The Calmac Ferry Was Evacuated After A Bomb Scare On The Route Between Uig And Tarbet

A FERRY bound for the Western Isles has been evacuated amid a bomb scare. MV Hebrides, which operates buses between Uig on Skye, Lochmaddy on North Uist and Tarbet on the Isle of Harris, has been grounded and the incident is ongoing. Police confirmed that a suspicious package was reported on the boat just before 5pm on Thursday. National understands that surrounding vessels in the harbor at Uig were also evacuated. The MV Hebrides in 2015. Image credit: Mn28. CC BY-SA 4.0 CalMac said it was unable to provide details of the incident as police deal with the situation. Shortly after 6pm, the ferry company tweeted: “Due to an emergency on board and delays, the Uig departing at 9.20pm may be interrupted or canceled at short notice.” Earlier, CalMac’s service information page also posted: “Due to an emergency on board, the Uig departing at 16:45 is currently delayed. Further information will be provided when available.” The orange warnings that accompanied those posts were later upgraded to red, with all services canceled and no update expected until Friday 22nd. ❌ RED #Uig #Tarbert #Lochmaddy 21 July Due to an emergency on board and pending emergency services, all remaining services are cancelled. There will be an update for service on Friday July 22 as soon as possible.
— CalMac Service Information (@CalMac_Updates) July 21, 2022 CalMac wrote: “Due to an emergency on board and waiting for emergency services, all remaining services are cancelled. A service update for Friday 22nd July will be provided as soon as possible.” A Police Scotland spokesman said. “Police received a report of a suspicious package on a ferry at Uig Ferry Terminal on the Isle of Skye at around 16:55 on Thursday 21 July 2022. “Officers are watching and the ship has been evacuated. Investigations are ongoing.”

MODERNIZE: At around 8.35pm Police Scotland issued a statement saying the alert had been canceled following investigations. A spokesman said the alarm was well-intentioned. They continued: “Police received a report of a package on a ferry at the Uig Ferry Terminal on the Isle of Skye at around 4.55pm. on Thursday, July 21, 2022. “Inquiries were made and it was determined that the package was not suspicious.” Later that afternoon, CalMac chief executive Robbie Drummond said: “Due to a suspicious package found on MV Hebrides this afternoon, passengers were evacuated and emergency services were contacted. Police rushed to the scene and have now determined that the package is not suspicious. “I would like to record my personal thanks to the CalMac staff for their first response to this situation and the emergency services for their prompt response and invaluable assistance. “I would also like to thank the passengers for their cooperation during this incident. “The ferry will continue its journey to Lochmaddy tonight and will resume normal services on Friday morning.”