Caledonian MacBrayne announced a suspension of the service at lunchtime, and decided after reviewing the situation at 4pm that MVs Bute and Coruisk would not sail again until Tuesday morning.

The decision meant a night on the mainland for commuters, those with hospital appointments and Christmas shoppers - or at least those who were unable to travel by car to Colintraive, where the Kyles ferry ran as normal.

One passenger told us he had arrived, with his car, at Wemyss Bay at half past three and, on hearing a short time later there would be no more sailings, offered a lift via Gourock, Dunoon and Colintraive to a foot passenger with a dog.

The same passenger suggested that in situations like that on Monday, pier staff at Wemyss Bay could ask vehicle drivers if they would mind offering a lift to foot passengers with no route home.

Other concerns brought to us included: a lack of assistance from Wemyss Bay pier staff other than simply stating the ferries were off; the fact buses were not hired to take passengers to Gourock and possibly on to Colintraive; and a lack of information at Glasgow Central about the disruption.

CalMac's spokesman, Hugh Dan MacLennan, said pier staff already had lots to do in such situations, and added that though the company always considered hiring buses, it was not always possible to do so.

He told us conditions were "horrendous" at Wemyss Bay on Monday and, on the question of offering lifts, said it should be left to the drivers themselves to offer help to passengers.

Monday's disruption was the worst in a week of delays, diversions and cancellations in which tides at Rothesay reached a height of three and a half metres and winds in the Firth gusted to 80 knots.

Last Thursday night MV Coruisk, having been diverted to Gourock, was forced to turn back on her return sailing after encountering 80-knot gusts of wind off McInroy's Point - and though wind speeds later dropped, the vessel encountered more strong south-west by west winds on her way south, with gusts of gale force eight and severe gale nine recorded.

The weather bit again on Saturday with both ferries tied up at Rothesay for much of the afternoon due to adverse weather and tidal conditions.

Then, on Sunday morning, mechanical problems ruled the Bute out of action until the 1.45pm sailing - her after propusion unit was fouled by a rope and divers had to be called to clear the obstruction.

There was no 8am sailing from Rothesay with the Coruisk sailing at 9.30am, 11am and 1pm.

Much of CalMac's network was paralysed by the weather on Monday, with sailings on the Arran, Islay, Gigha, Iona, Skye, Stornoway, Small Isles and Tarbert-Portavadie routes also suffering delays or cancellations.

(This story first appeared in the December 1, 2006 issue of The Buteman.)