About Northlink Ferries
NorthLink Ferries operates daily ferry services between mainland Scotland and the northern archipelagos of Orkney and Shetland.
NorthLink Ferries operates two routes:
- Scrabster to Stromness, Orkney (90 minutes)
- Aberdeen to Lerwick, Shetland (12 hours 30 minutes northbound, 12 hours southbound).
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Some services also call at Kirkwall, Orkney, which increases the journey time by 2 hours.
With NorthLink Ferries, travelling to Orkney and Shetland is more convenient than ever before with nightly sailings from Aberdeen to Lerwick in Shetland - with four of these sailings going via Orkney's capital, Kirkwall.
With Ferryto.com you can choose from up to three sailings each day from the ferry port of Scrabster (near Thurso) to the ferry port of Stromness in Orkney, the journey time for which is 90 minutes.
Northlink Ferries Route Map
NorthLink Ferries operate overnight sailings from the port of Aberdeen to Lerwick in Shetland (taking 12.5 hours), with four of these sailings a week going via Orkney's capital, Kirkwall (total journey time 14.5 hours).
Northlink Ferries' extensive timetables make traveling to the islands Orkney and Shetland even more convenient than ever. |
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Each ship has 100 cabins, 50 outer each sleeping two, and 50 inner, each sleeping four. And each of the ships has a very large vehicle deck, compete with an additional car deck accessible via a hatch that raises from the floor of the main deck.
Most people will first encounter the NorthLink Shetland and Orkney service at the terminal at Aberdeen. Once on board and installed in your cabin, there is every opportunity to admire Aberdeen from the unusual viewpoint of the open deck at the upper rear part of each ship. This is most easily accessed from doors at either side of the rear of the cafeteria.
Getting into and out of Aberdeen Harbour has been described as "threading a needle" and watching the ship ease its way into the main harbour basin before heading out into the North Sea is fascinating. |
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The route north then follows the coast past Peterhead, the distinctive gas terminal at St Fergus, and the lighthouse at Rattray Head. The coastline then heads west past Fraserburgh and the Kinnaird Head lighthouse, leaving your ship in open sea.
If you are travelling on a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday, you will call first at Kirkwall on Orkney, and you come into sight of the coast near Wick before passing the Duncansby Head lighthouse. Then you pass South Ronaldsay and the East Mainland of Orkney before passing Shapinsay as you sail into the Bay of Kirkwall.
Arrival in Lerwick involves sailing up the east side of the South Mainland of Shetland after a first sighting of the Sumburgh Head lighthouse. Your ship will then pass between the island of Bressay to your right and Lerwick itself to your left, before proceeding to its terminus near the north end of the harbour.
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Onboard Facilities
But while that looks after the business of getting passengers and their vehicles from point of departure to the point of arrival.
The most impressive areas of the Hjaltland and the Hrossey are those designed to keep passengers fed and entertained on the 14 hour overnight crossings. |
On the return trip, sailings on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday call at Kirkwall en route: on other days they proceed directly to Aberdeen.
Moving from the rear to the front of the vessels these include the large and airy cafeteria, the bar, the lounge and the restaurant.
Further forward there are reclining seats and a cinema, a shop, and the forward bar.
All are built and finished to a very high standard. |
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Northlink Ferries History
The subsidised Northern Isles ferry services, previously run by P&O Scottish Ferries were put out to tender in 1999. A joint venture between Caledonian MacBrayne and the Royal Bank of Scotland named Northlink Orkney and Shetland Ferries won the service from 2002.
Its ambitious plans ran into difficulties, and the service was re-tendered while Northlink ran under interim arrangements. By the closing date, bids were received from V-Ships UK Ltd, and from Caledonian MacBrayne, which put in the lower bid and won the tender.
Caledonian MacBrayne formed a company named NorthLink Ferries Limited which began operating the Northern Isles ferry services on 6 July 2006.
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