A family were turned away from the ferry port in Ardrossan last weekend.

The group were trying to visit Arran despite lockdown restrictions against all but essential travel.

CalMac’s Area Manager Tommy Gore said: “CalMac is implementing strict controls as advised by the Scottish Government.

“We are actively turning people away who are not able to produce the evidence required of island residency or key worker status, and we have posters around our entire network making it clear under what circumstances you can travel.

“However, it is important to note that we do not have police or civic powers.

“If even stricter measures are required then this is a matter of Government policy and would require a political solution.

“We all have a part to play in this because the existing guidelines are clear.”

On Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that people in England could now travels as far as they like to visit beauty spots – but he did not make it clear this did not apply to Scotland.

Some national papers mistakenly used images of scenic places in Scotland to illustrate the relaxation in English lockdown rules and it is feared this may have caused confusion.