The changes, agreed after many months of discussion between Bute's community councillors, CalMac officials and a variety of service users, will see departures generally on the hour, every hour between 11am and 4pm each day from both Rothesay and Wemyss Bay - improving connections with other forms of public transport at both ends of the crossing.

The proposed changes would also see the first weekday departure from Rothesay leave five minutes earlier, at 6.25am, to allow better connection with ScotRail's train service to Glasgow Central.

After strong representations from commuters, no other changes would be made to sailing times during the morning and evening peak periods - so all other sailings up to 10.10am from Rothesay (10.15am from Wemyss Bay), and from 4pm onwards in the afternoon, would depart at the same times as at present.

A minor 'tweak' to the new service would see two weekday afternoon sailings from Wemyss Bay leave at five minutes past the hour, to allow time for the ferries to refuel.

Further changes to the route's Sunday timetable - when 'commuter' sailing times are not seen as such a priority - are still under consideration.

Bute Community Council plans to hold a referendum on the draft timetable from mid-March until mid-April; copies will be made available throughout the island, and can be returned to The Buteman's office in Victoria Street. Watch out for more details in the next few weeks.

If members of the public support the proposed changes, the new timetable will take effect from the start of the 2010-11 winter timetable, on October 24 this year.