Jura ferry runs again after 36 years
A gruelling five hour journey to the mainland from the Scottish island of Jura has been shrunk to a mere 45 minute hop to a local bus service by a new ferry which was officially launched last month.
Until recently, travelling to the mainland meant crossing another island en route. Passengers would have to go over to the neighbouring island of Islay to catch the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry to Kennacraig from Port Ellen or Port Askaig, followed by a bus journey to the centre at Lochgilphead.
The new service means an important link has been re-established. What is more, it is the same family aboard as on the last regular ferry to call at the island some 36 years ago.
For three decades the old MacBrayne’s steamer Lochiel served Islay and Jura with Donnie MacKinnon on board. Now it is his son, Islay Sea Safari owner Nicol MacKinnon, who runs the new high speed boat.
The Shannick, appropriately named after the next up and coming generation of MacKinnons, is a little faster than the old steamer ferry which could just about creak up to 12 knots. The new boat is a Stormforce 11 RIB, fitted out with twin 4.2 Yamaha engines producing 600hp between them for a top speed of over 40 knots.
Interest in using the ferry on its twice daily run (which started in June) has been so great that Mr MacKinnon told MJ the company is already looking at either finding something bigger, or an extra boat. This is after just over a month in service.
The official ‘launch’ of the ferry was greeted with a regatta and a whole weekend of vigorous celebration, or as Mr Mackinon said, ‘The party went on for two days, and everyone got drunk.’
This is because the high speed ferry service is more than just a convenience to the islanders. It is a symbol of the reviving fortunes of the island of Jura, was known for being the place where George Orwell wrote his famous novel, ‘1984’. But the population plummeted from its height of 1,000 in the 19th century and eight years ago the vulnerability of the tiny community of only 120 souls was recognised by the Scottish Office.
A survey of the islanders showed that over 80% thought that a direct service to the mainland was a priority. Now the population has started to grow again, and has recently reached 200.
It isn’t all about the MacKinnon’s making a profit. The quality of Sunday mornings has gone up appreciably with the new service, which gets the Sunday papers to the island by 11.00am, something that has been sorely missed for many years by the population on Jura.
