Names for two new Northern Isles vessels chosen by public vote

The names for the two new freight-flex vessels that will serve Orkney and Shetland have been announced.

Operated by NorthLink Ferries, the new vessels set to serve the Aberdeen to Kirkwall/Lerwick route will be named mv Hascosay and mv Hakon.

More than 800 votes were cast in a public vote, with members of the public choosing their two favourite names from a list inspired by Shetland and Orkney’s landscape and Nordic roots.

Kevin Hobbs, chief executive of Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), said: “Thank you to everyone who played a part in naming our new vessels.

“MV Hascosay and mv Hakon will be welcome additions to the fleet, bringing increased freight and passenger capacity, which will be especially useful during the busier peak travel times.

“As work progresses well at the shipyard, we’re looking forward to welcoming these vessels and the boost to efficiency and reliability they will provide.”

The two new vessels are under construction at Guangzhou Shipyard International Co., Limited (GSI) in China, where the project is progressing on schedule.

MV Hascosay and mv Hakon are expected to be delivered in 2029.

The freight-flex vessels, which will replace mv Helliar and mv Hildasay, will have improved freight capacity, higher operating speeds and the ability for 200 passengers on each ship to travel in peak times and dry dock periods.

The new vessel won’t be the first Hascosay to ply the route. For six years, a namesake, built in 1971, serviced the freight route between the Scottish mainland and the Northern Isles.

The vessel was sold in 2010, converted into a livestock carrier and renamed Abou Karim I.

She was berthed in Beirut in August 2020 when an explosion at the Lebanese capital’s port caused widespread destruction.

Just metres from the epicentre of the blast, she subsequently capsized and sank in the harbour.