New ferry service in prospect for Fair isle

On last years' pelagic I asked a crew member if there was a charge for opening the lock gates. He said it's £65 - which explains why we had to wait some while for another boat to arrive and share the cost. So that will be one reason why a ferry operator might not be forthcoming Jim - much as I'd love to see it happen. As an aside, the crew man told how the lock operator fell asleep a couple of years ago and caused much distress when they left it open and all the water drained out !

Reinstating a ferry between Grimsby-Cleethorpes and Spurn Point wouldn't go amiss.

Lincolnshire ornithologist John Cordeaux used to make regular trips in times gone by - and it was his reports that put Spurn on the map as a birding hotspot.  

Anyone know how to write funding bids? Perhaps we should submit one in time for the next round of Levelling-up allocations!

BIRDERS will welcome news Fair Isle that it is set to benefit from a new roll on-roll off ferry service.

This will make it easier to catch up with rare species.

It has been announced that Whitehall has approved £26.7-million of Levelling Up Fund monies to finance the project.

At present Fair isle is reached by a modest ferry, Good Shepherd IV which is almost 40 years old, does not meet current accessibility standards.

It is slow, small, unreliable in poor weather and not climate-friendly.  

This has a tangible impact on Fair Isle's ability to sustain itself and its people.  

Welcoming the announcement, Emma Macdonald, leader of Shetland Islands Council says: "The Good Shepherd is less than five years from the end of her life.

"The impact of the loss of the ferry service from mainland Shetland to Fair Isle would be deeply profound, and, without a new vessel, the long-term sustainability of the island would be in doubt."

Picture: courtesy of Shetland Islands Council