Orkney & Shetland Steamers

The replacement of P&O Scottish Ferries by Northlink as the ferry company serving Orkney and Shetland in October 2002 brings to an end an unbroken line of ownership that stretches back to the dawn of steam navigation and before. The North of Scotland, Orkney & Shetland Steam Navigation Company, known as the North Company, operated from 1875 for a century, until, as part of the P&O group, it was renamed P&O Ferries (Orkney & Shetland Services). P&O have served the northern isles since then.The ferry services are still an important part of the economy of Orkney and Shetland. Although aircraft have had an impact on passenger services over the past few decades, much of the freight and many passengers are still carried by ferries to and from Aberdeen or Scrabster. The inter-island services have also been important throughout the islands as a means of communication. Ships such as St Ola, St Rognvald, Earl of Zetland, Se Clair, Orcardia and St Sunniva have all served the islands well over the past hundred..or so years and ferry services to Orkney and Shetland look set to continue for a long time to come.Inside the pages of Orkney & Shetland Stcamers are over 200 images from the past two centuries of the ferries, the piers and the people they served. They are accompanied by an informative text and give an insight into the history of the companies that have served Orkney and Shetland over the past two hundred years as well as the ships that have plied the sometimes treacherous waters of the North Sea.

Author: Alistair Deayton
Publisher: Tempus
Extra Details: Pictorial Card Covers 7 x 10 inches tall,128 Pages,Lavishly illustrated with B&W photos and artworks throughout.