Why travelling in breathtakingly beautiful Scotland has become such a nightmare
From cancelled trains and unreliable ferries to gridlocked roads, Scotland’s transport infrastructure is in a mess
Last weekend, Scotland briefly turned tropical, so it’s no surprise that Scots everywhere ditched the weekend chores and made a beeline for a beauty spot. But while 32 degrees in Scotland may be as rare as an SNP success story, it also left our rural infrastructure sweating.
As the MSP for Loch Lomond, I know only too well how sunshine turns the A82 into a car park, with traffic backed up for miles. And it’s even worse when there is an accident. On Saturday after a six-vehicle crash on the A82, the gridlock on the road and chaos of diversion routes through neighbouring towns showed just how fragile our infrastructure really is.
The impact on rural infrastructure was one of the reasons I have concerns about the proposed Flamingoland development at Balloch. Back in 2022, when I surveyed constituents for their views, both those in favour and those opposed to the development raised concerns about congestion on the A82.
Setting communities up to fail
Faced with defeat in the parliament, the SNP government recently bowed to popular pressure and called the planning decision in. Disappointingly, it’s now trying to railroad the decision through parliament during recess, without any public hearings, which is a democratic outrage. With the same reporter and minister deciding on the application’s merits, it does not appear to be a fair and unbiased process.
To be clear, I want everyone to visit Loch Lomond – and support local businesses. But by neglecting our roads, trains and ferries, the SNP government is setting up tourists and local communities to fail.
The Kintyre peninsula is a treasure trove for fans of whisky as well as Wings. Yet the main road to get there, the A83, is regularly disrupted as the SNP has dithered over the best solution to the landslips at the Rest and Be Thankful.
Meanwhile, heading to the Cairngorms means braving Scotland’s most dangerous road, the A9, which is still not dualled despite being the main route to the North Coast 500 (where the lack of infrastructure could fill another column alone).
READ MORE: Ferries Scotland: Island committee to stage protest against state of Oban to Mull ferry service
‘Absolutely devastated’
So how about escaping to an island? Back in April, I met a business community on South Uist whose entrepreneurial spirit was only matched by the unreliability of the ferries they rely on for their custom.
According to the South Uist Business Impact Group, only half of the original timetabled service has gone ahead in the last year, with the remainder cancelled or replaced with a last-minute contingency service.
Sadly, the situation has yet to improve, despite promises from the SNP government. One hotel owner told the New York Times last week that the economy is being “absolutely devastated” by the unpredictability of the ferries.
The SNP government has had nearly two decades to build a ferry fleet fit for the future – an opportunity it has squandered. By contrast, the Faroe islanders have spent recent years building themselves a network of subsea tunnels.
As for trains, ScotRail cancelled more than 17,000 trains in the last year alone. The tourists that visit Scotland are a reminder that for many, our home is the holiday of a lifetime. Scotland’s scenery is breathtaking; we are blessed to live in a beautiful, iconic country.
It’s just a shame we don’t yet have the infrastructure to match.
Jackie Baillie MSP is Scottish Labour’s deputy leader
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.