Last updated: 4 November 2026

The Shetland ferry is NorthLink’s overnight sailing from Aberdeen to Lerwick, running every night of the year and calling at Kirkwall in Orkney four nights a week. You board in the early evening and wake up in Shetland at 07:30. For Orkney alone, shorter crossings over the Pentland Firth from Caithness take 70 to 90 minutes.

NorthLink routes and ships in 2026

Serco NorthLink Ferries runs the Northern Isles lifeline contract for the Scottish Government. It operates four passenger routes: Aberdeen–Lerwick, Aberdeen–Kirkwall, Kirkwall–Lerwick and Scrabster–Stromness.

The two overnight ships, MV Hjaltland y MV Hrossey, were built in Finland and entered service in 2002. They are 125 metres long. MV Hamnavoe (2003) covers the Pentland Firth route from Scrabster. Her course passes the Old Man of Hoy sea stack on the way into Stromness.

2026 timetable from Aberdeen

Northbound ships leave Aberdeen at 17:00 on nights that call at Kirkwall and at 19:00 on direct nights. Every sailing reaches Lerwick at 07:30. Southbound, ships reach Aberdeen at 07:00.

Some winter sailings change between 2 January and 31 March and from 1 November to 30 December. A dry-dock timetable also applies in early 2027. Always check the current timetable.

Watch: the overnight ferry to Shetland

Fares, cabins and pods

NorthLink prices by season. Low season runs 7 January to 23 March and 1 November to 17 December. Peak runs 15 June to 31 August. The table shows 2026 visitor fares (low / mid / high).

Cabin prices are per cabin, not per person, on top of the passenger fare. A reclining sleeping pod costs £18. NorthLink has also added 18 electric lie-flat seats in Pod Lounge 2 on Hjaltland and Hrossey, at £30 per person. Inner 4-berth cabins suit families. All fares are indicative and change; book cabins early for summer and festival dates.

Freight ships Hildasay and Helliar

NorthLink also runs two freight ro-ro ships, MV Hildasay y MV Helliar, built in Spain and in service since 2010 and 2011. Each has 12 passenger places. These are working cargo ships, not the normal visitor service. They have stood in on the Scrabster–Stromness route when Hamnavoe was out of service. If you want a true freighter experience, ask NorthLink directly whether a berth is available. Do not count on it for a holiday.

Orkney via the Pentland Firth

If Orkney is your only goal, the short crossings from Caithness save a night at sea.

• Scrabster–Stromness (NorthLink, Hamnavoe): 90 minutes, two or three sailings each way a day. Scrabster is near Thurso, which has a rail station.
• Gills Bay–St Margaret’s Hope (Pentland Ferries): about 1 hour 10 minutes, around three sailings a day. It is often the cheapest way to take a car. Online agents quote car fares from about £100 one way.
• John O’Groats–Burwick: this seasonal foot-passenger ferry has stopped. 2023 was its last summer, and the boat was sold in 2025. Older guides still list it.

Getting to Aberdeen by train

LNER runs about three direct trains a day on weekdays from London King’s Cross to Aberdeen. The 396-mile trip averages around 7 hours 10 minutes. The ferry terminal is in the harbour, a short walk from Aberdeen station. A morning train from London makes the evening sailing, giving you a rail-and-sea journey to Shetland with no flight.

Watch: a NorthLink round trip to Lerwick

Best time to go

Consejos

1. Book a cabin as early as you can. They sell out first, especially around Up Helly Aa and in July.
2. Choose a Kirkwall-calling night for a late-evening stop in Orkney on the way north.
3. Split the trip: Aberdeen to Lerwick, then Lerwick to Kirkwall, and home via Stromness and Scrabster.
4. Bring seasickness remedies in winter. The North Sea and Pentland Firth can be rough.
5. If a sailing is cancelled for weather, NorthLink usually rebooks you on the next one. Leave slack in your plans.
6. Check the festive and dry-dock timetables before booking December to March travel.

Preguntas frecuentes

Sources: NorthLink Ferries 2026 timetables and visitor fares; NorthLink route and onboard pages; Pentland Ferries route data via aferry; John O’Groat Journal (2023 and 2025); LNER route page; Up Helly Aa details. Checked November 2026.