The Highland Council is working to secure the services of a car and a passenger ferry - along with feeder bus services - which it will introduce next week as an emergency measure in the wake of the ongoing closure of the A 890 Stromeferry By-pass between Lochcarron and Plockton/Kyle.
The ferries are needed because the Council has been advised by consultants that the road must remain closed to traffic until works to make the rock face safe are completed, following landslides at a point 100 yards west of the Avalanche Shelter, as there is still a significant risk of further rock falls affecting the road.
The main east-west diversion remains the A 82/A87 trunk road and the Inverness - Kyle railway line remains open.
It is intended that a 61-passenger ferry, from Plockton, will operate between North Strome, near Lochcarron, and Plockton from the middle of next week, once trials at the slipways are completed and floodlighting has been installed. This will operate Monday to Friday for school pupils and commuters. A connecting bus service will be provided for connections to Lochcarron and Kyle.
It is also intended to operate the six-car turntable ferry from Glenelg between North and South Strome. Travel will be restricted to vehicles under 10-tonnes and priority will be given to emergency vehicles and local traffic. This will operate 6 days per week during the normal working day.
Plockton High School re-opens on Monday 9 January and the Education Culture and Sport Service has advised that pupils from the Applecross and Lochcarron areas should travel to school by train during the first few days back at school. There will be no charge for these train journeys.
The school timetable will be rearranged to accommodate the 46 pupils from Lochcarron, who travel to school daily as the train arrives in Plockton at 11.16 am and returns from Plockton at 5.26 pm, arriving in Strathcarron at 5.56 pm. Ten pupils from Applecross stay in hostel accommodation on school days. Norma Young, Senior Education Officer for Ross Skye and Lochaber, will co-ordinate these travel arrangements. Pick up times for pupils are: Applecross, 8.40; Ardaneaskan, 9.30; Kishorn, 9.40; Lochcarron, 10 am; Train departs from Strathcarron, 10.46; Arrives Plockton, 11.16. On the return journey, the train leaves Plockton at 5.26 pm and arrives at Strathcarron at 5.56. Transport will be arranged to take pupils home.
It is possible that pupils will be able to use the passenger ferry from North Strome to Plockton once it is introduced.
Neil Gillies, Director of Transport Environmental and Community Services, said: "We are being strongly advised that significant works will be required to stabilise the rock slope and we are looking at the road remaining closed for at least another two weeks, depending on the extent of the works required to stabilise the rock face. "While the roadway is now clear of rock, the danger of further rock fall is deemed too great for us to allow any vehicles to use the road.
"We are in discussion with Network Rail to see if we can divert traffic on to the railway line but this is not likely to be a quick fix as firstly we need the permission of Network Rail to undertake the work and it takes time to lay sleepers on the track and adequately protect cars from the rock face and the loch.
"We are making good progress on securing the passenger and car ferries and we hope that these will be operational by the middle of next week.
"We fully appreciate the inconvenience caused by the road closure and we are doing everything we can to provide an alternative means of transport for local trips between Lochcarron and Plockton/Kyle."