Scotland’s farming leaders have been gathering evidence and case studies across all island communities on the impact of the deteriorating and unreliable lifeline ferry services on farmers and crofters.

The results from the NFU Scotland survey, will then be put to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee’s ferry inquiry and the union will highlight how ‘problems of an ageing fleet, lack of investment, unreliability and poor planning’ have impacted its members from Shetland to the West Coast.

It is calling on Transport Scotland to invest significant resources as a matter of urgency to improve lifeline services that will ensure the economic viability of island businesses and communities. NFUS is also calling on the Scottish Government to improve the fleet or invest in fixed links to help remote island communities.

Plans are also underway for NFUS to work with other impacted sectors early in 2023 to highlight concerns directly with Transport Scotland, the Cabinet Secretary for Islands and Rural Affairs and Cabinet Secretary for Transport to underline fleet resilience and the impacts of the inadequacies in the current service.

Rural business policy advisor, Rhianna Montgomery, said: “Many of our members in island communities are being let down on a weekly, if not daily basis by ferry services that are not fit for purpose. As a result, economic growth is suffering.

Want to see more SNP fails? – Economic Matters