Ferry consultation report published

The analysis of responses to Transport Scotland’s public consultation on the next Northern Isles Ferry Services (NIFS4) contract is now live.

More than 1,100 responses were received to the public consultation and over 300 additional comments were collated through eight community drop-in sessions held in Orkney and Shetland throughout September.

The consultation, which was extended to 20 October 2025, invited communities, businesses and stakeholders who use the ferry services to submit their views and help shape the development of the specification for the NIFS4 contract.

The current Northern Isles Ferry Services contract, operated by Serco NorthLink, is due for renewal on 30 June 2028.

A total of 1,129 responses were available for analysis, a small number of duplicate responses were removed before the analysis was undertaken with most of these submitted through the Scottish Government’s Citizen Space consultation analysis platform.

The considerable majority of respondents (98% or 1,107 respondents) were individual members of the public, with only 2% of responses came from organisations.

Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity Jim Fairlie said:

“I want to thank everyone who took the time to engage with this public consultation. The Northern Isles Ferry Services play a vital role in our transport network, so it is great to have received so many responses from those who rely on these lifeline links.

“The Scottish Government fully recognises the importance of these ferry services not only for local communities, but also for the wider economic, cultural and social well-being of our islands. This report will help identify and drive service improvements for the next contract to ensure that it continues to deliver for islanders.

“I am pleased that we are already taking action to remove mid and peak season ferry fares for residents of Orkney and Shetland – one of the asks we heard from islands stakeholders through this consultation.

“Alongside continued funding for procurement of two replacement freight flex vessels to serve the Northern Isles, this feedback will help ensure these ferry services remain reliable and resilient for the communities they serve.”

Respondents were invited to select up to three ranked priorities for the next NIFS contract. Reliability and quality of accommodation were identified as the top priorities for the next NIFS contract, albeit with slightly more respondents ranking reliability as the top priority.

When the priorities of Orkney and Shetland residents are considered separately, reliability was the top priority for those on Orkney with quality of on-board accommodation in second place. These priorities were reversed for Shetland residents, who ranked quality of accommodation as most important. Ease of booking a ticket was the third most frequent choice for Shetland residents, while those from Orkney placed a greater emphasis on punctuality.

The report can be access at Northern Isles Ferry Services

Pic credit: Transport Scotland