Harris' Sunday ferries approach 1st year

LEVERBURGH, Scotland, April 6 (UPI) -- In the year since the ferry to Harris in the Scottish Hebrides began Sunday operations, the island has not been hit with a plague or a tidal wave.

But those who opposed the Sunday operation still oppose it, The Scotsman reports.

"The spiritual heritage and values of the locals have been violated in a despicable manner. There is more to life than the convenience of travel and a 24/7 lifestyle," said the Rev. George Macaskill, who chairs the Lewis and Harris branch of the Lord's Day Observance Society.

The anti-ferry protest was always muted. When the ferry from North Uist made its first Sunday run April 9, 2006, there was a tape across the slipway that said "Keep Out" and a poster with the Biblical injunction, "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy."

Since then, the ferry has carried an average of 18 passengers and seven cars on each of its three Sunday trips.

Archie Campbell, a member of the local council on North Uist, called the ferry "well-used."

But Neil Campbell, Harris representative of the Outer Hebrides Tourism Industries Association, said if the ferry service is too convenient, tourists just leave more quickly.