Home   News   Article

Northern Isles ferry contract welcomed


By Staff Reporter- NOSN

Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!
The Hamnavoe sailing past Hoy on the Scrabster to Stromness route. Picture: NorthLink Ferries
The Hamnavoe sailing past Hoy on the Scrabster to Stromness route. Picture: NorthLink Ferries

NORTH MSP Gail Ross has welcomed the news that the next contract to operate the Northern Isles ferry services – including the Stromness/Scrabster link – will be awarded to Serco NorthLink Ferries by the end of March.

The announcement came after Caledonian MacBrayne withdrew its legal action against the Scottish Government.

The current ferry operator was named the preferred bidder for the contract in September, but publicly owned CalMac challenged the ruling in December and this delayed the awarding of the six-year deal.

Mrs Ross, the SNP MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, said: “I am relieved to see that the legal action in relation to the contract for the Northern Isles ferry services has been withdrawn and that a new contract will be awarded soon.

“The services from both Aberdeen and Scrabster to the Northern Isles are a vital part of our transport infrastructure for tourists and locals alike and are crucial for the future success of our rural economy.

"I welcome this news from the Scottish Government and I look forward to seeing what the new contract will bring to the service.”

Transport Scotland said it had completed its engagement with the European Commission in relation to outstanding state aid issues.

In order to complete the award process and allow a mobilisation period, the current contract has been extended by up to six months "to ensure continuity of services for Orkney and Shetland".

The NorthLink ferry Hjaltland, based in Aberdeen. Picture: Ross Johnston / Newsline Media
The NorthLink ferry Hjaltland, based in Aberdeen. Picture: Ross Johnston / Newsline Media

Scotland's minister for energy, connectivity and the islands, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “I’m very pleased these issues have been resolved so that we can now start to focus on the award of the new contract and the benefits it will bring to the communities that are served by these lifeline ferry services.

“These include customer-focused enhancements such as extra premium cabins, terminal lounge refurbishment at Hatston [Kirkwall] and extended opening hours for customer services.

“We want to support key sectors of the Northern Isles economies, such as tourism, fishing, food and drink, aquaculture and farming. With these sectors in mind, the new contract will also include the flexibility to allow timetabled freight and ferry services to be amended to better reflect changes in future demand.

“All these improvements, coupled with the three-year fares freeze and cabin discounts that came into effect on the first of January, underline the Scottish Government’s commitment to providing high quality ferry links to and from the Northern Isles.”

Stuart Garrett, managing director of Serco NorthLink Ferries, said: “As you might imagine we are delighted at the announcement from the minister that the new contract is to be awarded by the end of March. We can now crack on with making preparations for the new contract and introducing a further range of enhancements to the service that have been promised.”


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More