to Port Ellen or Port Askaig. The contents of these web pages are by way of an explanation of the efficacy of such a proposed route and related developments.

Anyone can understand that the people of Jura aren't waiting for all the tourist cars and lorries from the distilleries driving along their peaceful single track roads disturbing the tranquility of their island. And in the past the Jurachs have been polled several times about such an option and everytime it was a firm NO. Very understandable in my humble opinion. But what if this one sentence of the Ileach would become reality? What if lorries wouldn't use the infrastructure on Jura? The way I understand it is as follows: Islay will be served by a 30min ferry from the mainland through Jura and over the Sound of Islay to Port Askaig, ONLY for cars, campervans, motorbikes and (foot) passengers. This means less time on the ferry, a shorter travel time and it will probably be a cheaper option too. Another advantage will be that this route from the mainland to Jura isn't likely to be disrupted due to bad weather since it is quite sheltered. Cattle transports will take place from a ferry route between Oban and Port Askaig and the majority of the lorries from the whisky distilleries will be shipped from Port Ellen directly to Clydeport. This will bring them in most cases almost to their final destination since most whisky bottling plants are in the Glasgow area.

Like I said above this is pure speculation based on one single tweet but it could well turn out to be the future of the Islay Ferry routes. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the case and I think it is quite a good alternative to the single Oban to Port Askaig route but not as good an alternative to the present situation. But money has to be saved and in this case only Kennacraig will be shut down and not Port Ellen, although Port Ellen wouldn't see passenger ferries anymore if this is the scenario. One thing that bothers me though, if the people on Jura protested in the past why wouldn't they do so now? And if they do can this still be a viable scenario? Or wouldn't they protest and accept that they too will finally get a good and fast connection with the mainland in summer and winter? Read more in the next issue of the Ileach Newspaper