Building ferry resilience in Shetland

Shetland Islands Council (SIC) will receive £10 million from the Scottish Government to go towards a new ferry.

The grant is being funded from revenue related to offshore wind developments. The relief ferry will provide extra resilience to the SIC’s ferry fleet.

The £10 million capital grant pledged to the SIC by the Scottish Government for inter-island connectivity will go towards the ferry – which is estimated to cost nearly £11.8 million – and has been warmly welcomed. The grant is paid for by revenue from the ScotWind offshore wind leasing process.

This process has seen seabed rights given to two large proposed offshore wind farms to the east of Shetland, which have drawn concern from some quarters including the fishing industry.

There are also a number of other proposed farms in the seas around Scotland which came through the ScotWind process, which was overseen by the Crown Estate.

Scottish finance secretary Shona Robison said:

“The government recognised the unique challenges faced by island communities and the importance of targeted support to improve connectivity for people in Shetland”.

“This funding helps the local community to develop solutions to these challenges whilst delivering on the ambitions of the National Islands Plan.

“The Scottish Government is focused on delivering policies and investments that support our islands’ ambitions, empowering communities to thrive and creating the conditions for sustainable economic and social development.

“Prosperous island communities are central to our vision of Scotland as a successful country in which to live, work and study.”

An initial outline business case on the new relief ferry received its first airing in front of councillors earlier this month, with estimates that the new vessel could be delivered in 2027.