David Leask's article in Wednesday's Herald highlights what we have all known for years: the ineptitude surrounding the new ferry ports on Islay and Bute, and Oban airport, which are running millions of pounds over budget and months overdue. There is also the debacle with the pier at Bruichladdich and oil deliveries - or lack of them - for the distillers and islanders. Strikingly, the one thing they all have in common is Argyll and Bute's, er, "management".

As a solution, some have suggested bridges instead of ferries, in particular one between Jura and Islay. My son has Microsoft's Flight Mission, a flight simulation computer program, in which the player can select any airport in the world from which to take off and land.

Along with Charles de Gaulle, JFK and Copacabana airports, there is Islay. When "taking off" from Islay airport, flying over Bruichladdich Distillery and heading easterly towards Jura, one comes to a rather splendid suspension bridge over the sound of Islay between Port Askaig and Feolin on Jura. Obviously Bill Gates knows something Argyll and Bute don't.

Mark Reynier, Managing Director, Bruichladdich Distillery, Isle of Islay.

Your article on the troubles besetting the upgrading works at Rothesay and Port Askaig piers hinted at the possible root cause of the problem when it made passing mention of the Argyll Airports Project.

Compare and contrast the upgrading work at Oban (owned and operated by CalMac), which has seen the construction of a new terminal building and second roll-on, roll-off berth, and the new berths at Hunter's Quay and McInroy's Point (Western Ferries). I understand that on both these projects local consultants and contractors were engaged and the operating companies managed the projects themselves. Both these schemes seem to have been delivered reasonably to time and on budget.

We really do have to question the parish-council politics of our local authorities - do they have the competence to promote and manage major infrastructure projects? How many more projects like the Dunoon white elephant terminal, the Argyll Airports and now Rothesay and Port Askaig can we, the public, be expected to fund? Whatever other operational criticism might be levelled at CalMac, both they and Western Ferries operate in the commercial world and seem to understand and appreciate the basic investment need for value for money.

Jonathan Frame, 3 Turnberry Road, Glasgow. Your recent story on ferry ports can be summed up in one sentence - there is no island transport co-ordination between the ferry company, CalMac, the councils and the Scottish Executive, which funds both parties.

CalMac are taking the high ground in this matter but at a meeting with their senior management prior to the building of Dunoon breakwater and link span they made it clear that the council was expected to build and provide shore facilities for the vessels they designed and thought appropriate for the route.

Given that ships have a life of 30 years and piers up to 100 years, in my opinion, it's a short-sighted and rather arrogant approach. Added to that, they were not in the least interested in looking at how other areas dependent upon sea transport, such as the Baltic, addressed service provision. Following consultation with ferry companies, the council built the link span in Dunoon but CalMac didn't even tender for the route, so it stands unused to this day.

Instead of concentrating entirely on passenger and vehicle facilities at Rothesay Pier, the council got hijacked by the preservation and marina lobby who advocated Rothesay inner harbour should be retained as an example of a Victorian harbour with use as a marina despite the facts that, a) there is no funding available for any marina facilities, pontoons etc, and b) a mere three miles away a marina for 120 boats is being developed by the local boatyard owner, at no cost whatsoever to the council.

It's time the blame culture stopped and the three organisations involved in lifeline ferry services to the islands got together and planned co-ordinated ferry service provision, instead of trying to score points off each other and achieving little or nothing at vast expense to us all.

George B McKenzie, Rubha nan Gall, 48 Ardbeg Road, Rothesay, Isle of Bute.