Work has gathered pace over the last couple of months as Balfour Beatty and their various sub-contractors have moved towards completion of the project, which was originally supposed to last for 34 weeks.

Local firm Bute Blacksmiths will remain on site for a few more weeks, working on the various areas of fencing which are required to keep pedestrians away from vehicles and machinery - including the controversial 'health and safety' fence which has stirred up passionate debate in our pages in recent weeks.

The project moved a big step closer to completion on Tuesday morning when the new pedestrian access route across the mid pier was permanently completed and opened to the public.

And while there are still several jobs to do before the work is finished once and for all and the harbour is fully operating again - not least repairs to the passenger gangway and the completion of the shelter on the seaward side of the terminal building - the end of Balfour Beatty's permanent presence on the site marks the most significant milestone yet on the project, which has encountered a whole host of unforeseen problems since preparatory work began in late November 2006.

A spokeswoman for Argyll and Bute Council confirmed on Tuesday: "The bulk of the staff will be leaving the site on Friday and the local subcontractors working on the new fencing at the pier will continue to complete this within the next couple of weeks.

"Balfour Beatty remains contractually obliged to complete any outstanding work."

Island councillor Len Scoullar, who shook hands with the island's then MSP George Lyon on the £11.5 million funding deal for the project back in November 2006, told us: "It has been a long time coming, and I'm grateful to Rothesay's residents and visitors for the patience they've shown as the contractors ran into difficulties which were not foreseen by the consultants employed by the council.

"Hopefully, once people see it in operation it will be worth all the upheaval and inconvenience that the works have caused."

Let's roll the clock back to two years to November 2006 and add up what differences there are since then.

For vehicle users, the most obvious change has been the installation of the end-loading linkspan which now makes driving on and off the ferry much easier and allows more and longer vehicles to be carried.

The new berth also has a new passenger gangway, though as we reported on Wednesday this has now been out of action for almost a month as engineers try to solve the technical troubles which have plagued the structure since it was opened last December.

Once the gangway is restored to action, pedestrians will be able to walk directly from the ferry to the new pedestrian crossing in Albert Place, via the terminal building, the restored Victorian shelter and the lifting bridge, completely segregating vehicles from pedestrians.

Meanwhile, the former side-loading linkspan berth has been restored to a normal frontage, allowing its use by Caledonian MacBrayne's second Rothesay ferry as an overnight berth and for other vessels, such as the paddle steamer Waverley, to be tied up alongside during the day.

For non-ferry users, the most obvious change is the conversion of the inner harbour to a shiny new marina area, incorporating pontoons complete with shoreside facilities for visiting yachts, though a decision has not yet been taken on who will be responsible for administering the pontoons and collecting berthing dues.

See also:

Artist blasts Rothesay pier 'disaster area' - The Buteman, Sept 18, 2008
Light at the end of the tunnel for harbour works? - The Buteman, April 23, 2008
Second summer of woe at Rothesay harbour - The Buteman, Feb 6, 2008
Council denies Rothesay pier criticism - The Buteman, Jan 23, 2008
Rothesay's harbour dreams come true - The Buteman, Nov 9, 2006