20 March 2012 Last updated at 06:29
A cargo vessel is being escorted to Stornoway after it ran aground off North Uist on Monday night.
The 112m-long (367ft) Dutch-registered MV Flinterspirit became stuck on Flodday Mor Island on its way from Sweden to Belfast at about 22:45.
All 10 people on board were safe and well and the crew managed to successfully refloat the 4,500-tonne vessel at high tide at about 05:00.
RNLI lifeboats from Barra and Stornoway are escorting the vessel.
It will be inspected in Stornoway on Lewis before being allowed to continue its journey.
The accident came just days after the emergency coastguard tugboat was withdrawn from the Minch as part of a cost-cutting drive by the UK government.
Campaigners said incidents such as this highlighted the need to have a tug boat permanently stationed in the area.
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Cargo ship runs aground off Uist
1 Comment
Murdo MacKenzie, March 20, 2012 at 3:51 pm
She went on a course of 220 deg after she passed the buoy off Scalpay, which was correct, but she never changed again until she hit. The evidence is all on AIS. If there was anyone in the wheelhouse they were asleep for at least an hour.