Ferries may face further disruption

PLANS for ferry sailings to and from Aberdeen on Tuesday are under review with further gales and snow forecast.

It comes after violent winds, rain and electrical storms at the weekend forced cancellations of ferries and flights and threw travel plans into disarray.

NorthLink sailings were cancelled in both directions on Friday night and severely delayed on Saturday, with Hjaltland ‘s Saturday sailing leaving Lerwick at 8.30am on Sunday morning, missing out Orkney and arriving in Aberdeen at 6pm. She then sailed back from Aberdeen direct to Lerwick at 8pm.

The Saturday night sailing of the Hrossey was also delayed, with the vessel leaving Aberdeen at 3am and sailing direct to Lerwick, arriving around 1pm on Sunday.

Sunday’s sailing of Hjaltland to Lerwick arrived on time at 7.30am on Monday, with the evening’s sailing back to Aberdeen scheduled for the normal time of 5.30pm.

Due to a bad forecast Hrossey’s sailing from Aberdeen on Monday was brought forward to 5pm. With more severe weather forecast, Tuesday’s sailings are under review and further details will be announced on Tuesday morning.

A spokeswoman for Loganair said one flight in from Aberdeen and one flight out to Aberdeen had been cancelled on Saturday.

Flights in and out of Scatsta were also disrupted, according to a spokeswoman, although on Saturday morning two fixed-wing aircraft made it in to the airport and there were five offshore helicopter flights.
No movements at all took place on Sunday due to thunder and lightning.