SIC Ferries

Shetland Islands Council Ferries Ltd

Company type	Public (Council-owned)
Industry	Transport
Founded	1972
Headquarters	Sella Ness, Sullom Voe, Shetland
Number of locations	17 ports
Area served	Inter-island Shetland
Services	Ferries
Owner	Shetland Islands Council
Website	www.shetland.gov.uk/ferries
Footnotes /references Previously Zetland County Council Ferries (~1972 - 1975)

Shetland Islands Council Ferries (often named SIC Ferries) is a company operating inter-island ferry services in Shetland, a subarctic archipelago off the northeast coast of Scotland. ^[1] The company operates services across 10 of the Shetland islands. ^[2]

Services

The Bressay Ferry, MV Leirna, at Lerwick.

Services of the SIC Ferries are: ^[3]

• Bluemull service linking the North Isles at Gutcher, Yell; Belmont, Unst; and Hamars Ness, Fetlar. This is done in a triangular service, where one ferry mostly operates between Belmont and Gutcher, with a few trips to Fetlar, and other is based in Fetlar and makes a few daytime trips between Gutcher and Belmont.
• Bressay service to the Isle of Bressay from Lerwick on the Mainland.
• Fair Isle service to Fair Isle from Grutness or Lerwick on the Mainland.
• Foula service to the Isle of Foula from Walls on the Mainland. This service is operated by BK Marine, a Shetland-based workboat hire company. ^{[4] [5]}
• Out Skerries service to the Isle of Out Skerries from Symbister (on Whalsay), Vidlin or Lerwick both on the Mainland.
• Papa Stour service to the Isle of Papa Stour from West Burrafirth on the Mainland.
• Whalsay service to Symbister on the Isle of Whalsay from Laxo, or Vidlin depending on weather conditions, on the Mainland.
• Yell service to Ulsta on the North Isle of Yell from Toft on the Mainland.

Current Fleet

The SIC Ferries fleet of 12 ferries consists of: ^{[4] [6]}

Image	Vessel Name	Cars	Passengers	Service	Launched	Shipbuilders
	MV Hendra	12	95	Whalsay (1982 - 2002, 2005 - ) Yell Sound (2002 - 2004)	1982	McTay Marine, Bromborough, Merseyside
	MV Snolda, ex Filla (I)	6	12	Out Skerries (1983 - 2003) Papa Stour (2004 - )	1983	Simek AS, Flekkefjord, Norway
	MV Fivla (II)	12	95	Bluemull (1985 - 2005) Relief (2005 - ) [7]	1985	Ferguson Ailsa, Troon
	MV Good Shepherd(IV)	1 (Craned on) [8]	12	Fair Isle (1986 - )	1986	James N Miller & Son Ltd, St Monans, Fife
	MV Geira (II)	12	96	Yell Sound / Bluemull (1988 - 2002) Whalsay (2002 - 2005) Bluemull (2005 - )	1988	Dunstons, Hestle & Millers, St Monans, Fife
	MV Bigga	16	96	Yell Sound (1991 - 2004) Bluemull (2004 - )	1991	Dunstons, Hestle & Millers, St Monans, Fife
	MV Leirna	19	124	Bressay (1992 - )	1992	Ferguson Marine, Port Glasgow
	MV New Advance (Operated by BK Marine)	1 (Craned on)	12	Foula (1996 - )	1996	Richardson's Boatyard, Stromness, Orkney
	MV Linga	18	95	Whalsay (2002 - )	2002	Stocznia Polnocna, Gdańsk
	MV Filla (II)	9	30	Out Skerries (2003 - )	2003	Northern Shipbuilders, Gdańsk
	MV Daggri	31	144	Yell Sound (2004 - )	2003	Northern Shipbuilders, Gdańsk
	MV Dagalien	31	144	Yell Sound (2004 - )	2004	Northern Shipbuilders, Gdańsk

Previous Fleet

The following vessels used to be part of the SIC ferries fleet, information left blank is unknown:

Vessel Name	Cars	Passengers	Service	Launched	Left	Shipbuilders
MV Westering Homewards (II)	N/A		Rejected Build, meant to be Foula	1990	1990	Jones Buckie Slip & Shipyard Ltd, Buckie
FV Ivy Leaf	N/A		Papa Stour (1981 - 1986 (Charter))		1986
MV Thora	10	93	Yell Sound (1975 - 1980 (summer), 1980 - 1991) Whalsay (1998 - 2002) Relief (2002 - 2015)	1975	2015	Thorshavnor Skipasmidja, Faroe Isles
MV Fylga	10	93	Yell Sound (1975 - 1976, 1982 - 1988) Whalsay (1976 - 1982) Bluemull (1988 - 2004)	1975	2005	Thorshavnor Skipasmidja, Faroe Isles
MV Grima	10	93	Yell Sound (1974 - 1975 (summer)) Lerwick - Whalsay (1975 - 1976 (Charter)) Bressay (1976 - 1992) Whalsay (1993) Relief (1993 - 2004)	1974	2004	Bideford, Devon
MV Geira (I)	10	93	Yell - Unst (1973 - 1975) Bluemull (1975 - 1985)	1973	1986	Thorshavnor Skipasmidja, Faroe Isles
MV Fivla (I)	10	93	Yell Sound (1973 - 1975, 1976 - 1982) Bressay (1975 - 1976)	1973	1982	Thorshavnor Skipasmidja, Faroe Isles
MV Koada ex Good Shepherd (III)			Fair Isle (1972 - 1984 (local run), 1984 - 1986 (SIC)) Papa Stour (1986 - 2004)	1969	2004	Bideford Shipyard, Devon
MV Kjella	12	63	Whalsay (1980 - 1998)	1957	1998	Kaarbos MY NS, Norway
MV Spes Clara			Out Skerries (1975 - 1983) Spare, Cargo to Isles (1983 - 2003)	1947	2003	Herd & McKenzie, Buckie
MV Shalder	N/A		Bressay (1973 - 1974)			Shetland Isles
MV Tystie	N/A		Yell - Unst (? - 1973 (local run)) Bressay (1973)			Shetland Isles
MV Westering Homewards (I)	N/A		Foula (1962 - 1978 (local run), 1978 - 1990 (SIC))	1962		Shetland Isles
MV Brenda	N/A		Bressay (1933 - 1972? (local run), 1972? - 1973 (SIC))			Shetland Isles

Proposed Future Fleet

New Vessel

On 13 February 2025, the council revealed that they are looking into building a new vessel, which would possibly replace or operate alongside the current relief vessel, MV Fivla. This came after the Scottish Government gave the council £10 million funding for island connectivity, which will be used for this project. ^[9] They put a due date for end of 2028, at which point the oldest vessel in the fleet will be 46 years old. Maritime unions and locals have expressed concerns over this fact due to ferries normally only having a lifespan of 25 years and half the fleet having a grandfather clause allowing them to have passenger accommodation below the waterline, making it inaccessible to many people. ^{[10] [11]} The council later came with a second option to make a vessel similar to MV Linga, which would operate alongside her at Whalsay, with MV Hendra then becoming a second spare vessel. ^{[12] [13]}

Fair Isle

In January 2023, £26.7 million was awarded by the UK Government, as part of the 'levelling up' fund, to the Shetland Islands Council for the purchase of a new ro-ro ferry for Fair Isle and new terminals at both the Grutness and Fair Isle ports, including linkspans. The new ferry is expected to be similar to the MV Snolda, with 25m length and capacity for about 4 cars and a crane. The work is due to be completed by April 2026. ^[14] Works began at Grutness pier to facilitate this new vessel on 30 April 2025, with all Fair Isle sailings going to Lerwick until they are completed. ^[15]

The contract was awarded to Parkol Marine Engineering, Whitby, Yorkshire on 10 June 2025, with an expected delivery date of October 2026. The vessel will be a faster and bigger monohull that will have additional lift on capability and ability to operate to the current linkspans. ^[16]

Papa Stour

There is also a project involving Coastal Workboats and BK Marine to trial a fully electric ro-ro ferry between West Burrafirth and Papa Stour. The cost of project will be roughly £9 million, with £6 million of which funded by the UK Government's Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition. This trial is due to last 4 weeks from March 2025, in hope of it taking full time service, where it would take over from the regular vessel, MV Snolda, for the trial period. ^[17] In April 2025, it was announced that the project will no longer take place on the Papa Stour route. ^[18] The island community previously presented their concerns for the project going ahead with little to no consultation. ^[19]

References

1. "Home". Shetland Islands Council. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
2. "Shetland Islands Council - Ferries - A Brief History". 28 May 2007. Archived from the original on 28 May 2007. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
3. "Ferry Status".
4. "route map". Shetland Islands Council. Archived from the original on 26 September 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
5. "Foula Ferry Booking Information | BK Marine". www.bkmarine.co.uk. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
6. "official document reviewing status of ferries in scotland, p. 18" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
7. Sawkins, James. "Docking Schedule". Shetland Islands Council. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
8. "A Guide to Using Our Ferries". Shetland Island Council Ferries. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
9. "SIC looking into building a new ferry to ease pressure on inter-island service". Shetland News. 13 February 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
10. "Maritime union has 'serious concern' about internal ferry fleet". Shetland News. 30 April 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
11. "Accessibility issue leaves 79-year-old sitting 'freezing' on ferry deck". Shetland News. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
12. "'Encouraging' feedback from naval architects on SIC new ferry project". Shetland News. 10 March 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
13. "Council exploring building two new ferries with £10m government grant". Shetland News. 4 March 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
14. "Work on new Fair Isle ferry project underway to meet tight deadlines". Shetland News. 12 February 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
15. Council, Shetland Islands. "Operational note: Grutness Harbour works begin – Shetland Islands Council". Shetland Islands Council. Archived from the original on 1 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
16. "New Fair Isle ferry to be built in Yorkshire as SIC awards contract". Shetland News. 10 June 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
17. "Electric boat to be trialled between West Burrafirth and Papa Stour after government funding award". Shetland News. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
18. "Plans for 'pie in the sky' electric boat trial shelved". Shetland News. 8 April 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
19. "Papa Stour community's concern at 'lack of consultation' on electric boat trial". Shetland News. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2025.

External links

• SIC Ferries Official Site Archived 24 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine