NorthLink introduces extra ferry crossings on Hamnavoe after Pentalina grounding
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NorthLink has stepped up its response to the suspension of Pentland Firth services by rival firm Pentland Ferries by introducing extra crossings on Friday, Saturday and Monday evenings.
It follows NorthLink's earlier announcement of an extra return crossing on Sundays to help fill the gap left by the Pentalina after it ran aground in Orkney last month.
Pentland Ferries' services between Gills and St Margaret’s Hope are cancelled up to and including Sunday, May 21.
The Pentalina went aground close to St Margaret’s Hope on Saturday, April 29, with 60 passengers on board. Nobody was injured in the incident.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Marine Accident Investigation Branch are investigating.
NorthLink will now offer an extra return crossing on its 90-minute Scrabster/Stromness route on Friday, Saturday and Monday evenings "to help bolster the travel link between Orkney and the Scottish mainland".
The extra crossings on the Hamnavoe are in addition to the extra Sunday round trip announced last week.
Effective from now until Friday, June 30, NorthLink's Stromness to Scrabster sailings will run at 06:30, 11:00, 16:45 and 21:15, while the Scrabster to Stromness times are 08:45, 13:15, 19:00 and 23:30.
The company says it will continue to monitor the demand and "maintain close contact with stakeholders to understand the level of support required".
Stuart Garrett, Serco’s managing director for NorthLink Ferries, said: “We hope these additional sailings help maintain access between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, particularly as residents and visitors alike look forward to the much-anticipated Orkney Folk Festival at the end of this month and the St Magnus Festival in June.
“We want to reassure the community that we are in close contact with the Scottish Government and will continue to assess how we can best support travel on this route.”
Scotland's transport minister Kevin Stewart said: “I very much welcome NorthLink increasing its sailings across the Pentland Firth to meet demand during a challenging time for Orkney’s communities and businesses.
“NorthLink has been proactively assessing capacity up to this point. They have assured me they will continue to review ongoing demand for the remainder of the month and into June.”
The Pentalina was issued with a safety certificate following surveys on April 18 and returned to its Pentland Firth route on April 26 after the Alfred had been loaned to CalMac in a £9 million deal to serve the Clyde and Hebrides network. The £14 million Alfred had replaced the Pentalina on the Gills Bay to St Margaret’s Hope route in 2019.
The Pentalina incident came less than a year after the Alfred ran aground on Swona in July 2022, with 84 passengers and 13 crew on board. The Alfred incident is still under investigation by MAIB.
Pentland Ferries said: “We regret that we are now cancelling all passenger bookings on the St Margaret’s Hope to Gills Bay route up to and including Sunday, May 21.
“All booked passengers are being contacted directly. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience. We are doing all we can to minimise the disruption and will share any further updates as and when we can.”
