Plan B is all at sea for fog risk ballot transport 18/9/14

A bank of fog has returned to cover parts of the Western Isles heightening risks the planned independence referendum count will be seriously delayed overnight.

Western Isles Council is liasing with the pilot of a chartered plane which is waiting in Oban to fly to Benbecula to uplift ballot boxes from the southern half of the Western Isles.

Discussions were ongoing earlier over when to make a final decision to abort the flight and call- in a fishing boat to transport the ballot boxes by sea.

It means the Western Isles results may now not the first in Scotland as planned. The announcement be held off until 5am, some three hours later than hoped.

It is understood a decision over the plane will be made this evening, well before 9pm in any case.

However, the Plan B to get a shellfish boat to transport the ballot boxes may also be hindered if the sea route is badly affected by the heavy mist as it was last night.

The same sea passage across the Sound of Harris was covered by fog causing the Cal Mac ferry, MV Loch Portain, to cancel some services this morning.

There is no Plan C - apart from waiting for the weather to clear.

A spokesman for the local counting officer said: “We are still optimistic."

However, he pointed out the plane was still on the mainland and had to get to the Western Isles.

He said they were still in discussions with the airline.

However, the pilot’s main concern is landing in fog at both Benbecula and at Stornoway airports.

A number of scheduled flights into the Western Isles have been cancelled tonight.

The Stornoway ferry, MV Isle of Lewis, has also been delayed by fog and is running some hours late .