Having observed so many UK privatisation fiascos over the decades, it was such a relief to hear that the Scottish Government was making a direct award of the next Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract to incumbent CalMac.

Confirmation that the services would not be put out to tender came last week from Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop.

We have had to endure a litany of UK privatisation disasters.

This has included the privatisation of the former British Rail, which has led to no end of trials and tribulations for many of the train operating companies and of course their customers. This privatisation also took in the setting up and collapse of infrastructure company Railtrack.

On the nuclear power front, we had the sorry saga of British Energy.

Then there has been the privatisation of the English water sector. And the UK electricity and gas sector privatisation has surely not delivered for consumers.

In the early 1990s, when working for The Oban Times and travelling regularly to remote and island communities, I covered the story on talk at that stage that the CalMac operation could be privatised. Thankfully, this did not happen.

There are many problems with privatisation when it comes to services of vital importance, and we have seen some of these displayed in spectacular style in the aforementioned litany of woe.

CalMac has, of course, not had its troubles to seek in recent times with its ageing fleet having resulted in significant breakdowns and disruption.

Also in the headlines has been the long delay in the building of two vessels for CalMac by Ferguson Marine at Port

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