Responding to reports that four vessels on the CalMac ferry network have broken down in the space of three weeks, lead candidate for Highlands and Islands Alan Reid said:

"Scotland's ferry network is stuck in the past. Island and peninsula communities have been let down time and time again by SNP ministers who make big promises, stick around for a photo opportunity then vanish into the distance. 

"That's no way to treat what are lifeline links for many people. The incompetence of SNP ministers in Edinburgh is like a lead weight holding back communities.

"Local authorities and transport campaigners have long been calling for an overhaul of how our ferry network is handled and I can understand their frustration at being ignored. As we recover from the pandemic it's time to get Scotland's ferry network ship shape."

ENDS