Lerwick Port Authority has signalled cautious optimism about a potential new ferry service connecting Shetland to Iceland, following recent discussions between Aberdeen and Icelandic officials. While the proposal remains in its early stages, the authority has indicated it would \u2018welcome the development of new links\u2019\u2014though only if they prove feasible.<\/p>\n
The interest stems from Aberdeen\u2019s exploration of a passenger and freight ferry route to Sey\u00f0isfj\u00f6r\u00f0ur on Iceland\u2019s east coast. The plan, still conceptual, could include a stop in Lerwick, though no firm commitments have been made. Lerwick Port Authority stressed that \u2018considerable further work\u2019 would be needed to assess commercial viability, logistics, and demand before any service could materialise.<\/p>\n
The port\u2019s chief executive, Bob Sanguinetti, previously expressed interest in such a connection, noting that a regular Aberdeen-Iceland route would be \u2018of interest\u2019 to the port. However, the authority\u2019s statement to The Shetland Times made clear that \u2018it is too early to draw any conclusions\u2019 about the proposal. Shetland\u2019s current ferry links\u2014operated by NorthLink Ferries to Aberdeen and Orkney\u2014have long been a lifeline for the islands, but the loss of the Norr\u00f6na route to Iceland in 2007 left a gap that some hope could be filled.<\/p>\n
The idea of reviving Icelandic connections has gained political traction. Highlands and Islands Green MSP Kristopher Leask has called for the new ferry to include Orkney as a stop, while M\u00fala\u00feing councillor Helgi Hlynur \u00c1sgr\u00edmsson and Mayor Dagmar \u00ddr Stef\u00e1nsd\u00f3ttir have discussed the plans with Aberdeen officials. An unnamed ferry operator has also reportedly shown interest, though the route\u2019s success would hinge on freight traffic\u2014passenger numbers alone are unlikely to sustain it.<\/p>\n
For Shetlanders, the prospect of a direct Icelandic link carries both nostalgia and practical appeal. The Norr\u00f6na\u2019s removal in 2007 was a blow, cutting off a route that had connected the islands to the Faroe Islands, Denmark, and Iceland since 1963. If the Aberdeen-Iceland service gains traction, Lerwick Port Authority\u2019s openness to \u2018exploring opportunities\u2019 suggests Shetland could yet play a role in reviving those ties\u2014provided the numbers add up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A ferry in icy waters\u2014could Shetland\u2019s ports revive lost Icelandic routes?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6117,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tringlobe.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tringlobe.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tringlobe.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tringlobe.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tringlobe.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6118"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tringlobe.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6118\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tringlobe.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tringlobe.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tringlobe.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tringlobe.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}