No evidence that golfers ‘are hiding in ferries’

A golf club located on a remote Scottish island has said it has found no evidence that reports that golfers are hiding in vans in ferries so they can play the course are true.

Scotland currently has a ban on non-essential travel, and there have been reports in the Scottish press that CalMac ferry staff have discovered groups of people onboard their ferries trying to flout lockdown rules – including to visit Millport Golf Club on the Isle of Cumbrae off the west coast of Scotland.

Millport Golf Club. Image from Facebook

One group of stowaways were said to have included a group of golfers hiding in a van while travelling from Largs to Cumbrae.

However, according to Largs and Millport News, the club has launched an investigation but has also spoken to a manager at CalMac who confirmed that there have been no cases of finding golfers visiting Cumbrae from Largs.

A spokesperson for Millport Golf Club said: “We would like to advise that we have had three conversations with the manager of CalMac in Largs during the course of the week to ask if they stopped any vanful of golfers from coming over to play golf.

“They categorically said no they hadn’t and that it was another depot. At the same time I asked for this damaging gossip to be stopped. The executive of the golf club have instigated an investigation to see if any people have played.”

The club says the probe will be dealt with “in a manner befitting the good name of Millport Golf Club.”

Currently, CalMac is preventing all but essential travel on its ferries until the end of June.

“Some people are going stir crazy after being refused the ability to travel for more than two months,” a ferry source told The Scotsman.

Another case saw two people discovered in the rear footwell of a car on a ferry heading from the Isle of Arran to mainland Ardrossan.

Both attempts were thwarted after being found by ferry staff after being reported by other people, and were refused travel.

CalMac director of operations Robert Morrison said: “As per Scottish government guidelines, travel to our islands remains for essential purposes only.

“We have had some occasions when people have tried to gain passage to or from our islands by concealing themselves in vehicles.

“Anybody found to be doing so will be not be allowed to travel.

“We would again encourage people to behave responsibly and respect the wishes of island communities until guidelines allow for non-essential travel.”