CalMac

[islaydarkblue]

Or...

We stop subsidising ferries for people who choose to live on islands,and use the money for something better.

That money could be used to build windfalls,especially on the islands which would clearly be good for the environment,and would help with energy production. Or we could use it to fix the potholes on the roads on the mainland.

We could even use it to help a third world country survive,I would spend it in that Scotland place, to help the poorest people put food on the table,or heat their houses in the winter.

Surely that's money better spent than subsidising people who want to use the luxury ferries taking them to the houses they knew were on an island when they bought them?

What kind of windfalls do you suggest are built especially on the Scottish islands.
You would have to kiss goodbye to Scotch whisky produced on the islands of Mull, Jura and particularly the island of Islay which has nine whisky distilleries all working full time plus the Maltings in Port Ellen which is burning Islay peat 24/7 to smoke the barley that makes the peated Islay whisky.
That would certainly knock a hole in the U.K. Government’s balance of payments figures plus the greatly reduced taxation when the scotch whisky comes out of the bonded warehouses would result in taxes having to be raised elsewhere to compensate for this loss of income.
Be very careful what you wish for!

[islaydarkblue]

Nice try Islay! You cannot be serious!

Why not.
The Scottish Government removed the tolls for all vehicles travelling on the toll bridges throughout Scotland so why not remove the charges when travelling on the Scottish Government owned ferries which are the ‘islanders bridge to the mainland’.

[Deeranged]

What kind of windfalls do you suggest are built especially on the Scottish islands.
You would have to kiss goodbye to Scotch whisky produced on the islands of Mull, Jura and particularly the island of Islay which has nine whisky distilleries all working full time plus the Maltings in Port Ellen which is burning Islay peat 24/7 to smoke the barley that makes the peated Islay whisky.
That would certainly knock a hole in the U.K. Government’s balance of payments figures plus the greatly reduced taxation when the scotch whisky comes out of the bonded warehouses would result in taxes having to be raised elsewhere to compensate for this loss of income.
Be very careful what you wish for!

What colour is the smoke that comes out of the Islay malting's chimney?

I've asked you twice already with no response - third time lucky?

[Deeranged]

Why not.
The Scottish Government removed the tolls for all vehicles travelling on the toll bridges throughout Scotland so why not remove the charges when travelling on the Scottish Government owned ferries which are the ‘islanders bridge to the mainland’.

If you can't even see the difference between a boat and a bridge it kind of explains a lot of the total ****e you spout I suppose.

[grantzer]

If you can't even see the difference between a boat and a bridge it kind of explains a lot of the total ****e you spout I suppose.

What kind of windfalls do you suggest are built especially on the Scottish islands.
You would have to kiss goodbye to Scotch whisky produced on the islands of Mull, Jura and particularly the island of Islay which has nine whisky distilleries all working full time plus the Maltings in Port Ellen which is burning Islay peat 24/7 to smoke the barley that makes the peated Islay whisky.
That would certainly knock a hole in the U.K. Government’s balance of payments figures plus the greatly reduced taxation when the scotch whisky comes out of the bonded warehouses would result in taxes having to be raised elsewhere to compensate for this loss of income.
Be very careful what you wish for!

Windfall was such a clear autocorrect that I didn't think I had to edit back to wind farm.

Next,the tax thing. As the English government allegedly subsidise Scotland,its not our problem.

Finally,the whisky. I don't care,I stopped drinking it when I heard about a possible link between something vague the whisky industry does,some smoke of an unknown colour,and hedgehogs going bald.

[islaydarkblue]

If you can't even see the difference between a boat and a bridge it kind of explains a lot of the total ****e you spout I suppose.

It has been well documented for many years that the Calmac ferries are the island residents ‘bridge’ to the Scottish Mainland.
Your post is typical of a city dweller who has no idea about living on a Scottish island all the year round, not just for a fortnight’s holiday.
The Scottish Government ministers are equally clueless but they enjoy turning up a whisky distillery on Islay to receive a free bottle of single malt Scotch whisky.
A number of years ago the Governor of the Bank of England who was carrying out his farewell tour of the U.K. conveniently turned up at Ardbeg Distillery on Islay where he was photographed receiving a bottle of Ardbeg single malt whisky from the Ardbeg Distillery manager.
The photograph was published on the front page of the Ileach, the Islay community newspaper.

[islaydarkblue]

Windfall was such a clear autocorrect that I didn't think I had to edit back to wind farm.

Next,the tax thing. As the English government allegedly subsidise Scotland,its not our problem.

Finally,the whisky. I don't care,I stopped drinking it when I heard about a possible link between something vague the whisky industry does,some smoke of an unknown colour,and hedgehogs going bald.

As you seem to be an expert on everything I look to you explaining how an independent Scotland is going to replace the current £41 billion it received this year as a result of the rules of the Barnett Formula plus Barnett Consequentials.
This money will be gone and it will have to be replaced by Scottish Government taxation.
The vast majority of the Scotch whisky distilleries are owned by companies who have their Head office in England or a foreign owned. The largest of them are Diageo and their head office is in London.
Diageo will be paying their corporation tax to the Rest of the U.K. Treasury not the Scottish Government Treasury.

[islaydarkblue]

Nice try Islay! You cannot be serious!

I enclose the Calmac Ferries Limited annual accounts for the year ending 31st March 2021. https://www.calmac.co.uk/media/7855/...=1654095781973
I suggest that you scroll down to Page 12 of the accounts section where you will read a breakdown of their total income which was
£198,959,000.
This consisted of
Fares and other income £41,758,000
Scottish Government grant. £156,617,000
Management Fees. £484,000
Therefore the income from fares and other income which will probably be sales of meals from the restaurants on the ferries plus purchases in the Mariners Coffee Cabins plus alcoholic drinks from bars on ferries where applicable equates to 20.99%
It is a pity that the enclosed annual accounts did not list the income solely from Fares which would have made it a lot easier to calculate the % of income from fares compared to the total costs of operating the Calmac ferries during their financial year.
£41,758,000 is a minute amount compared to the £41 billion (£41,000,000,000) that the Scottish Government has received from the Westminster Government under the rules of the Barnett Formula in their current financial year.

[grantzer]

I enclose the Calmac Ferries Limited annual accounts for the year ending 31st March 2021. https://www.calmac.co.uk/media/7855/...=1654095781973
I suggest that you scroll down to Page 12 of the accounts section where you will read a breakdown of their total income which was
£198,959,000.
This consisted of
Fares and other income £41,758,000
Scottish Government grant. £156,617,000
Management Fees. £484,000
Therefore the income from fares and other income which will probably be sales of meals from the restaurants on the ferries plus purchases in the Mariners Coffee Cabins plus alcoholic drinks from bars on ferries where applicable equates to 20.99%
It is a pity that the enclosed annual accounts did not list the income solely from Fares which would have made it a lot easier to calculate the % of income from fares compared to the total costs of operating the Calmac ferries during their financial year.
£41,758,000 is a minute amount compared to the £41 billion (£41,000,000,000) that the Scottish Government has received from the Westminster Government under the rules of the Barnett Formula in their current financial year.

The co-op on Islay won't take 41 mil in a year, maybe the government should just pay for everyone's shopping as well?

[Deeranged]

It has been well documented for many years that the Calmac ferries are the island residents ‘bridge’ to the Scottish Mainland.
Your post is typical of a city dweller who has no idea about living on a Scottish island all the year round, not just for a fortnight’s holiday.
The Scottish Government ministers are equally clueless but they enjoy turning up a whisky distillery on Islay to receive a free bottle of single malt Scotch whisky.
A number of years ago the Governor of the Bank of England who was carrying out his farewell tour of the U.K. conveniently turned up at Ardbeg Distillery on Islay where he was photographed receiving a bottle of Ardbeg single malt whisky from the Ardbeg Distillery manager.
The photograph was published on the front page of the Ileach, the Islay community newspaper.

Do you understand the word 'metaphorical' at all? The term 'bridge to the Scottish mainland' is metaphorical - they're not actual bridges despite being termed such by a small number of people.

I choose to live on the Scottish mainland partly because there's nothing on any Scottish island that could tempt me to live there. People who live on Scottish islands choose to live there despite there being various issues surrounding access, convenience and extra living costs. Most accept it's their choice and don't bleat on and on and on about it.

I genuinely couldn't give a toss about the Governer Of The Bank Of England getting a bottle of whisky. I'm also sitting here wondering what it has to do with the subject at hand. Unless he maybe tried walking from stern to bough of the ferry on the way home expecting to alight straight onto dry land after somebody told him it was 'the bridge to the mainland'?