Northlink adds extra Sunday ferry service to Orkney after Pentalina grounding

Ferry operator NorthLink has added an extra service to its Sunday timetable following the grounding of the Pentalina last weekend.

The vessel, owned by Pentland Ferries, ran aground at St Margaret’s Hope in Orkney with 60 passengers on board.

No-one was hurt in the incident, which is continuing to be investigated.

Every Sunday from May 7 to June 25, Northlink will run an additional return crossing between Stromness on Orkney and Scrabster on the mainland.

Stuart Garrett, Serco’s managing director for NorthLink Ferries, said: “We hope the additional round trip we’ve introduced will help those whose travel plans have been affected to reach their destination safely.

“We are in close contact with the local community and Scottish Government and will continue discussions around how we can support travel on this route.

“Regrettably, adding this additional resilience does mean that we’ve no choice but to cancel the Orkney Nature Festival cruise around Hoy, which was scheduled to take place on May 14.

“We have advised RSPB and we will be in touch with customers directly.”

Meanwhile, ferry operator CalMac has announced changes to its vessel deployments on the Clyde and Hebrides routes.

These have been affected by delays in the maintenance period for its ageing fleet.

MV Alfred, a sister ship to MV Pentalina, is planned to be brought into the CalMac network to improve services.

Calmac chief executive Robbie Drummond said: “We are aware of the significant effect this situation is having on customers and businesses.

“This is at the forefront of our mind as we continue to focus on resuming a normal service.

“We will be able to return to the usual summer timetable as soon as vessels return from annual maintenance.

“Berthing trials for MV Alfred have also been completed and we look forward to the much-needed resilience she will provide to the network.”