NorthLink Ferries will highlight the excellent cruise and holiday opportunities available in Orkney and Shetland during 2005 at the World Travel Market event in London this month.

NorthLink will exhibit on Visit Scotland’s stand in the South hall, UK1 2300.

The company’s 2005 Cruise Tour brochure for groups launches new trade packages including day trips to Orkney and Shetland.  The day packages include a qualified guide who will show visitors round the islands, helping make the trip more memorable.  Prices start from £33 for a day trip to Orkney, from £100 for a circular Orkney trip, from £135 for a Shetland day trip - all with a local guide. 

Over the last two years, NorthLink has made Orkney and Shetland more accessible than ever before, with competitive prices, reduced journey times and more frequent sailings.  With the day traveller in mind,  more convenient morning sailings and additional Saturday sailings have been added to the Pentland Firth (Scrabster – Stromness) service during peak season (June to August).

The new 2005 consumer brochure gives details of a unique range of breaks – encapsulating both short and long stay packages - on both Shetland and Orkney.  Each holiday package is prepared and managed by local specialists and offers excellent opportunities to indulge in various island activities, such as cliff top walking, cycling, watersports and wildlife watching.

NorthLink has also recently redesigned its website – www.northlinkferries.co.uk - making it even more colourful and user-friendly than before.  You can book trips online, check out timetables, fares and packages, or find out more about the Northern Isles themselves. 

Gareth Crichton, NorthLink’s Commercial Director, said: “The 2005 brochure looks fantastic and I’m sure it will prove to be an excellent marketing tool for Orkney and Shetland as we strive to attract more visitors to the islands. With

more and more people using the internet to book trips and holidays, it was important that our website provides the necessary information to potential travellers.”

NorthLink’s state-of-the-art facilities ensure that a holiday to the Northern Isles starts the minute you board the ferry.  Enjoy luxurious self-service and a la carte restaurants, comfortable lounge and bar areas, cinemas, children’s play areas, games rooms and a 24-hour bar service. For the overnight traveller, NorthLink Ferries boast comfortable en-suite cabins. The ships are also equipped with a full range of facilities for disabled passengers, including lifts and specially designed cabins.