The Waverley

Hebrides have a love hate relationship with ‘the ferry’ – it’s a lifeline, a social club, a means of escape and of excited homecoming; it makes them happy, sad, angry and sometimes very sick.

Caledonian MacBrayne, the Island’s ferry operators run a reliable service, despite the bad winter storms. The Company are heavily subsidised by the the Government but there is constant grumbling from passengers and business over the high cost of making this essential trip.

This photograph was taken in 1988 aboard PS Waverley – the oldest seagoing paddle steamer in the world – when it visited the Hebrides.