Pentland Ferries new ship due to arrive home

Pentland Ferries brand new ship is due to arrive in Orkney on Wednesday, it has been announced.

The Alfred, which set out from the builders in Vietnam on August 29, can hold more passengers than its predecessor, Pentalina, with enough space for 430 passengers and 98 cars, or 54 cars and 12 articulated vehicles/coaches.

The ship will also have a dog-friendly indoor sun deck lounge in addition to five other seating areas.

The new ferry will undertake its first crossing from St Margaret’s Hope to Gills Bay in early November.

Pentland Ferries managing director Andrew Banks is delighted with the quality of the ship and the service it is set to deliver.

“This is the most environmentally friendly ferry of its kind in Scotland and its low fuel consumption makes it the greenest way to travel to Orkney,” he said.

“We’re confident that our passengers will love the high quality of the new facilities and the improved capacity onboard. We are proud to be bringing this new quality of service to the people of Orkney and to visitors to our islands.”

According to Pentland Ferries, the ship will arrive in St Margaret’s Hope at around 7.30am, before leaving for Kirkwall at around 10.30am.

Further coverage will appear on The Orcadian website and Facebook page, and in the paper next week.