THE Scottish government’s “damaging” decision to hike ferry fares by 10 per cent next year mark another blow to struggling island communities, Labour MSP Katy Clark says.

Fresh from bringing peak fares back to Scotland’s railways, SNP Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop this week wrote to Holyrood’s net zero, energy and transport committee to confirm this year’s ferry fare freeze would be ditched.

Announcing a rise on northern routes from January 1 and on west coast routes from March 28, Ms Hyslop stated: “Reluctantly, we are having to raise ferry fares in the coming year by 10 per cent, bringing fare levels back to around what they would have been had fares not been frozen in 2023-24.

“That will help to partially recover the previous freeze, address some of the significant budget pressures and allow the continued support of the ferries network in future years.”

But Ms Clark, the West of Scotland MSP, said the decision marks the latest chapter in an ongoing ferry crisis, with the ageing CalMac fleet struggling with reliability, while it continues to wait on two new ferries — now six years late and almost 200 per cent over budget.

Ms Clark warned: “This price hike is simply another blow to those already suffering from poor service reliability.

“It’s time for the Scottish government to step up and prioritise investment in our ferry infrastructure.

“A long-term strategy is urgently needed to address these ongoing challenges, not just stop-gap measures like fare hikes.

“Communities deserve reliable, affordable, and efficient ferry services – not the broken system they are currently dealing with.”