NorthLink passenger numbers take a dip

NorthLink Ferries has transported more than 8,000 passengers since the beginning of 2021, as it continues to support essential travel between Orkney, Shetland and the Scottish mainland.

Between January 5 and March 15, a total of 8,074 passengers travelled across the company’s various ferry routes. This was a reduction of 62 per cent from the same period in 2020.

Of those journeys, 42 per cent were undertaken by key workers and 32 per cent was classed as islander necessary travel. The next highest category was essential visitor travel at 11.5 per cent, followed by NHS travel (patients and staff) which represented 9.4 per cent of journeys.

Full story in The Orcadian, available now online and in the shops.