P&O Scottish Ferries

[Cloud Strife]

I have a few questions about this company, and it seems that it's very difficult to actually find very much about their operations online. If anyone can fill in the blanks, it would be very much appreciated!

1) How was this route operated? Was it tendered out at a regular basis (as the current NorthLink Ferries routes are), or did P&O simply receive a subsidy for operating the routes? I cannot believe that they were commercially operated!

2) I've found references to a 'new terminal in Hatston'. What is the story here? Did P&O have a terminal in Kirkwall, and if yes, why was the terminal moved outside Kirkwall?

3) I found a solitary reference to an Aberdeen-Lerwick-Bergen route that was apparently operated at weekends. Did this route actually exist, and if yes, how did it work in practice? Could passengers travel straight through to Bergen from Aberdeen?

There will probably be more questions to come, but that's it for now.

 

[Lemmy99uk]

I've found references to a 'new terminal in Hatston'. What is the story here? Did P&O have a terminal in Kirkwall, and if yes, why was the terminal moved outside Kirkwall?

I made frequent trips to Orkney in the P&O days but always to Stromness and never to Kirkwall.

The St Ola operated the service from Thurso to Stromness and the St Sunniva operated the Aberdeen to Lerwick route calling at Stromness in both directions.

Kirkwall did not have ro-ro capabilities in those days and the islands were served by a motley collection of foot ferries. Vehicles to the outer isles had to be transported on the MV Islander that was a lift on - lift off boat. There was also the foot passenger only Orcadian that was like a mini ocean liner that served a different island each day.

The Hatston terminal was built in the early part of this century and serves the cruise liner traffic and the current Aberdeen - Lerwick ferry. It is a miserable site, located in an industrial estate away from the town centre and isolated from the town harbour that serves the modern ro-ro ferries to the islands.

 

[stuving]

I have a few questions about this company, and it seems that it's very difficult to actually find very much about their operations online. If anyone can fill in the blanks, it would be very much appreciated!

I suggest you look at newspapers first, starting with getting access to the British Library Newspaper Archive. That may not have the titles you want, and coverage tapers off after 1990, but it's a good start. For example, the Aberdeen Press and Journal of 29 December 1990 reports that P&O and the Northern Isles councils were pushing the government to help pay for a replacement for the St Clair. The annual subsidy was going up 17% to £5.6M for the next year, but covered operating costs not a new ship.

 

[Buzby]

As I recall, P&O’s services were arranged by Westminster and pre-dated the creation of Transport Scotland. There were numerous complaints that the subsidy needed increasing and the LibDems were to the fore in pushing for it. There is no pier or loading facility at Hatston, the ferry always docked at the same place on Kirkwall pier, and NorthLink continues to do so.

 

[Elwyn]

3) I found a solitary reference to an Aberdeen-Lerwick-Bergen route that was apparently operated at weekends. Did this route actually exist, and if yes, how did it work in practice? Could passengers travel straight through to Bergen from Aberdeen?

I worked in Aberdeen in the early 1990s. I recall that one summer around 1993 the Lerwick - Aberdeen P & O vessel St Clair operated from Aberdeen to Bergen and back direct. About 13 sailings in the season. Out on Saturday night (when the vessel normally laid over in Aberdeen) and returning Sunday morning. The following years the service operated via Lerwick instead, again outbound to Bergen on Saturday returning to Lerwick early Sunday morning.

Not sure whether you could travel through on the outbound leg without leaving the vessel but on the return leg all passengers had to disembark at Lerwick for Customs clearance. Immigration clearance was done on board by an officer travelling on the ferry.

 

[swaldman]

As I recall, P&O’s services were arranged by Westminster and pre-dated the creation of Transport Scotland. There were numerous complaints that the subsidy needed increasing and the LibDems were to the fore in pushing for it. There is no pier or loading facility at Hatston, the ferry always docked at the same place on Kirkwall pier, and NorthLink continues to do so.

Will beg to correct you here: There is now a substantial pier at Hatston, visible here https://goo.gl/maps/S3PTNpawm9rYtha89 and that's where Northlink's Aberdeen/Orkney/Shetland ships dock. Kirkwall pier, in the town, continues to be used by the smaller inter-island ferries.

Prior to the creation of the pier at Hatston - and I'm not sure exactly when that was, but it was this century - all of the beyond-Orkney boats (from Scrabster and from Aberdeen/Lerwick) called at Stromness. It was a major political issue for the isles when that was changed, due to what some feared would be the effect on Stromness's economy. I think, but am not certain, that this change happened at the same time as the change from P&O to Northlink.

 

[Buzby]

Thanks for the clarification - last time I docked in Kirkwall was in 1997 from Shetland and I was by NorthLink. My subsequent visits to Stromness were only to connect with the mainland - NorthLink were not in that equation.