A NEW fly-on-the-wall documentary series will show life aboard ferry operator Cal Mac’s services and the communities it connects.
The first of eight episodes of Island Crossings is screening on Sunday at 9pm on the BBC Scotland channel.
CalMac operate the largest ferry fleet in Britain across 26 islands, running more than 500 sailings every day, operating 29 different routes that connect Skye, Harris, Islay, Arran and dozens of smaller islands to mainland Scotland and each other.
In the opening episode, Ardrossan port assistants Kirsty and Debra -– who was only four weeks into the job at the time -– deal with complaints and concerns from thousands of passengers bound for Brodick Highland Games, including Kilbarchan Pipe Band members, as they are left waiting indefinitely after MV Caledonian Isles breaks down on the busiest day of the year.
The programme shows Mull youngster Oscar leave home, just as hundreds of other islander pupils have to do when they reach secondary school age, and set sail early on Monday mornings to spend the week in Oban in the school hostel.
And staff at Cal Mac’s Oban base take time off in their lunch break to raise money for the RNLI with a gut-wrenching charity challenge as they attempt to swallow stinking fermented herring from Sweden,
Meanwhile sisters Tanya and Natalie from Lewis are among 20 new apprentices who join the company and start their on-board training.
Later episodes see Barra shellfish businesses, whisky distillers on Islay and wedding guests going to North Uist meet the challenges of disrupted ferries, while CalMac boss Robbie Drummond and his management team get to grip with an ageing fleet that requires imminent upgrading and maintenance.
