A Scottish ferry master with decades of experience sailing on the west coast has hit out at the management of the lifeline service and the “inadequacy” of current quayside infrastructure.

As pressure mounts on the islands according to The Herald, for action to improve the performance and reliability of Scotland’s vital ferry network, a senior captain has marked his retirement with a savage attack on operator CalMac and the failings of harbour infrastructure policy presided over by CMAL (Caledonian Maritime Assets).

The mariner underlined the difficulties which the under-pressure service is causing for island communities, claiming that any local looking to book a vehicle space on a ferry must do so six months in advance.

As previously featured on Afloat Arran businesses vented their fury over a ‘flawed’ harbour move

The claims come after a recent series of reports in The Herald exposed deep-seated problems on the ferry network, which islanders and exports say are the cause of an ageing fleet, insufficient capacity and a lack of vessel flexibility.

For more on criticism over the new harbour at Brodick on the Isle of Arran click here.