Britain | Ferry bad indeed

What broken ferries reveal about Scotland’s government

A sorry tale of mismanagement and waste

A passenger at the Rum ferry terminal.
Image: Panos

WHEN OVER a quarter of your population rises up in protest, something is seriously amiss. In June some 500 of the 1,900 residents of South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, demonstrated over their island’s wretched ferry service. For much of that month their vital connection to the mainland had been cancelled, one of a long-running series of transport problems for Scotland’s beleaguered coastal settlements.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “The propellers coming off”

From the August 12th 2023 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Britain

Blue lights flashing on an ambulance

Many Britons are waiting 12 hours at A&E

The crisis in emergency care has deep roots

Members of the public look at a floral tribute in Southport in memory of three children killed at a dance studio in the city in July 2024

Is British justice too secretive?

Controversy rages over what happened both before and after a horrendous mass stabbing



The rise of the Net-Zero Dad

Middle-aged men care less about the problem. But they love the solution 

Backing Heathrow expansion suggests Labour is serious about boosting growth

It is the surest sign yet that the government is up for the fight