THE modern world has brought with it a wrenching transformation of island economies.
Once dependent on the trading, hunting, fishing and farming skills of their residents, in many cases decreasing populations and the increase of holiday homes have sucked the life from island communities.
Jura, however, is different.

Fifteen years ago the island had a population of around 170. Now 210 souls call Jura home and there is a vitality about the community which cannot be ignored. In 2007 the Jura Community Development Trust, concerned that the only ferry link with the mainland was via the neighbouring island of Islay, began to look at setting up their own direct link. Argyll and Bute Council agreed to part-fund a three-year pilot project to show the longer-term viability of such a link, with ferry fares themselves making up the difference.

Working with the Development Trust, the council’s transport officials developed passenger projections and funding was agreed on that basis.
The Jura Passenger Ferry launched in 2008, sailing from Tayvallich in Mid Argyll directly into Jura’s main population centre, Craighouse. The pilot project was due to finish in September this year – but a shortfall of £11,750 in projected fare earnings could see the project stop this Friday.

We took the passenger ferry to Jura on Saturday to gauge islanders concerns – and there were many.
Ten passengers left Tayvallich on the second of the day’s runs to Jura at 10am. On the 12-seat fast RIB was an interesting collection of people, all using the boat for different reasons. David Hodge was sailing his yacht off Jura the day before when a vital piece of equipment failed. Facing a two – three week wait for a part he had asked ferry skipper Nicol McKinnon’s advice. David had taken the early passenger ferry to Tayvallich, boarded the bus to Crinan, walked into Crinan Boatyard and bought the part off the shelf. He was now heading back to Jura to fit the part and get on his way.  He was a happy man.

Catherine Nicolson and Janis Carson had left Glasgow at 7am – to go for a swim off Jura’s south coast. They would be back in the city by 8pm. Others were beginning a few days’ stay and some were visiting family on the island.

The journey itself is stunning. The picture-postcard village of Tayvallich (home of famous artist John Lowrie Morrison), gives way to Loch Sween. Then into the Sound of Jura. On Saturday the Sound was flat calm and stunning. Passing the magnificent Skervuile Lighthouse, the famous Paps of Jura came into view, piercing the azure sky.
Then into Craighouse, the ferry lands at the pontoon installed specially for the service.
Jura Development Trust’s Deborah Bryce, project manager for the passenger ferry, met us off the boat.

She took us to the Antlers Restaurant and, over a cup of tea, spoke with enthusiasm about the project, explaining firstly why there is a shortfall.
She said: “We’ve got funding to operate until August 20. We’ve put a report in to the council for a request for a shortfall of £11,725 and that will get us through to the end of the season on September 25.
“The report basically shows the council all the figures from 2008 onwards and it shows the funding subsidy required and the passenger numbers that have been carried over the last three years.
“The conclusion is that the subsidy levels are dropping, and the passenger numbers are going up.
“Back in 2007 when we applied for funding initially we presumed that we would carry five passengers in year one, six in year two and seven in year three. It’s never been done before so, working with the council’s transport department, we came to the conclusion that was what we would carry. Of course as it gets more well-known and established the numbers should go up.

“The numbers did go up, but not as significantly as that. We started with 4.8, then 5.2 and now we are carrying 5.6 – so it’s growing, but very slowly. The increments are shorter than we anticipated, and that’s how we have found ourselves with a shortfall. The money that we asked for in subsidy in year three was enough to see us by if we had been carrying seven passengers per journey, but we were only carrying 5.6 this year – that’s why we are short.
“The council have always been supportive of the service. And we appreciate that in the current climate it will be very difficult to find this money at short notice, but I think we should at least finish the pilot.
“It is recognised that Jura does not have a direct ferry link with the mainland and that this passenger  could be the model for the future – so it’s essential that we get to finish the pilot.”
Asked if, in an ideal world, the trust would hope to begin the real thing next year, Deborah said: “Yes. Absolutely. If it doesn’t get funding until the end of the year it becomes a bad legend, which makes it more difficult to get funding for the next three years. This is obviously a huge concern locally.
“We have been gathering facts and figures over the course of this pilot – facts and figures which we didn’t have when we started this four years ago – and figures we have now show that it does require subsidy at a level of 55 to 60 per cent. This is still significantly less than most transport services in Argyll and Bute, which are at a level of around 70 per cent.”
She continued: “The majority are people visiting Jura. The Jurach user has gone up from 15 per cent last year to 26 per cent this year so I think people here are now finding a purpose for it. It’s certainly not suitable for everybody here, sometimes you just need a car, but again it’s another option and it’s losing that isolation aspect which all islanders can feel from time to time.
“Second-home owners are using it nearly every weekend. We’ve got a woman up the road who is a high school teacher in Glasgow. She used to only be able to come when the schools broke up, but she’s now coming every Friday afternoon and leaving for work every Sunday night.”
“User numbers have rocketed in the last three weeks, and the boat is practically booked out until the end of September. We may need to phone all these people and tell them it’s off.
“The passenger ferry has also been used in a medical emergency – when the doctor was off and we needed one from the mainland – he just jumped on the passenger ferry.”
At that point Grahame Pettit, owner of the Antlers Restaurant, joined us. He was full of praise for the passenger ferry. He said: “As an example, two of our best customers are senior surgeons in Edinburgh. Because of the passenger ferry they can finish work at 2.30pm in the capital and be eating their dinner in here at 7.30pm. Now that’s only two people – but sometimes they bring six others with them.”
It is a short walk from the Antlers to the Jura Hotel, which Andrew and Kath McCallum took over only three months ago. They have not known the island without the passenger ferry.
Andrew told the Standard: “The ferry brings a lot of people who wouldn’t normally come. People can now start their weekend on Jura on a Friday night, arriving at 8pm rather than having to break their journey on Islay or the Argyll mainland.
“You also get people just for the day, maybe walking to Jura House, staying for lunch, then leaving again.
“If it was taken away it would make Jura feel a lot more remote. In terms of the island’s economy, we’re all hoping to expand our business, keep local people in employment, by taking advance bookings. We can't do that without a direct ferry to the mainland.
“We’ve only been here three months and a lot of friends and family use the ferry to come and visit, as do a lot of guests.”

Andrew also spoke about the council-run ferry between Jura and Islay on which rule changes have seen private vans classed as commercial vessels – resulting in the fare rising from £12 to £35. Most islanders use vans rather than cars for practical reasons.
The fishmonger and butchers vans from Islay no longer see trips to Jura as viable and have stopped going to the island.

After lunch and a walk round Craighouse talking to Jurachs and visitors alike, it became apparent that the fledgeling passenger ferry service has become vital to Jura’s fragile economy.
On the journey back skipper Nicol McKinnon spoke about the importance of the service. He said: “The ferry means a lot to the island now, it’s very dependent on it. People are coming from all over the UK now to use it. It saves them a full day’s journey, saving four and a half hours each way.
“We have a few regulars with holiday houses who book well in advance. Even after this week we have hundreds of bookings until the end of the season so I hope something can be pulled out of the hat to keep us going until then.”

At Tayvallich cyclist and regular passenger ferry Steve Druit told us that people have moved back to Jura because they can now commute. He said: “In its short existence it has become akin to a lifeline service. The island mustn’t be allowed to lose it.”

UPDATE: Tuesday 1200:

Argyll and Bute Council has refused the trust's request for extra cash to keep the ferry service afloat.

A council spokeswoman said: "Regrettably the council is not in a position to provide additional emergency funding for the ferry. Earlier in the year the Executive agreed to award £27,457 to sustain the operation for this season. Following a further request for additional funding the Mid Argyll Kintyre and Islands Area Committee allocated a further £9,960.

"The council agreed to support the ferry operation for an initial trial period of three years. This was to provide the operators with the opportunity to build  up the user base and also to attract alternative sources of funding.

 "The Jura Passenger Ferry  service has had a positive impact on the economy of the island  however the council it is not in a position to provide further funding."

There is hope, however. Deborah Bryce of Jura Development Trust told the Standard: "As a result of this news our local Councillor Robin Currie is making an emergency motion at the full Council meeting on Thursday August 19 in support of the ferry and will be requesting the required amount in order to complete the season.
"The Jura Development Trust, as a result of this motion, has put forward monies in order for the service to operate until August 24, which gives time for Cllr Currie to get back to us and for us to respond accordingly. The amount now being requested is £10,000.
"There is much support from local council, islanders and users and it is hoped that the motion will be granted.
"We will know by close of play on Thursday."