Sunday ferry 'will go as planned'

The controversial first Sunday ferry sailing from Stornoway on Lewis to mainland Scotland will go ahead as planned, the operators have said.

The managing director of Caledonian MacBrayne said he was "very hopeful" the usual ferry would be repaired in time for the Sunday afternoon sailing.

A replacement vessel has been operating on the route since the ferry suffered engine problems on Friday.

The MV Isle of Arran was drafted in to make crossings on Saturday to catch up.

A backlog of hundreds of would-be passengers had built up at the mainland port of Ullapool after the MV Isle of Lewis developed a fault.

Sabbath day

CalMac Managing director Peter Preston said: "We are aiming very much to have the Isle of Lewis back on schedule for 1430 BST on Sunday."

The plan for a sailing on the island's Sabbath day has been controversial.

Councillors in the Western Isles opposed the Sunday service, describing it as an attack on the culture, heritage and way of life in Lewis.

However, others said it would be a great benefit to the islands.

Mr Preston said the main issue for CalMac was legal advice which said refusing to provide a service on the grounds of religion or belief would "most likely" be in breach of the Equalities Act 2006.

The Reverend Dr James Tallach of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland said it "grieved the spirit when the law of God is broken".

He said the fourth commandment states "remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy".

"CalMac made a great play that they must keep the law", he said.

"Well, I ask them what about the law of God?

"We will not be tried at the end of the day, when all of us stand before the judgment seat of Christ, on the basis of EU law."

Good old EU law...