Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said:
"The Scottish Government is responding positively to the very real challenges on public spending which are facing us. We are taking decisions which will allow us to maintain the efficient ferry services which the public currently enjoy.
"We are committed to ensuring all remote and fragile communities are linked into the wider Scottish economy and we are working with NorthLink to identify areas where efficiencies can be made while still providing the lifeline services the Northern Isles expects."
A timetable change to NorthLink's Aberdeen to Orkney and Shetland routes was originally proposed to ensure more fuel efficient running. This would have involved ferries running on two engines instead of four for the length of the journey and an increase in journey times. A revision to the current timetable with precise details to be finalised was proposed.
After consultation with stakeholders, the Island Councils and local communities, Ministers have now decided that any change will be postponed until autumn while discussions continue with NorthLink about alternative opportunities for efficiencies.
Ministers have asked NorthLink in particular to look at efficiencies on the winter services when there is a large amount of unused passenger capacity on the Aberdeen-Lerwick route.
The Scottish Government is providing record levels of support to Scotland's lifeline ferry services, some £103.1 million in the current financial year and some £105.0m in the next financial year. These compare to a figure of some £91.4 million in 2006-07.
