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HILDASAY PICKS UP LIFELINE SERVICE TO NORTHERN ISLES

The NorthLink freight and livestock vessel MV Hascosay formally ends her eight year relationship with the ferry company today (February 18).

She sailed from Lerwick last night (Wednesday 17th) with her usual seasonal cargo of farmed salmon, shellfish and wet fish for market.

NorthLink’s freight services, using the dedicated vessels Hascosay and Clare, have shipped many hundreds of thousands of tons of essential provisions and goods to and from the Northern Isles since the company was awarded the lifeline ferry services contract in 2002.

Since entering service with NorthLink, MV Hascosay has covered some 432,000 nautical miles which is the equivalent of:

• Around 1100 round trips from Aberdeen to Lerwick
• The moon and back
• Circumnavigating the earth some 20 times at the equator

Hascosay and her 40-strong crew – who are now being employed on other NorthLink vessels – have contributed massively to the economic wellbeing of the Northern Isles both by bringing in the goods which stock Orkney and Shetland stores and providing the first link in the export chain for Northern Isles aquaculture produce and livestock.

NorthLink chief executive Bill Davidson said: “On Hascosay’s last day with the NorthLink fleet I want to take this opportunity to thank her crew for the sterling service that they have provided over the past eight years.

“Through fair weather and foul they have sailed the seas between Shetland, Orkney and Aberdeen ensuring that export goods got to market in time and that the essential provisions of everyday island life always got through.

“We also formally welcome Hildasay and her crew to the routes and feel sure that she will continue the excellent tradition set by Hascosay,” said Mr Davidson.

Since NorthLink won the Scottish Government contract to operate the Northern Isles’ lifeline services the routes have seen a huge increase in freight traffic. In 2003, on the Aberdeen – Lerwick route alone, NorthLink carried some 150,333 lane metres of freight. Last year the comparable figure was 212,800 lane metres – a 41.5 per cent increase.

The new vessel, with the capacity to take 65 trailers, is more than capable of meeting the increased freight and livestock demands and, in particular, is well equipped to cope with the massive increase in deck space requirement during the annual livestock transportation season.