TWO Scottish islands have not had any food supplies delivered in a week amid "challenging weather conditions".

Barra and Vatersay, in the Outer Hebrides, last had a food delivery on January 17, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar said in a statement. 

Barra community newsletter Guth Bharraidh had shared an image showing a near-empty refrigerator shelving unit in a Co-op in Castlebay on their Facebook page.

The only things visible on the shelves are two crates holding bulbs of garlic.

The newsletter staff wrote: "With no Oban-Castlebay ferry service since last Thursday, and further cancellations tomorrow due to strong winds forecast following Storm Isha, concerns are growing regarding food supplies on the islands.

"The last fresh produce delivery was Wednesday, January 17.

"Concerns have already been raised over the lack of provisions which has an adverse affect on schools, care home, hotels and cafes."

They said that CalMac had been contacted regarding "emergency plans" to manage the lack of food.

Other images in the post showed sparse shelves throughout the rest of the store, with baked goods, milk and meat in short supply.

READ MORE: How to track Storm Jocelyn as weather map shows where and when storm will hit

Some commenters on the post showed other venues, including a butcher's, that were also short on perishable goods.

Many of the other commenters denied it was a significant problem, saying occasional shortages of some goods were part of life on an island.

One wrote: "If you live on an island what do you expect, if you don’t like it, live on the mainland."

A third group shared what food and other perishable goods they had frozen and spare, if others needed it.

One community member said: "We don’t have fresh food as such but if anyone’s stuck please don’t hesitate to get in touch as we have various meats in the freezer, some frozen veg and tinned food also."

READ MORE: Scotland to Europe ferry plans ditched due to 'lack of government support'

Another wrote: "I have a couple full fat frozen milk left, some oat, soya and coconut milk."

A debate also took place over whether CalMac should have run extra ferries before the period of bad weather began.

Ferry service to the island  did not run on Tuesday due to adverse weather, and CalMac warned on Twitter/X that the service on Wednesday was also liable to be cancelled.

A spokesperson for the company told The National that it would attempt to run a Castlebay-Oban ferry on Wednesday, with the ferry returning to Castlebay on Thursday.

Storm Jocelyn has been named by the Met Office and is expected to strike Scotland on Tuesday night.

An amber warning for wind is in place for Barra, and a yellow warning for wind also covers it, alongside most of the UK.

Robbie Drummond, the chief executive of CalMac, told The National: “Today, strong winds and sea swell are preventing us from running normal services and has led to all routes being cancelled or at high risk of cancellation today. This weather is expected to continue to affect sailings tomorrow (Wednesday).

"We are constantly looking at options to resume services whenever there’s a weather window that is safe to do so, including a service from Castlebay to Oban on Wednesday, returning from Oban on Thursday.

"We are grateful to the communities who use the network for their patience and understanding during storms, and for our own staff ashore and on the vessels, for doing everything they can to restore services when conditions improve.”

The spokesperson also said that cancelling a sailing was the last resort for CalMac.

A Comhairle nan Eilean Siar spokesperson said: "Challenging weather conditions have meant that no food supplies have been delivered to the islands of Barra and Vatersay since Wednesday 17th January.

"With ongoing ferry disruption, the Comhairle is working closely with CalMac, The Co-op and local representatives to establish the best route to have supplies delivered as soon as possible.

READ MORE: Scotland to Europe ferry plans ditched due to 'lack of government support'

The spokesperson continued to say that vulnerable families and individuals struggling with food access should contact the council, who would treat inquiries confidentially.

A Co-op spokesperson said: “Co-op is committed to serving and supporting its island communities and prioritises supplying there due to their unique locations.

"We are, however, at the mercy of the weather and ferry crossings being changed or cancelled.

"Our teams work around the clock and are doing everything possible to plan and reschedule deliveries for when it is safe for the ferries to sail, and we are also in close contact with local agencies focussed on island resilience during the extreme weather.”