Banned from standby Scottish ferries

[MikeBBB]

Ferries:
This explanation from CalMac was available from the start if you looked in the right places.

You didn't have to look very far - it was on / in every press comment, right from the beginning. It most certainly was in the very first ones! This was reported in other groups I'm interested in even before it was reported in the m/home community!

 

[Biggarmac]

I am not familiar with the Islands, what are the 'masses of infrastructure' please?

There are free black waste disposal points at most ferry terminals. Fresh water also available there. Local communities (such as the West Harries Trust) have places you can stop for donations. Easy to get rid of dry waste. The website www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk provides a downloadable leaflet for motorhomes and caravans giving information on the facilities.
There are picnic areas on the coast where staying overnight is accepted. Most of the roads/tracks to them could do with some improvement.

 

[Fisherman]

Ferries:
This explanation from CalMac was available from the start if you looked in the right places.
It's not anti-moho at all; it just requires us to BOOK which is not a difficult thing to do.
Tax:
The islands have put in masses of infrastructure to try to manage the influx of motorhomes - don't you think it's FAIR for them to recoup some of the cost of that?
Any response about "what we spend" is flawed. It's minimal in comparison.

Really, can you furnish us with the “Right” place, I looked all over their website, read articles aplenty online and heard nothing about this till their reply which I posted on here. If they were genuine surely this “explanation “ would have been highlighted. You would have thought that this explanation would have been covered in their initial response to me, but no mention was made of this whatsoever. Also many on here are well informed yet none of them found this “Right“ place. Until my post no one made any mention of this.

I don’t reckon they are so much anti Motorhome but saw us as an easy target, particularly with all the poor reporting about us going on right now. They fed the “crush the Motorhome” brigade with the ammunition they needed, whilst making it look as if they were doing something to alleviate issues which they themselves were responsible for creating in the first place. We make up a tiny proportion of ferry traffic, and the vast majority book in advance, so other than creating an illusion of good management, they have done virtually nothing by doing this to alleviate this situation, other than to make us look poor. And please don’t ask why complain about queuing when we hardly ever queue in the first place, this has everything to do with principle, and little to do with queuing.

Can you detail these “masses of infrastructure “ you inform us about.
A few elsan points hardly qualifies as masses of infrastructure.
As for what we spend when visiting the islands, of course we don’t spend as much as those staying in hotels, and B&Bs. But are the islands only welcoming off those who do so, do they view every visitor as some kind of cash cow. But for your information on our recent visit to Arran we spent over £300, (inc £220 in Aran Active) excluding ferry costs, donated goods to the local charity shop, and made 2 £5 donations at FREE elsan points. Does this qualify us as bonefied cash cows who will be welcomed on any island, or would we have to spend more to qualify.
Oh and I do apologise for not replying sooner, but I never looked in the right place and missed your post.

 

[Fisherman]

You could not write the script.
CalMac have just asked me to take part in their Isle be back competition, telling them what I like about visiting the islands.

Hello celebrate reasons to say #IsleBeBack

​

We have all missed being able to visit the islands. #IsleBeBack celebrates what we love (and have missed) most about this remarkable part of the world and the reasons to bring us back. Watch our #IsleBeBack film featuring all our favourites - providing plenty of inspiration for this October break - and find out how you can get involved by sharing your best west coast memories.

​

Well I told them I love visiting quiet parts of the islands were there are few others, and that spontaneous moments like simply deciding on a whim to head elsewhere are part of what I enjoy. (Liar ) But owing to their policy that is no longer possible. If I win the competition we get two five star nights on Islay. I informed them that I would rather visit Islay in my Motorhome, but thanks.

 

[MikeBBB]

Really, can you furnish us with the “Right” place,

Here's one - https://www.scotsman.com/news/trans...vans-and-caravans-from-standby-queues-3343846

Here's their own FAQ - irritatingly of course, it's undated - https://www.calmac.co.uk/article/8272/Changes-to-motorhomes-campervans-and-caravans-standby-process

 

[Fisherman]

No problems with them not being dated Mike, I accept your point is valid.

But when only 2-3% of vehicles which travel on these ferries are motorhomes and the vast majority book in advance already what's the point.
All that will happen now is the few who did queue, will now book in advance.
The fact remains, this is nothing more than a PR exercise by a company who have failed the islanders.
This will make little difference to the Islanders, who must come first.
But unfortunately when people read this it makes us stand out, and has a negative impact on our already wrongly tarnished reputation.
And this may well pave the way for further restrictions to be added, such as limiting our numbers, who knows.

 

[CWH]

Really, can you furnish us with the “Right” place, I looked all over their website, read articles aplenty online and heard nothing about this till their reply which I posted on here. If they were genuine surely this “explanation “ would have been highlighted. You would have thought that this explanation would have been covered in their initial response to me, but no mention was made of this whatsoever. Also many on here are well informed yet none of them found this “Right“ place. Until my post no one made any mention of this.

I don’t reckon they are so much anti Motorhome but saw us as an easy target, particularly with all the poor reporting about us going on right now. They fed the “crush the Motorhome” brigade with the ammunition they needed, whilst making it look as if they were doing something to alleviate issues which they themselves were responsible for creating in the first place. We make up a tiny proportion of ferry traffic, and the vast majority book in advance, so other than creating an illusion of good management, they have done virtually nothing by doing this to alleviate this situation, other than to make us look poor. And please don’t ask why complain about queuing when we hardly ever queue in the first place, this has everything to do with principle, and little to do with queuing.

Can you detail these “masses of infrastructure “ you inform us about.
A few elsan points hardly qualifies as masses of infrastructure.
As for what we spend when visiting the islands, of course we don’t spend as much as those staying in hotels, and B&Bs. But are the islands only welcoming off those who do so, do they view every visitor as some kind of cash cow. But for your information on our recent visit to Arran we spent over £300, (inc £220 in Aran Active) excluding ferry costs, donated goods to the local charity shop, and made 2 £5 donations at FREE elsan points. Does this qualify us as bonefied cash cows who will be welcomed on any island, or would we have to spend more to qualify.
Oh and I do apologise for not replying sooner, but I never looked in the right place and missed your post.

Most of your points have already been addressed by others so I won't go over them again.
No, the islands don't "view every visitor as some kind of cash cow" but I'm sure you will agree that many members of our motorhoming community regularly use this argument when justifying demands for more moho-friendly destinations (or maybe you're sensible enough not to read the same trash that I do). I believe the vast majority of us provide a welcome boost to local economies.