Scotland’s ferry crisis left young shinty player having to kayak to make match

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Scotland’s ferry crisis left a young shinty player trying to get to a match with no other option but to use her kayak.Katie Connolly was trying to get across Loch Linnhe in the Highlands last Sunday from Corran to her home village of Ardgour where she was due to play.But with the match starting at 1pm she didn’t have enough time for the one hour 15 minute diversion by road via Fort William.So the 17-year-old expert kayaker made a quick call to her parents and which saw mum Jess kayak across the water from Ardgour with another kayak in toe for Katie.Mum and daughter then made the 300 yard crossing back home where Katie’s dad, Ali, was waiting to drive his her to nearby Strontian in time for the match.It comes as the Scottish Government revealed the military could be brought in to cover the route.Katie, who was at work on an internship with Puffin Dive Centre in Oban before travelling to Corran for the ferry on Sunday morning, said: “It was my mum’s suggestion to kayak across because it’s 44 miles from slipway to slipway and takes an hour and a quarter to drive, she thought it would save me time and petrol and I thought sounds like great craic.“My mum, 46 and dad, 43, both used to be outdoor instructors and I have grown up kayaking from a young age.“I have kayaked round the Corran Narrows many times.“My mum looked at the tide times to make sure it wasn’t running too strong when we were going to cross and she was with me for both crossings.“I definitely wouldn’t have done this on my own, I’m glad I had someone with me.

The paddle back was a bit more tricky with all the bruises from my shinty game.”A reduced service has been running on the five-minute crossing of Loch Linnhe since January as the main ferry on the Highland