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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Gemma Ryder

Tiree Musical festival goers stranded on island while 100 sleep at ferry terminal

Soggy music lovers were taken in by island locals after extreme weather cancelled Tiree Music Festival.

Islanders opened up their homes on Thursday night after organisers called off the event just hours before it was due to start.

Gale force winds forced the evacuation of the campsite, leaving ticket holders with nowhere to sleep on the Hebridean island. The community rallied around those who were left homeless and gave people beds for the night, while others slept overnight in village halls.

The disappointing news didn't dampen people's spirits however as an impromptu ceilidh also took place in a village hall.

Sarah Steward was part of a group of festival goers taken in by the night.

She said: "Gutted for everyone, a tough decision to make, but can’t thank the folk of Tiree enough, particularly Ted and Louise & family who looked after us so well last night. West Coast hospitality at its best."

More than 100 passengers destined for Tiree were forced to spend the night in the Oban ferry terminal. The MV Clansman was unable to berth due to the extreme weather and was sent back to the mainland with 455 passengers onboard.

TFL before the weather turned. (TFL)

CalMac staff worked through the night to shelter stranded 100 travellers who were given bedding, refreshments, and snacks throughout the night.

Kerri Pullar was sailing to Tiree on Thursday evening when the boat had to return to Oban. Fortunately, she had a van she could rely on.

"We were near Tiree pier when they had to abandon docking and we then heard the festival was cancelled," she said.

"The sea was really rough, the swells were massive.

"We had to get accommodation in Dalmally because Oban was so expensive. Luckily we had a van set up for camping in case we couldn’t get anywhere. We were warned that it could be cancelled on Wednesday evening.

"The atmosphere on the boat was great, everyone was deflated once we were told the news but everyone was still in good spirits.

"A young boy started playing the pipes and someone was playing music from their speaker."

Robert Morrison, Operations Director of CalMac, said: "We estimate that between 110 and 120 people required to be accommodated in our Oban terminal building overnight.

“I want to put on record our thanks to all those who assisted with a difficult situation last night and especially the crew of MV Clansman and Oban port staff, who made sure that all passengers who were caught up in the late cancellation of the Tiree Music Festival, were brought safely back to Oban and made comfortable for the night in our terminal office.

TFL thanked everyone for their understanding following the cancellation.

A Spokesperson said: “ A huge thank you, once again, to everyone who has supported our cancellation and evacuation efforts last night and into today. The way our visitors, crew, volunteers and island community have come together is truly humbling.

“With the weather due to worsen again over the next 24 hours and the potential of more high winds, we are continuing to work round the clock to secure the site.

“It is difficult to express how disappointed we are about the cancellation of this year’s event. Over the last 24 hours we have not taken any decision lightly but everyone’s safety continues to be our absolute priority.

“We are so grateful for the ongoing support and understanding of the TMF community and for the hundreds of messages of support we have received from around the world.”

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