#Public/Private – Now that final bids have been made, the future will be known by June as to whether Scotland’s main ferry network will be run by the private sector for the first time in nearly 70 years.

But this week’s final tenders, writes the Scotsman for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry routes could prove far more significant than just whether publicly-owned CalMac or private rival Serco will be at the helm for the next eight years.

For the islands they serve (and coastal communities among them Mull of Kintyre), the “lifeline” that the service provides is increasingly what those communities need.

Unlike many forms of transport in Scotland, west coast ferry traffic has been in decline over the last decade, from 5.3 million passengers in 2004 to 4.9m ten years later.

This is not because people are switching to other means of travel, as is the case with buses. There is often no other option, especially in places where there are no flights.

Instead, the drop-off in demand is because fewer islanders are travelling, or travelling less frequently.

It’s a symptom of an ageing and dwindling population, and economic decline that is in danger of being accelerated by current moves to further develop Scotland’s cities as more skills and talent are drawn to the mainland.

That’s why the next ferry contract, which is due to start in October, could prove so important. Whoever wins it, the service won’t be completely privatised because the Scottish Government’s Transport Scotland agency will continue to specify in detail how it is run.

The Scotsman continues here with further coverage.