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Shetland schoolgirl Sophie Wishart saw a dream come true in Lerwick today (Wednesday, February 10) when she took centre stage at the naming ceremony for NorthLink’s new freight vessel Hildasay.

Sophie (12), a pupil at Sandwick Junior High School, was the winner in a NorthLink competition to name the vessel which will replace the Hascosay freight and livestock boat which has served the Northern Isles for nearly eight years.

And NorthLink chief executive Bill Davidson revealed to the large gathering at the Lerwick Ferry terminal that a deal was about to be concluded which would see Hascosay saved from the breaker’s yard and go on to a fresh career with Saudi Arabian owners as a livestock transportation vessel.

Sophie, an accomplished fiddle player who is also the current holder of the Shetland Junior Musician of the Year title, chose the name Hildasay after the uninhabited island lying to the West of Scalloway on the Shetland mainland.

The schoolgirl, who wins four return trips for two on one of NorthLink’s passenger boats, got a day off school to perform the honours and her entire family heard her say:

“I’m not used to public speaking so I’ll be very brief. I just wanted to say thank-you to NorthLink for choosing me to name the new freight boat. My dad works as a maintenance joiner with the Lerwick Port Authority and he sees the NorthLink boats nearly every day. We saw that NorthLink had organised a competition to name the new boat and dad suggested that I should submit an entry. So I’d like to thank mum and dad and my peerie sister Kirsty for helping me put the entry in.

“I chose the name because of its local connections, because it began with an ‘H’, like the other NorthLink boats and because we liked it. When I was told that my choice had won and that I was to perform this ceremony I just couldn’t believe it. I think I’ll remember this day for the rest of my life. It sure beats being in school!”

Standing with the official party on the bow of the ship, Sophie then spoke the traditional words which hansel every vessel : “I don’t think I want to say any more, so here goes ... I name this ship Hildasay. May God bless her and all who sail in her.”

Sophie also unveiled a plaque commemorating the occasion and it will be fixed to Hildasay before she enters service with NorthLink within the next few days. Then, as a lasting memento of the occasion, she was then presented with a unique Northern Isles-made silver bangle, inscribed with the name Hildasay in runic.

The Rev Gordon Oliver of St Columba’s Church, Lerwick, blessed the vessel, a role he had also performed over seven years ago when he gave the formal blessing on the passenger boat MV Hjaltland.

Bill Davidson said: “Hascosay is 39 years old and has done us sterling service, initially on charter to the West Coast Hebrides service before taking up the Aberdeen – Lerwick route. I would like to thank her crew for all of their hard work over the years. They have worked hard to keep Hascosay operational and as a result she has delivered a very reliable service to our many freight customers in Orkney and Shetland. But with Hascosay leaving our fleet the experience of her crew in serving the Northern Isles is not being lost as they are moving to the other NorthLink ships.

Those assembled on the quayside around the ferry terminal also heard from David McGibbon, deputy chairman of the David MacBrayne Group, who is a non-executive director of NorthLink Ferries; and Shetland Islands Councillor Iris Hawkins, who is chair of the local transport authority ZetTRans.

The Jarl’s Squad, with Up Helly Aa festivities still fresh in the mind, entertained on the quayside. Later, NorthLink hosted a reception for 60 around people on board MV Hrossey which was berthed alongside.

More photographs are available on the Hildasay Gallery page