Orkney Ferries

The company is owned by the Orkney Islands Council and was established in 1960 as the Orkney Islands Shipping Company. In 1991, the Orkney Islands Shipping Company acquired a private sector ferry company also called Orkney Ferries, which had been established to compete on the short sea crossing from the Scottish mainland to the Orkney Islands, but which had not succeeded in establishing the route. This company's ferry was assimilated into the inter-island fleet, and in 1995 the Orkney Islands Shipping Company adopted the name Orkney Ferries. Despite this acquisition and change of name, the current Orkney Ferries does not operate services to and from the Scottish mainland, leaving this to other operators such as NorthLink Ferries and Pentland Ferries, which is run by the same people who started the original Orkney Ferries. ==Services==

Orkney Ferries operate between the Orkney mainland and fourteen of the smaller islands. Services include: • The North Isles service, linking Kirkwall on Orkney Mainland to the northern isles of Eday, Sanday, Stronsay, Westray, Papay, and North Ronaldsay. • The Shapinsay service, linking Kirkwall on Orkney Mainland to the northern island of Shapinsay. • The Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre service, linking Tingwall on Orkney Mainland to the northern isles of Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre. • The South Isles service, linking Houton on the Orkney Mainland to the southern islands of Hoy, South Walls and Flotta. • The Graemsay and North Hoy service, linking Stromness on Orkney Mainland to the southern islands of Hoy and Graemsay. • The Westray to Papa Westray service, linking the islands of Westray and Papay. ==Current fleet==

Orkney Ferries operates a fleet of inter-island vessels, most of which were specially built for service in the islands. The fleet includes: was acquired by Orkney Ferries in April 2020 to replace . She was to operate on both the Westray to Papa Westray and Graemsay and North Hoy services but has been plagued by issues since arrival. The council then put out a tender for another new vessel in April 2024 due to the number of issues with Nordic Sea, this became the MV Charles Ann II. MV Toplander was acquired by Orkney Ferries in December 2025 as an additional relief vessel to assist the fleet. == Former fleet ==