The article by Iain Maciver on mobile phone reception is somewhat disturbing. Though not a crucial service for me - I prefer using Skype over the Internet, due to the cost - it is surely a fundamental service for many who live in the islands. Not just for their work, but also as a mechanism for safety, when on the moors and near the shore.
Speaking of which; is there an accurate online guide to mobile phone coverage in the islands?
Hi Peter,
ReplyDeleteThere's no decent guide to mobile coverage around the island, you can use the individual operators coverage checkers but they're not the most reliable. Vodafone is recommended by most people on the island.
Mobile coverage is normally OK around Stornoway and most of the main spine route but there are areas where you just don't get a decent signal - especially on the west of Lewis. The main masts are located on Eitshal (58°10'44"N 6°35'10"W)- if you can see this, you'll get a signal.
There's a big push towards trying to get the service improved on the island at the moment but due to the fact that most of the population is coastal it's doubtful that there's ever going to be good coverage in the central moors as no-one lives there.
It's not as bad as it sounds. If you broke down for example, you'd just have to hang around until the next car comes along and ask for help - there's few roads so you'll always get someone passing eventually. If you get lost on the moors someone will notice you're missing and they'll send out the helicopter to look for you.
You put a comment on my blog asking about ferries, it seems to have disappeared into the great blogger comment void so I'll answer here.
From Stornoway. Ferries do get cancelled, especially during winter - it's rare that you have two days without ferries though, normally the ferry is just delayed and goes out at some horrible time in the morning. During summer you might get the odd cancellation when the weather gets bad.
The main victim of cancellation is the freight ferry that runs overnight - this often gets cancelled for a couple of days at a time. This can mean that there's a run on milk and bread at the local shop and mail can be delayed for a couple of days.
From Tarbert to Skye. This route is much more reliable and is rarely cancelled. I personally prefer this route as it's shorter and less prone to delays.