What constitutes "minor disruption"? Being held up in traffic for five minutes? Or possibly a train running 20 minutes late? At least that is what Shennachie would have thought. Someone may therefore need to explain ScotRail's slightly off-kilter definition, because it is clearly something of a head-scratcher.

Several entire rail journeys on the Far North Line between Inverness and Wick have been cancelled in the past week and every time ScotRail has filed them under "minor disruption" on its web page. Anyone who uses the route is well aware of the Far North Line's slightly chequered record for disruptions. But even with bus replacement services operating, Shennachie cannot imagine any of the line's put upon passengers referring to the cancellation of entire four and a half hour train journeys as minor. Maybe someone at the Oxford English Dictionary should give ScotRail a call.

That is the question asked in the Shennachie column in the Inverness Courier on 7th August.