Bookings cancelled up to Sunday as Pentalina investigations are carried out

All ferry bookings between Gills Bay and Orkney have been cancelled up until Sunday as investigations are carried out into the grounding of the Pentalina.

The vessel ran ashore close to St Margaret's Hope on Saturday, just three days after resuming service on the route as its replacement, Alfred, started a nine-month charter with CalMac.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is expected at the site today.

The operator, Pentland Ferries, issued a statement saying: "We can confirm that surveys of the MV Pentalina by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency [MCA] are ongoing and MAIB will arrive today [Tuesday] to conduct their investigation. We can only formulate a time plan to bring the vessel back into service when these are complete.

"In the meantime, we have cancelled all bookings up to and including Sunday [May 7] and wish to apologise to all passengers for the inconvenience caused."

The vessel had 60 passengers, including a baby, on board at the time of the incident on Saturday evening. Nobody was injured.

The Pentalina was issued with a safety certificate following surveys on April 18 and returned to the Pentland Firth route last Wednesday, after the Alfred had been loaned to CalMac in a £9 million deal to serve the Clyde and Hebrides network. The £14m Alfred had replaced the Pentalina on the Gills Bay to St Margaret’s Hope route in 2019.

The Pentalina incident came less than a year after the Alfred ran aground on the uninhabited island of Swona in July 2022, with 84 passengers and 13 crew on board. The Alfred incident is still under investigation by MAIB.

Meanwhile, Orkney council leader James Stockan has said that assurances need to be given that ferry services are "safe and reliable".

Councillor Stockan met Scotland's transport minister Kevin Stewart on Sunday to ask what the Scottish Government will do to ensure there is enough capacity for passengers and freight across the firth while Pentland Ferries' services are cancelled.

"The response to the incident was phenomenal – showing once again how in tough times we pull together as a community to react quickly," Councillor Stockan said. "We are all relieved that this was not a more serious incident for those passengers.

"There are a number of questions that need to be answered, and that is a call coming not just from myself but from our wider community and many of the agencies and stakeholders involved in this. How can we be assured that ferry services across the firth are safe and reliable?

"At this point we really have no idea how long the Pentalina may be out of action – and I have asked for assurance from the transport minister that Orkney does not suffer as a result.

"Wider questions also need to be asked across the board around why we've ended up in the position of one of our ferries being taken away from our community to plug a gap elsewhere – while Orcadians and visitors to our community have been left with a vessel which, while it was certified as safe by the MCA, is clearly not without its issues.

"There is no doubt that something is far wrong with ferry provision across Scotland – whether that be on the west coast or in Orkney. The situation with taking the Alfred from here has effectively just moved a problem from one island area to another, and at the moment it is Orkney that is suffering."

RNLI crews from Longhope and Stromness were involved in the rescue operation on Saturday.

Speaking on Sunday, Pentland Ferries' managing director Helen Inkster said: “Our first priority was the safety of our passengers and we can confirm that all are safe and well. All were transferred from the vessel to the lifeboats and then taken to the Cromarty Hall in St Margaret’s Hope, before going home or to their accommodation.

“We are very grateful for the prompt action, support and assistance of HM Coastguard services, RNLI, police, ambulance and fire and rescue services. Our thanks also go to Cromarty Hall, Maynes Coaches, Robertsons, Leask Marine, Orkney Local Emergency Coordination Group and, of course, the crew of the Pentalina and our shoreside team whose response demonstrated the high level of preparation and training that was key in ensuring passengers remained calm and felt supported throughout.

“The vessel was moved from the beach to the linkspan at 6.30 this morning and is now undergoing a survey, from which we will know what if any damage has been sustained."

A message on the ferry operator's website says: "We regret that all sailings are cancelled until further notice. We are contacting all customers that are due to travel. Further updates will follow."

Orkney's Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur praised the emergency services but was concerned that Pentalina had so recently been passed fit to return to service on the route.

He said: "There are important questions for the MCA to answer, having so recently inspected and certified MV Pentalina fit for service. People in Orkney will expect answers to those questions as a matter of urgency, not least given the importance of this service to the Orkney community.

"Answers are required too from the Scottish Government, whose failure to procure new ferries in a timely fashion has left services both in the north and on the west coast extremely vulnerable. As a result islanders and island communities are left paying the price."

A list of "frequently asked questions" on Pentland Ferries' website, prepared before the weekend incident, includes a question about the Pentalina's reliability. It states: "The vessel has undergone a technical overhaul, including a full service of all four engines and generators. Should we experience any unforeseen technical issues, these will, as always, be dealt with as swiftly as possible, in order to keep the service running smoothly."

It was reported in September that passengers who were injured when the Alfred ran aground on Swona were planning to take legal action.

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