Transport Scotland ‘monitoring’ ferry need after Pentalina grounding

Scotland’s transport minister has not ruled out the possibility of returning mv Alfred to the Pentland Firth route should it be required — but consideration will first be given to adding a fourth daily sailing on NorthLink’s Stromness-Scrabster route.

Faced with questions in parliament regarding the grounding of mv Pentalina on Saturday, and its impact on Orkney services, Kevin Stewart MSP said that discussion were “ongoing” regarding a potential need for extra provision.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch arrived in the county this Tuesday to begin its assessment. It is not yet known how long the Pentalina will remain out of action.

Mr Stewart confirmed that there is no recall clause in the contract between publicly-owned CalMac and private company Pentland Ferries for the charter of the Alfred on the west coast. He gave assurance, however that he and the Scottish Government “will continue to monitor all this going forward to ensure the islands are well-served”.

He said it was “too early to say” whether the Alfred would be needed back in Orkney to cover her sister vessel, and indicated that consideration would first be given to an additional NorthLink sailing.

As it stands, NorthLink has this week begun its summer timetable for the Pentland Firth, upping sailings from twice to three-times-a-day.

Mr Stewart praised the efforts of the publicly-owned ferry service, who he said had contacted hauliers “very quickly” in the aftermath of Saturday’s incident to ensure minimal disruption in the transport of vital supplies to Orkney.

A spokeswoman from NorthLink said this Tuesday:“We have already noticed a significant number of additional bookings. As such, we continue to maximise our available capacity and assess the requirement for additional services. For freight customers, there are four freight sailings from Aberdeen to Kirkwall with ample capacity for any likely demand.

“The MV Hamnavoe, is now operating its summer timetable with three return crossings between Stromness and Scrabster Monday to Saturday and two round trips currently being offered each Sunday.

Speaking after the meeting, Orkney’s MSP, Liam McArthur said: “All those involved in the rescue mission last Saturday, both at sea and then on shore, deserve enormous credit for their calm professionalism and, in the case of the local community, their generosity. It was good to be able to acknowledge that on the parliamentary record.

“However, Orkney now looks set to be without any ferry provision on the Hope-Gill’s Bay route for what is likely to be a number of weeks just as we enter the busiest time of the year. When the MV Alfred was out of service last year, a fourth return sailing was put on the Stromness-Scrabster route. The Transport Minister must agree to do the same this time round.

“This latest incident, however, follows the chartering of MV Alfred to plug gaps in the ferry network on the west coast and provides a further stark reminder of the need for the Scottish Government to get serious about its ferry replacement strategy. The current network both on the west coast and northern isles lacks resilience and it is islanders and island communities that are left paying the price. That simply cannot be allowed to continue”.