Hello, I'm Neil Morrow, welcome to Business Daily.

In the program today, we look at how island communities manage when ferries, that are the

lifeblood of their economies, can no longer be relied upon.

We hear from two places on opposite sides of the world, Scotland and New Zealand.

I can't understand why the fleet is so old and why we haven't had a pipeline.

It's not like the roots change.

The Inter-Irelander, really, if you think of a country, it transports everything that we need to operate between north and south.

I've been travelling on ferries that shuttle across the lochs and inlets of the west of Scotland.

The views from aboard the M.V. Isle of Iron are spectacular.

Living on a small island might seem idyllic, but if your island's boat service is unreliable,

residents and businesses suffer the consequences.

The islands and peninsulas of Scotland's west coast are a magnet for tourists.

They come for the rugged land and seascapes.

Just as importantly, this part of Scotland is also home for many throughout the year. To move around, tourists and locals alike rely on the Caledonian McBrain Ferry Company. Its roots crisscross the area, bringing people and goods back and forth from the mainland to Scotland's outlying areas. Calmac, as it's usually called, delivers the tourists who are the mainstay of the local economy.

But for almost a decade, state-owned Kalmak has been struggling.

New ships, to replace its oldest vessels, have been badly delayed.

This is Duncan MacK, CalMax Chief Executive.

As it stands right now, we don't have spare vessels.

So if there is an issue or a breakdown or something that takes place along those lines

and we have to take something out for a period of time,

it has a significant impact on the timetable

that we're contracted to deliver.

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