North Isles ferries to operate to ‘alternative’ timetable

Ferry services on the Bluemull Sound between Yell, Unst and Fetlar will operate to alternative timetables due to limited crew availability.

The SIC announced these timetable changes will take place from 22nd May to 28th May as a result of “crew sickness” and “no staff cover available”.

On Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd, the day shift will operate to the Saturday timetable and bookings will be suspended. Normal service will resume from 5.40pm with bookings available but there will be no 11.35pm run from Hamarsness.

On Friday 24th and Saturday 25th, the first run will be from Gutcher at 6.45am, which will then follow the Saturday timetable until 12.05pm from Belmont. There will be no runs until 3.20pm from Gutcher.

There will also be no runs from Gutcher on Saturday 25th until 3.15pm. The service will then follow the Saturday timetable until the Belmont to Gutcher run at 8.20pm which will be the last run.

On Sunday 26th, the first run will be from Gutcher at 06.45am which will then follow the Sunday timetable until the 12.05pm from Belmont.  There will be no runs until 3.05pm from Gutcher, then the service will follow the Sunday timetable until the 8.20pm run from Belmont to Gutcher, which will be the last one of the day. 

Bookings will be suspended on both the Saturday and Sunday and again on Monday 27th where the service will operate to the Saturday service until 5.40pm and bookings will resume.

On Tuesday 28^th, ferry services will operate to a Saturday timetable until 8.40am when bookings will be optional again and the service will return to normal.

The SIC wished to “apologise” to passengers for these “timetable alterations”.