How about it, Boris? Imagine the Union Flag flying on a CalMac mast!

The year before my parents took us on our first holiday abroad we had a very different experience.

In 1971 we flew to the Algarve, which was in its infancy as a tourist destination, and to this day I remember being hit both by the heat and the smell of fig trees as we disembarked from the plane.

The previous year we had visited the Shetland Islands from our home near Dundee. I remember my father driving us to Aberdeen where we sought out the docks and caught the overnight sailing to Lerwick.

If I remember the journey took nine hours and although we had cabins (two passengers per cabin) facilities on board were pretty basic.

The cabins were cramped and far from luxurious but at least the crossing was reasonably smooth.

Travelling to and from Orkney, a few years later, was anything but.

There is more than one way to get to Orkney but the quickest by sea – if you discount the long drive north to Caithness – is the relatively short sailing across the Pentland Firth.

Unfortunately this stretch of water is notoriously choppy and the return journey in particular was a bit of an endurance test as the ferry rose and fell like a rollercoaster thanks to the large waves.

I wasn't sick but a great many other passengers were and the only way to avoid joining them was to remain on deck where the smell was less pronounced.

(To be fair I did the crossing again 20 years later and on that occasion it was fine, for which I credit Kwells, a well-known brand of seasickness pills.)

Over on the west of Scotland I've visited all the larger islands including Skye (several times), Harris and Lewis, North and South Uist, and a number of smaller ones such as Mull and Iona.

Last year, with our overseas holiday postponed, we decided to go to Arran which is an hour by ferry from Ardrossan in Ayrshire.

I mention this because, although you can fly to some of these islands, most people (residents, visitors, farmers and suppliers) are largely reliant on the ferries yet there is currently a huge issue concerning the ageing fleet that serve the Western Isles.

I won't go into detail. Suffice to say the situation has been getting worse for years with ferries repeatedly breaking down and the building of replacement ferries years behind schedule.

If you're interested these reports (from this year alone) indicate the seriousness of the situation:

CalMac Ferries in double trouble as routes are cancelled (Stornoway Gazette)
Return of CalMac's largest ferry delayed again (Insider)
CalMac ferry network crisis as breakdowns cause three day island freight shutdown (Herald)
‘It’s incredibly poor’: Scottish islanders angry at failing ferry service (Guardian)
Island ferry breakdowns leave residents fuming and tourists stranded (The Times)
CalMac’s emergency ferry lasts under a week before breaking down (The Times)

Perhaps I was lucky but in my younger island-hopping days I don’t remember a problem with any ferry.

Last year’s experience suggested all was not entirely well but even then we managed to leave Arran on schedule, albeit with a slice of luck, and the problem was largely weather based for which no-one can be blamed, although the ageing state of one ferry (which couldn't sail in the conditions) didn't help.

But let's be clear. CalMac Ferries has been owned by the Scottish Government since devolution so successive governments in Edinburgh must take full responsibility for the current shambles.

For what it's worth, my view is that, if it was in any way possible, the UK Government should take control of CalMac Ferries.

There are probably too many legal and political hurdles but something must be done, and quickly, to restore faith in the ferry services.

Without it tourism to the Western Isles could be badly affected. Residents too need to know they can travel back and forth without the threat of persistent cancellations.

So how about it, Boris? Imagine the Union Flag flying on a CalMac mast. What a coup that would be!

Just make sure the service is reliable and the new Boris boats don't break down. The islanders (if not Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP) will surely thank you for it.