Second Sunday ferry will deliver weekend newspapers

Calmac’s summer timetable details two Sunday sailings from Stornoway to Ullapool, operating from June 26 to September 4th.

The service will leave the Island at 0800, arriving at Ullapool at 10.30am. It will then return to the Islands, leaving Ullapool at 11.30am and arriving in Stornoway at 2pm.

The ship will depart a second time at 3pm arriving in Ullapool at 5.30pm, before making the return, coming into Stornoway at 9pm.

Talking about the extra service a spokesperson for Calmac said this week: “An extra sailing also took place last year to cope with demand over the summer. Although last year it was on a Friday and Saturday and this year it is a Sunday.”

As well as providing further flexibility for travellers at the weekend the service will also mean Sunday newspapers will be on sale in the Western Isles on a Sunday for the first time.

The new Calmac service arrives in Stornoway at 2pm and distribution arrangements have been made to ensure those readers in the Stornoway area who want a Sunday newspaper on the day can obtain one as quickly as possible thereafter.

Preparations are underway to make the papers available at: Engebret service station and store, Sandwick Road; Stornoway Airport cafe and on the ferry.

Scottish Newspaper Society director John McLellan said: “Our members are delighted to be able to offer this service to their customers for the first time, and we know that over the summer there will be many visitors to the Islands who will also be looking for their Sunday newspapers.

“But we are also respectful of the Sabbath traditions in the Western isles, and we feel the limited distribution addresses both.”

Due to the afternoon arrival of the papers it will not be possible to make them widely available to the rest of the Islands on the day, but they will continue to be available on Mondays as before.

The new ferry service ends on September 4, after which the newspaper distribution will be reviewed.