Big blow til Monday
STEADY south easterly gales gusting up to storm force 10 are set to disrupt Shetland’s ferries until Monday, when forecasters predict the ferocious weather will finally ease.
Islanders on Skerries are expecting to be without a ferry until Monday, having already had sailings on Wednesday and Thursday cancelled due to the high winds.
On Thursday afternoon the Yell Sound service was reduced to a single vessel for safety reasons, Shetland Islands Council ferries manager Colin Manson confirmed.
The Whalsay service has been managing to operate to schedule using the Vidlin terminal.
Other services are currently running normally, though there is a question mark over the Papa Stour connection on Friday.
Serco NorthLink is delaying Thursday night’s southbound sailing of Hjaltland from Lerwick until midnight, though boarding is as normal for a 7pm departure, with an estimated arrival time in Aberdeen of 4pm.
The northbound sailing of Hrossey from Aberdeen is going ahead as scheduled, though it had been under review on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile flights in and out of Sumburgh airport appear to have avoided disruption, while oil flights from Scatsta have managed to operate with difficulty with help from Sumburgh.
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