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Northlink's Hjaltland dwarfed by  P&O Cruises' Oriana at Hatston Pier near Kirkwall on 5th July. The Oriana came away from Greenock early due to weather on the Sunday and arrived at Hatston about 1730 Monday night.

Photos on this page are by Willie Mackay, unless indicated otherwise.

The Clansman was expected to return to service at Oban on 31 July after crankshaft repairs, enabling normal timetables to be resumed on several routes shortly thereafter. As a result of the vessel being out of service, CalMac had introduced timetable changes on some of its services to Islay, Mull, Colonsay, Coll, Tiree, Barra and South Uist. These involved the Hebridean Isles (photographed here in Hoy Sound by Willie Mackay) moving to Oban, leaving the Isle of Arran to provide a single-ship service to Islay.

After annual refit in Fraserburgh the 2003-built Skerries vessel Filla returned to service on 20th July. The Polish-built vessel carries up to 30 passengers and 10 cars or two lorries and can also carry fresh water supplies to the Skerries in case of drought. The Fivla had been covering in her absence.

The new Islay ferry Finlaggan was launched on 30^th June at the Remontowa shipyard in Gdansk. She is expected to enter service in Spring 2011.  Photo courtesy of Caledonian Maritime Assets.

For further information on the launch, including a video clip, visit: http://www.cmassets.co.uk/MV_Finlaggan_launch.html

The 1982-built Gann now Stavanger-based and owned by Norsk Sjomanskole skipet (Norwegian Seaman's School ship) photographed at Aberdeen by Kevin Mackay. The ex-Hurtigruten vessel had previously made a trip to the Tyne on charter to repatriate passengers stranded by the volcanic ash crisis. She can carry 70 passengers.

The National Geographic Explorer seen at Kirkwall on 13th May. The former Hurtigruten mid range vessel Lyngen is now operated by Lindblad Expeditions of Seattle WA. She is a sister vessel to the Gann which recently brought stranded UK air passengers from Norway to the Tyne and Aberdeen. Both vessels were built in 1982.

The Eynhallow returned to the Rousay, Egilsay, & Wyre to Tingwall service on 7 May.

The Shapinsay has returned to the Kirkwall - Shapinsay route.

The Thorsvoe (photopgraphed at Lyness on 10 May) was reported back at Lyness on 8 May to commence running extra Houton - Lyness & Flotta services over peak summer schedule.

The SPT cross-Clyde passenger ferry service between Renfrew and Yoker was withdrawn at the end of March. A replacement service is being provided by Clydelink (a subsidiary of Silvers Marine (UK) Ltd) which operates a bow loading 12 seater passenger craft. The weekday service operates on demand between 06.30 and 09.30 and again between 16.00 and 19.00 with a 30 minute frequency during off-peak periods.