Transport / Extra Bluemull runs welcomed but more needed to ‘fully meet islanders’ needs’

5 September 2025 15:30

The Bigga and the Geira. Photo: SIC

EXTRA sailings are being added to the ferry service for Unst and Fetlar to add more capacity to the Bluemull Sound service.

From Tuesday to Saturday, there will be additional sailings at lunchtimes.

These are a 12.15pm run from Hamarsness to Gutcher, a 1.45pm sailing from Gutcher to Belmont and the 1.55pm run from Belmont to Gutcher.

On Saturdays there will be two vessels operating on Bluemull Sound between Unst, Yell and Fetlar.

Previously only one ferry ran on Bluemull Sound at the weekends.

North Isles councillor Robert Thomson. Photo: Shetland News

The changes came into force on Wednesday – the same day extra sailings on the Bressay route were also introduced.

North Isles councillor Robert Thomson said he welcomed the increased runs on Bluemull Sound, adding that they are the result of switching the crewing of the Geira to a shift system.

“While this will help increase capacity on the route it will not in itself be sufficient to fully meet islanders’ needs,” he added.

“But [it’s] still an important step to improving the service.”

Thomson said he hopes developments, including a new booking system and plans to add further ferry to the council’s fleet, will further help to make the Bluemull service more robust.

However, he added: “The best ‘upgrade’ in the medium to longer term would of course be the construction of a subsea tunnel.”

It comes after a requirement was imposed last year by the MCA for all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes to be lashed down on deck on sailings between Yell and Unst, which affected loading times.

Possible tunnels to Yell and Unst have been taken forward by the council for further consideration in a business case process on Shetland’s future inter-island transport network.

Meanwhile it was recently confirmed that seismic studies, commissioned by the Yell and Unst tunnel action groups, are planned on possible fixed link routes to the two islands.

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