Flights started in April 2022 I thought it was funded on a 3 year deal so would end in March 2025. If flights are stopping after March 2024 has funding been cut ? Advertising has been poor or non existent so no surprise passenger numbers have been poor plus as CabinCrew said they need something to the rental belt for onward connections.

From the article:

The problem with any publically-funded route is that the funding body and/or its local advisers can influence the schedule. The Eastern schedule post-PSO has reverted to a Wick-based aircraft. The sad reality is that most of the demand for this route is inbound and therefore does not favour a Wick-based aircraft pattern. Connectivity at Aberdeen, especially with BAW to/from LHR is vital, but not well supported by the current schedule.
There is a lower than average propensity to fly among local Caithness residents. Those few who do need an early departure can drive to Inverness much faster than used to be the case. Most would prefer to leave the day before and overnight at or near their destination to be in position for morning meetings. This route needs a schedule originating in the South and optimised for connections to/from London over Aberdeen. There are pronounced directional peaks at the start and end of the week. This means that the capacity of the aircraft (up to around 30 seats) detemines what the Monday morning northbound and Friday afternoon southbound loads will be. For the remainder of the week, any aircraft that comes close to meeting those demand peaks will fly with a very low average seat factor.
Caithness is, however, a lovely part of the World.

I suspect the good people of Wick want an early flight out so THEY can connect with the outside world

What happens in winter when the weather turns bad, to both flights at Wick/Aberdeen and the road from Wick to Inverness ? Are both reliably open or is one more vulnerable to weather-related issues ?

Wick had a long running Loganair connection to EDI for onward connections which was slowly killed by the increase in options out of INV. I would suggest that the return of BA to LHR and KLM offering AMS was a better option for local connectivity than a connection x 2 over EDI. I have flown Eastern's ABZ-WIC-ABZ, I mean being an avgeek, why not? But not sure it's a sensible use of taxpayers money if the market can get to INV most of the time without subsidy and with good options. Of course if that were to change and WIC were to have been closed.....?

I Think if they could have got flights to the central belt that would have been a better option. The connections you can get from Edinburgh you can go virtually anywhere the USA,Canada and flights with Qatar to Doha and Easyjet offering great European holiday destinations. Aberdeen by comparison has limited connections and is priced to suit business people and oil workers.

The other problem is Eastern's complete lack of partners at Aberdeen, so any connecting booking is at passengers own risk. At least Loganair had a codeshare with BA.
I remember many years ago getting a flight from Heathrow to Wick for £69. Those were the days!

The road is much better now but there are snow gates around Helmsdale - can't remember last time they were closed.
But Wick also suffers from dense sea mist in the summer, which affects morning flights. I remember days when you couldn't see you hand at the end of your arm!

Two months later... has there been any conclusion to the debate about whether there should continue to be a public subsidy for Eastern flying Wick - Aberdeen ? I haven't seen anything in the press and am wondering what the status is... I'm guessing Govt has to give Eastern reasonable notice if subsidy levels are to change

Well, they were closed last week!

That said, no flights could gave operated anyway!

This is from north of the snow gates...

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....dd4b72efab.jpg

PSO secured for another year.

Wick to Aberdeen flights to continue after funding secured - BBC News

Transport Scotland confirm funding for Wick- Aberdeen PSO for 2024/25 | The Highland Council

The way I read this would seem to suggest that it's the last chance for the PSO funding of the route and if there isn't an increase in patronage, then it likely won't continue beyond 2025.

Anyone know what the passenger loads have been like and/or how Eastern's performance as an operator has been as they've certainly had some reliability issues on other routes?

Indeed, the news article on the Highland Council page (I have added the link above) states:

" It’s now vitally important that we maintain and increase local support for the PSO route in order that we continue to ensure its future going forward.”

It doesn't really help that Eastern have no codeshare arrangements with other airlines at Aberdeen, so it's basically a point to point service.