Church elder on horns of a dilemma took rams on Sunday ferry

Imagine you arrived at a west coast port with a trailer of livestock but hold-ups meant you were too late to catch the last Saturday ferry.

If you didn’t get across the Minch to the islands the next day, you could prolong the suffering of the penned animals, you would miss taking your family to Sabbath worship and you would be absent on Monday from your council job.

What would you do?

Now imagine you are an elder of the fundamentalist Sabbatarian church which led opposition to Sunday ferries to the outer isles and which believes their introduction was the work of the devil.

Now what would you do?

That was the dilemma which faced Calum Macleod, an office-bearer in the Knock and Point Free Church (Continuing) on Lewis, on September 21. The decision he took led to his suspension as an elder and also as a member of that church.

When Mr Macleod arrived too late for the Saturday ferry, he had to find not only a bed-and-breakfast in Ullapool but a shed and a park for his unsold tups after poor prices at the Dingwall sales.

After what a source described as “prayerful contemplation”, Mr Macleod, a married father of two boys, decided he should get the restless rams home without delay to avoid causing them more distress – even though that would break the Sabbath and fly in the face of the uncompromising policy of his own church.

“As ever, Calum was mindful of the law of God but he was also mindful of the laws of the Scottish Government which require stockholders to avoid stress to animals. Whatever he decided, he could breach one of these rules,” the source said. “It was a tough call.”

The FCC is among the few churches which say Sunday transport to the islands can never be justified – even on grounds of necessity and mercy. When Sunday ferries to Stornoway began in July 2009, and Sunday flights in July 2002, it was mainly its members which turned out to protest with banners and to sing psalms.

The FCC source said: “As if that was not bad enough, Calum couldn’t get onto the next ferry from Ullapool on Sunday as it was fully-booked because Loopallu, the local music festival, was ending and festival-goers were returning to Lewis.”

So the council technical services officer, who is well-known as a breeder of Cheviots, set off early on Sunday morning for Uig on Skye to get the ferry MV Hebrides to Tarbert on neighbouring Harris.

The voyage to Harris did not end well either. Mr Macleod’s vehicle broke down and had to be towed off, ensuring his presence was drawn to the attention of even more people.

On his return, Mr Macleod, from Braighe Road near Stornoway, referred his own transgression to the kirk session, comprising the minister and the elders.

Stornoway FCC minister Reverend Graeme Craig, who is also interim moderator for the Knock and Point congregation, confirmed: “After considering the matter carefully and sympathetically, Mr Macleod was suspended from office and membership for one month.
“Although the kirk session had concerns about the use of the ferry on Sabbath, they were more concerned about the unnecessary collection of animals that day. He has now resumed his duties as an elder in the congregation.”

He added that Mr Macleod had thanked the kirk session for their consideration and sympathy.

Calum Macleod also declared himself satisfied with the punishment meted out to him for taking his rams on the Sunday ferry. He said: “I brought the matter to which you allude before the kirk session quite some time ago and I requested that it be considered formally.
“I am happy to say that all things were resolved amicably after proper ecclesiastical process and the matter is now closed and completely in the past.”

Another FCC adherent said: “The kirk session understood Calum was on the horns of a classic dilemma. They had many punitive options open to them so a month’s suspension was just about the minimum penalty they could bring in. They would never say it was a wee slap on the wrist but it is being seen as that.”