MV Hamnavoe is a passenger and vehicle ferry which sails from Scrabster in the far north of mainland Scotland to Stromness in Orkney up to three times a day. This 90-minute crossing is the only ferry crossing to Orkney which passes the Old Man of Hoy and St John’s Head. Purpose built for the route, MV Hamnavoe offers the highest standards of safety, comfort, and accessibility. View the on board facilities below.
Choose from a variety of locally sourced and prepared meals in The Feast Restaurant. Children’s meals are served in a cardboard NorthLink ship.
During summer, drinks (including refreshments made in Orkney and Shetland) are available in the bar on board MV Hamnavoe. In winter, drinks can be purchased in The Feast.
MV Hamnavoe’s on board facilities include a shop selling snacks, books, newspapers, travel products and keepsakes from your time in Orkney and Shetland.
Our B&B offer helps you to get the most from your time in Orkney – and gives a relaxed but early start for your onward journey. Spend the night on board MV Hamnavoe in one of our comfortable en-suite cabins before travelling on the first morning sailing from Stromness to Scrabster. This offers also includes two complimentary continental or full Scottish breakfasts per cabin booked.
The Magnus Lounge offers the perfect space to work or unwind and on board MV Hamnavoe, you will receive complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks, nibbles and newspapers. On morning sailings hot filled rolls are on offer and during afternoon sailings passengers can relax with a complimentary drink.
Dog owners and their four-legged friends will love the open spaces of Orkney. On board MV Hamnavoe you’ll find a well-appointed dog lounge. Other options for pets include kennels, remaining in your vehicle, or book a pet-friendly Hamnavoe B&B cabin.
Children
Baggage
Wi-fi
MV Hamnavoe has facilities to enable easy access for all passengers, including accessible cabins and toilets, wheelchair access, boarding assistance and Changing Places toilets.
Passengers will find other facilities available on board MV Hamnavoe, including baby changing rooms and showers, and services such as priority boarding.
You can now explore our ferries using Google Streetview!
MV Hamnavoe sails across the Pentland Firth, from Scrabster near Thurso to Stromness in the Orkney islands. The ferry sails up to 6 times a day, the journey takes 90 minutes and the distance covered is 30 miles. The first sailing of the day is from Stromness to Scrabster, and the final sailing is from Scrabster to Stromness.
The ‘Landbridge’ offer enables passengers to travel from Caithness to Shetland for a special low fare. Take MV Hamnavoe from Scrabster to Stromness and then the next ferry from Kirkwall to Lerwick. The journey works in reverse with a ferry from Lerwick to Kirkwall, a stay on the Hamnavoe B&B and a sailing from Stromness to Scrabster.
NorthLink Ferries’ M.V. Hamnavoe entered service in April 2003 on the Pentland Firth route. The ship was built at Aker Finyards OY, Rauma, Finland and measures 112m in length and 18.6m in beam with a tonnage of 8,600 GRT. She can sail at a speed of 19 knots, and has a capacity for 600 passengers and 450 lane metres (95 cars) for vehicles. ‘Hamnavoe’ is the Old Norse name for Stromness, which means ‘Home Port’ or ‘Safe Haven’. The lines of poetry throughout the ship were written by the Orcadian poet George Mackay Brown.
Port of Registry: Kirkwall Ships Number: NB440 Keel Laid: 15/02/02 Call sign: VSTY7 IMO Number: 9246061 Length overall: 112m Breadth: 18.60m Draught: 4.5m Gross Tonnage: 8780 Displacement: 5350 tonnes Speed: 19.3 knots Main Engines: 2 x MAK 4320 KW @ 600 RPM Propellers: 2 x Rolls Royce Kamewa Rudders: 2 x Rolls Royce Stabilisers: 2 x Mitsubishi Fuel Capacity: 332 tonnes FW Capacity: 245 tonnes Max Stern Door Width: 4.39m Max Bow Door Width: 3.82m Max Door Height: 4.5m Max Axel Weight: 14000kg Max Door Load Weight: 44000kg Stern Door Length: 6.2m Bow Door Length: 13.8m
Using Ship AIS (a safety system which transmits a ship’s position to other vessels), it’s possible to see the real-time tracking of all NorthLink Ferries vessels on a map! Visit our Passenger Ship Positions webpage to see where MV Hamnavoe is on her voyage between the Scottish Mainland and Orkney.
Header image: MV Hamnavoe leaving Scrabster sailing to Orkney viewed from the air photo © Copyright Karen Munro
