ferry into service in 2021. Current
services from Liverpool Pier Head to
Seacombe and Birkenhead Woodside
are maintained by Royal Iris of the
Mersey (1960/464gt) and Snowdrop
(1960/670gt), which ran as Mountwood
and Woodchurch until renaming
in 2002 and 2004. Royal Daffodil
(1962/751gt), originally Overchurch
until a name change in 1999, also
survives in lay-up at Birkenhead.
The year-round service pattern
sees one vessel operating morning
and evening commuter connections
from Seacombe Pier, Wallasey to
Liverpool, with sailings every 20
minutes in either direction, then from
1000 ex-Liverpool to 1600 there
are hourly departures of 50-minute
River Explorer Cruises sailing
towards the mouth of the Mersey,
before crossing to the southern
shore for calls at Seacombe and
Woodside, Birkenhead. More than
20 Manchester Ship Canal Cruises
are planned for 2018, with ferry travel
from Seacombe and Liverpool, and
passengers returning by coach one
day and usually with a Salford sailing
the following day involving coach
return from Liverpool.- 0151 639 0609, merseyferries.co.uk
CLYDE AND HEBRIDES
WESTERN FERRIES
Privately owned Western Ferries has
operated the 20-minute crossing
across the Firth of Clyde between
Hunter’s Quay, Dunoon and
McInroy’s Point near Gourock since
1973, the route linking the central
belt of Scotland with the Cowal
peninsula and beyond. Four modernroll-on/roll-off passenger and vehicle
ferries provide a regular and frequent
service, delivering nearly 32,000
sailings from early morning to late at
night 365 days a year.
The 489gt/40-car sisters Sound
of Scarba and Sound of Shuna came
from the Ferguson Yard at Port
Glasgow in 2001, before Western
Ferries looked to Mersey-based
Cammell Laird for the 497gt/40-
car pair Sound of Seil and Sound
of Soay, which replaced older pair
Sound of Sanda and Sound of
Scalpay in 2013. Initially Western
Ferries competed with CalMac’s
Gourock-Dunoon service until its
withdrawal in 2011. Crossing time is
20 minutes each way, with departures
every 20 minutes, which increase to
15 minutes during peak times.- 01369 704452, western-ferries.co.uk
ORKNEY/SHETLAND
NORTHLINK FERRIES
Since the days of the historic North
of Scotland, Orkney and Shetland
Steamship Company, services to the
Northern Isles have changed hands on
several occasions, with spells of P&O
Scottish Ferries operation followed
by a Northlink Ferries joint venture
between Caledonian MacBrayne and
the Royal Bank of Scotland.
The network was retendered in
2012, when successful bidder Serco
retained Northlink branding and
three vessels previously fi nanced by
the Scottish Government, 11,720gt
sisters Hjaltland and Hrossey
coming from Aker Finnyards at
Rauma, Finland to take over the
direct route from Jamieson Quay,
Aberdeen to Lerwick departing at
1900 on Monday, Wednesday and
Thursday with sailings via Kirkwall,
Orkney leaving at 1700 on remaining
evenings. The vessels received
internal upgrades in 2013, with
reclining seat ‘sleeping pods’ and
a premium lounge created, and a
striking new livery followed.
Northlink’s shortest Orkney
connection is a passenger and vehicle
ferry from Scrabster, near Thurso to
Stromness, maintained by Hamnavoe
(2002/8,780gt), which was also built
in Finland. She completes up to three
return trips a day with a passage time of
90 minutes and sailing past the Orcadian
landmark ‘Old Man of Hoy’ each way.- 01845 6000449, http://www.
northlinkferries.co.uk
ORKNEY FERRIES
Owned by Orkney Islands Council,Sound of Soay passing Cloch
lighthouse on the Clyde.http://www.shipsmonthly.com • July 2018 • 27
David MacBrayne Limited set up a
new subsidiary for a passenger-only
catamaran service, which replaced
the former Gourock-Dunoon car
ferry in 2011. Crossings take 20minutes using two second-hand
vessels: the 277-passenger Argyll
Flyer (2001/300gt), which served
Irish operators running to the
Aran Islands before purchase inJune 2011, and Ali Cat (1999/74gt,
pictured), which was originally part
of the Solent and Wight Line Cruises
fl eet and provides support.- 01475 650100, argyllferries.co.uk
ARGYLL FERRIES