Struthan Cottages – Isle of Tiree, Scotland

Since October 2008, the Scottish Government has been running, as a pilot programme, a scheme that subsidises fares on lifeline ferry services in the Western isles. This scheme is known as Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) and will run until spring 2011. The Scottish Government is seeking to assess the effectiveness of this scheme in supporting fragile island economies and whether there might be a long-term role for this kind of subsidy across the ferry network in Scotland As part of this process, information is needed regarding the views of businesses who use ferry services in the Western Isles.

To collect this information, the Scottish Government has set up an online survey for those with an interest to complete. You can access the survey here

Since the scheme was implemented, visitors have enjoyed cheaper fares to Tiree with passengers up 8% and cars up 13%, all of which boosts the economy of the island. The Scottish Ministers recently said  “I can give all Scottish islanders the assurance that we remain absolutely committed to ensuring the necessary transport links at affordable prices”