Caledonian MacBrayne issues safety warning over swimming at the Armadale ferry port

Members of the public have been asked not to swim or dive at Armadale Ferry Terminal on the isle of Skye by Caledonian MacBrayne staff.

On two separate occasions in the last two weeks, people have been discovered either diving off the end of the pier or swimming near the linkspan.

With increasingly high quantities of traffic using the pier and linkspan, this is very dangerous and CalMac is now issuing a reminder to the public. As well as CalMac's MV Coruisk on the Mallaig to Armadale service, the pier is also used by many other ship and boats, including the Hebridean Princess and fishing boats.

"Although the water may look tempting, swimming or diving in this area is incredibly dangerous," said port manager John MacDonald. "We never want to be a dampener on someone's fun, but the port area here is in constant use by all manner of vessels - not just our ferries.

"It is unsafe for diving or swimming and we are kindly asking members of the public to keep well clear.

"We are lucky to have many fabulous bays and beaches on Skye and I'm sure those wishing to get into the water can find a safe alternative."

The Mallaig to Armadale ferry operates eight sailings per day Monday to Saturday throughout the summer and a further six on Sunday, which equates to a total of 108 arrivals and departures from the port per week.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1) Further information about CalMac is available at www.calmac.co.uk

2) Caledonian MacBrayne and CalMac are trading names of CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL). These names are used under licence from Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL). The lion rampant device is used by CFL with the permission of CMAL.