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Isle's only filling station gets petrol after almost running out

News imageA MacKinnon The tanker has white and purple livery and the company's name, Certas, on the side and rear of its fuel tank.A MacKinnon
Tiree had a fresh delivery of petrol on Tuesday

Thousands of litres of petrol have been delivered to Tiree after the island's only filling station was at risk of running out of fuel.

The shortage followed ferry operator CalMac diverting the island's usual boat to another route and replacing it with a ferry not big enough to carry a fuel tanker.

The community trust which runs Crosspol Filling Station had enforced a £25 cap on petrol purchases in an effort to protect supplies.

CalMac made temporary use of the Small Isles' MV Lochnevis to get a tanker with 17,000 litres - enough petrol for about three to four weeks - to Tiree on Tuesday.

The situation came about a month after CalMac admitted that almost a third of its fleet of ferries serving the Clyde coast and islands was not operating.

Many ferries have needed unplanned repairs while others were away for scheduled maintenance.

News imageGetty Images White sandy beaches of Tiree. Clear blue waters. A smattering of white buildings and a large expanse of green fields. Getty Images
Tiree is normally served by a larger ferry

Earlier this week, a spokesperson for CalMac said: "The Tiree service has been operated by a vessel with smaller capacity while there has been widespread network disruption.

"We are aware that this has led to problems with fuel deliveries to the island, and we are working closely with the local community to find a solution to this."