MV Hjaltland, along with MV Hrossey, is a passenger and vehicle ferry which sails from Aberdeen to Shetland, with regular stops in Orkney. Purpose built for the routes, this modern passenger vessel offers the highest standards of safety, comfort and accessibility. On board, travellers can expect a service that is a testament to the islands’ warmth and friendliness. Discover the range of services available on MV Hjaltland below.
Enjoy a variety of delicious freshly prepared food in The Feast Restaurant, made using locally sourced produce. Evening meals and breakfast in the morning are available.
MV Hjaltland has a bar serving a wide range of soft drinks, teas and coffees and alcoholic beverages, many from Orkney and Shetland.
Visit the on board shop to purchase drinks, snacks, books, newspapers, a variety of travel products, or a gift from your visit to Shetland and Orkney.
Relax in a comfortable en-suite cabin with everything needed to enjoy your journey. Cabins includes a TV with live channels, plus on demand movies and box sets. On board MV Hjaltland the range of cabins available include 2, 3 and 4-bed cabins, Premium and Executive cabins, accessible cabins, and pet-friendly cabins. You can also opt to book a sleeping pod or reclining seat for the journey.
The comfortable Magnus Lounge offers the perfect space to work or unwind. Buy entry to the lounge on board MV Hjaltland, which includes complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks, nibbles and two vouchers for an alcoholic beverage. In the morning the Magnus Lounge reopens to offer a complimentary continental breakfast.
Though pets are not allowed in the public areas of the ship, MV Hjaltland has a range of options for pet owners. Pets can remain in owners’ vehicles, can be put in our kennel facilities, or can join you in a comfortable pet-friendly cabin for the journey to Shetland and Orkney.
Children
Baggage
Wi-fi
Accessible facilities on board include specially designed cabins, accessible toilets, wheelchair access, boarding assistance and Changing Places toilets.
Other facilities on board MV Hjaltland include showers, baby changing rooms, vending machines, games machines and a cinema showing the latest movies.
You can now explore our ferries using Google Streetview!
Along with MV Hrossey, MV Hjaltland, sails from Aberdeen to Lerwick in Shetland and back. The ship departs in the early evening and arrives the following morning. MV Hjaltland also makes regular calls into Kirkwall in Orkney, arriving in the late evening before sailing on to Lerwick (or Aberdeen). The journey lasts approx. 14 hours (Aberdeen to Lerwick) or 6 hours (Aberdeen to Kirkwall). View route information.
Sailings from Aberdeen to Lerwick, Lerwick to Aberdeen, Kirkwall to Aberdeen and Kirkwall to Lerwick are overnight crossings, so booking a cabin, sleeping pod, or reclining seat is recommended for the journey. Sailings from Aberdeen to Kirkwall and Lerwick to Kirkwall are evening sailings, so booking on board accommodation is not essential.
NorthLink Ferries’ ferry M.V. Hjaltland entered service on 1st October 2002 on the Aberdeen – Kirkwall – Lerwick route. The ship was built at Aker Finyards OY, Rauma, Finland and measures 125m in length and 20m in beam with a tonnage of 11,720 GRT. She has a capacity for 600 passengers and has 650 lane metres (140 cars) for vehicles. With a top speed of 24 knots, the distances M.V. Hjaltland covers are as follows – Aberdeen to Kirkwall – 154 miles, Kirkwall to Lerwick – 115 miles, Aberdeen to Lerwick – 216 miles. M.V. Hjaltland travels the equivalent of almost three-and-a-half trips round the world each year. ‘Hjaltland’ is the old Norse name for Shetland.
Port of Registry: Lerwick Ships Number: NB438 Keel Laid: 04/10/01 Call sign: VSTY8 IMO Number: 9244958 Main Engines: 4 x MAK 6M43 5400 KW each Propellers: 2 x Rolls Royce Kamewa Rudders: 2 x Rolls Royce Stabilisers: 2 x Mitsubishi Fuel Capacity: 560 tonnes FW Capacity: 400 tonnes Length overall: 125 metres Breadth: 20m Draught: 5.4m Gross Tonnage: 11,720 Displacement: 7,434 tonnes Speed: 24 knots Max Stern Door Width: 4m Max Bow Door Width: 4.5m Max Door Height: 4.6m 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 Hjaltland is on her voyage between the Scottish Mainland and Orkney and Shetland.
Header image: Hjaltland sailing to Shetland in the morning photo © Copyright Nick McCaffrey
