Orkney Ferries

Orkney Ferries Ltd

Company type	Public (Council-owned)
Industry	Transport
Founded	1960
Headquarters	Kirkwall , Scotland
Number of locations	21 ports
Area served	inter-island Orkney
Services	Ferries
Owner	Orkney Islands Council
Website	http://www.orkneyferries.co.uk/

Orkney Ferries is a Scottish company operating inter-island ferry services in the Orkney Islands. The company operates ferry services across 15 islands.

History

The company is owned by the Orkney Islands Council and was established in 1960 as the Orkney Islands Shipping Company. ^[1]

In 1991, the Orkney Islands Shipping Company acquired a private sector ferry company also called Orkney Ferries, which had been established to compete on the short sea crossing from the Scottish mainland to the Orkney Islands, but which had not succeeded in establishing the route. This company's ferry was assimilated into the inter-island fleet, and in 1995 the Orkney Islands Shipping Company adopted the name Orkney Ferries. Despite this acquisition and change of name, the current Orkney Ferries does not operate services to and from the Scottish mainland, leaving this to other operators such as NorthLink Ferries and Pentland Ferries, which is run by the same people who started the original Orkney Ferries. ^[1]

Services

Orkney Ferries operate between the Orkney mainland and fourteen of the smaller islands. ^[2] Services include: ^{[1] [3]}

• The North Isles service, linking Kirkwall on Orkney Mainland to the northern isles of Eday, Sanday, Stronsay, Westray, Papay, and North Ronaldsay.
• The Shapinsay service, linking Kirkwall on Orkney Mainland to the northern island of Shapinsay.
• The Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre service, linking Tingwall on Orkney Mainland to the northern isles of Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre.
• The South Isles service, linking Houton on the Orkney Mainland to the southern islands of Hoy, South Walls and Flotta.
• The Graemsay and North Hoy service, linking Stromness on Orkney Mainland to the southern islands of Hoy and Graemsay.
• The Westray to Papa Westray service, linking the islands of Westray and Papay.

Current fleet

Orkney Ferries operates a fleet of inter-island vessels, most of which were specially built for service in the islands. The fleet includes: ^{[1] [4]}

Image	Vessel Name	Cars	Passengers	Service	Launched	Shipbuilders
	MV Eynhallow	8 (as built) 11 (from 1991)	95	Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre (1987 - )	1987	Abels Shipbuilders, Bristol
	MV Varagen	28	142	North Isles (1991 - )	1988 (acquired 1991)	Cochrane Shipbuilders, Selby
	MV Shapinsay	11	91	Shapinsay (1988 - ) Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre (relief)	1988	Yorkshire Drydock, Hull
	Earl Sigurd	25	190	North Isles (1989 - )	1989	McTay Marine, Bromborough
	Earl Thorfinn	25	190	North Isles (1989 - )	1989	McTay Marine, Bromborough
	MV Thorsvoe	16	121	South Isles (1991 - 1994) Shapinsay Relief (1994 - )	1991	Campbeltown Shipyard, Campbeltown
	MV Hoy Head (IV)	16 (as built) 24 (from 2013) [5]	125	South Isles (1994 - )	1994	Appledore Shipbuilders, Appledore
	MV Graemsay	1	73	Graemsay and North Hoy (1996 - )	1996	Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon
	MV Nordic Sea	N/A		Westray - Papa Westray (2023 - 2025) Relief / Additional	2012 (acquired 2020)	Norway
	MV Charles Ann II	N/A	12	Westray - Papa Westray (2025 - )	2012 (acquired 2025)

MV Nordic Sea was acquired by Orkney Ferries in 2020 to replace MV Golden Mariana. She was to operate on both the Westray to Papa Westray and Graemsay and North Hoy services but has been plagued by issues since arrival. ^[6]

Former fleet

Image	Vessel Name	Cars	Passengers	Service	Launched	Shipbuilders	Extra Information
	MV Golden Mariana	N/A	40	Westray - Papa Westray (1986 - 2023)	1973 (acquired in 1986)	Bideford Shipyard, Bideford	She was withdrawn from service in October 2023 and sold to Northerly Marine Services in 2024, now operating as a passenger ferry and tour boat for charter.
	MV Hoy Head (III)	10	93	South Isles (1986 - 1991) Relief (1991 - 1994)	1973	Thorshavnor Skipasmidja, Faroe Isles	Built for Shetland Island Council Ferries [7] [8]
	MV Islander	Cargo	12	Freight North Isles services (1969 - 1991)	1969	John Lewis & Sons Ltd, Aberdeen	[9] [10]
	MV Orcadia	Cargo		Passenger North Isles services (1962 - 1990)	1962	Hall, Russell & Co Ltd, Aberdeen	[11] [12]
	MV Hoy Head (II)		36	South Isles (1958 - 1976)	1955	George Thomson & Son, Buckie	Built as naval vessel MFV.1258 [13] [14] [15]

References

1. Smith, Colin (February 2007). "Northern Crossroads". Ships Monthly. IPC Country & Leisure Media. pp. 21–25.
2. "Internal Ferries". Orkney Islands Council. Archived from the original on 5 January 2004. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
3. "Timetables". Orkney Ferries. Retrieved 11 February 2007.
4. "The Fleet". Orkney Ferries. Archived from the original on 13 September 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
5. "MV Hoy Head | Cammell Laird". clbh.co.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
6. "Nordic Sea audit report". The Orcadian. 16 September 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
7. Widdows, Nick (April 1995). Ferries of the British Isles 1995. Ferry Publications. pp. 80–82, 121. ISBN   1-871947-29-4.
8. King, Neil (12 October 2008), MV Hoy Head (III), 1989 , retrieved 31 October 2025
9. Widdows, Nick (May 2005). Ferries 2005: British Isles and Northern Europe. Ferry Publications. pp. 118–119. ISBN   1-871947-80-4.
10. King, Neil (11 October 2008), North Ronaldsay, 1989 , retrieved 31 October 2025
11. King, Neil (11 October 2008), MV Orcadia, Kirkwall, 1989 , retrieved 31 October 2025
12. "Google". www.google.com.hk. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
13. "Google". www.google.com.hk. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
14. "Orkney Image Library - Hoy Head coming in to Lyness". photos.orkneycommunities.co.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
15. "Orkney Image Library - MFV1258, Hoy Head". photos.orkneycommunities.co.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2025.

External links

• Orkney Ferries web site