Scattered around Scotland’s coast are the country’s gems – the islands. There are more than 900 in total, but around 90 are inhabited. The population: more than 100,000.

The main transport link is the ferry service, but its reliability has been on the decline. The ageing fleet is failing, and leaving islanders cut off from the mainland.

One of the islands affected is Islay, which lies on the southern Inner Hebrides. Three thousand people call it home, but often go days with no fresh produce in shops.

Grocery store Campbell’s of Islay’s owner Frazer Campbell said: “Either we’ve got completely empty shelves or we’re sitting on a load of stuff that arrives two days late. It has a negative effect on the business, it has a negative effect on everything pretty much. It’s deeply frustrating.”

Want to see more SNP fails? – Politics Matters

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