Issue 12 Northern Light s INSIDE Rattray Head Lighthouse PLUS Textiles in Shetland A Walk in Deerness Up Helly Aa in the past Operated by NorthLink Ferries on board magazine Issue 12 Contents Welcome As is the case every year, the latter has shipped significant volumes Pet-friendly cabins 04 of livestock off island in September and October via local sales at Orkney and Shetland Marts and mainland sales at Aberdeen & Staff Profile – Tanya Sim 05 Northern Marts based at Thainstone, Inverurie and we take great pride in our role in this process. The future is bright for 06 Shetland textiles Throughout we have regularly communicated with our key industry contacts to make sure the capacity we provide has been suitable A Walk in Deerness 08 to meet demand. My thanks go to Kris Bevan who with his freight team and all my colleagues both ship and shore deliver this vital Blow away the cobwebs at 10 logistics operation. Rattray Head Lighthouse Close contact is maintained with Orkney and Shetland Resilience Planning Groups, a vital and effective communications network of Why generations of 12 key public and private sector organisations, working together to families keep returning ensure we are all sighted on emergent issues, trends or concerns. to River Thurso Whilst Covid-19 is a challenge for us all, it is heartening to be part of a framework of individuals working to ensure the safety of others Up Helly Aa through 14 during these times. the years My Commercial Director, Jim Dow, remains in close liaison with Greyhope Bay – a new 16 VisitScotland and other marketing led organisations to ensure that attraction for Aberdeen when the sun does appear from behind the clouds that we are and remain ready to welcome visitors to the Northern Isles. I hope you, your family and friends are If you have not already downloaded the NHS Mackenzie’s Farm 18 safe and well as we continue to operate Scotland Protect Scotland app, can I ask you to stop As ever, you are very welcome onboard. My colleagues are on hand, Shop & Café what you are doing and do so now – your health and within the confines of Covid-19. 2020 albeit perhaps with just a degree more of physical distancing, and a that of your family, friends and work colleagues may face covering too, but still I trust with a NorthLink welcome. My thanks Clootie Dumpling recipe – 19 was an extremely difficult year for depend on you doing so. to them for all they do both ship and shore in delivering our essential in 30 minutes everyone and to those who have When I wrote my last introduction, we were still in and lifeline service. lost loved ones during this time, my lockdown and our passenger and car volumes had We look forward to having you back onboard with us. been severely curtailed. Indeed, by the time our June heartfelt thoughts, on behalf of myself 2020 figures were captured, passenger and car and my colleagues at NorthLink volumes were both down just under 95%. Ferries, are with you. It was encouraging to see our volumes return, and at the end of December we recorded passenger Captain John Strathearn and Connor McGarry, volumes down by 54% and car volumes down by our Marine Superintendent have led our Covid-19 39% compared with the same period last year. response, managing the very necessary risk However, the impact of Covid-19 in 2020 was assessments we have in place to ensure your safety significant, with passenger volumes down in the year and that of my colleagues in maintaining our lifeline by 65% and our car carryings down by 56%. NorthLink Ferries service. We will continue to work within the Scottish In contrast to the significant decline in passenger Stromness Ferry Terminal, Government’s guidelines for travel, particularly numbers, our freight volumes have held up Ferry Road, Stromness, to ensure that Coronavirus (Covid-19) Strategic Orkney, Scotland, KW16 3BH remarkably well. This highlights the important role our Framework objectives can be delivered as we now services play in the islands supply chain, transporting Email: [email protected] move through the five levels of intervention in the Web: www.northlinkferries.co.uk a range of goods vital to the economic wellbeing of latest guidance in our fight against the pandemic. our island communities. The types of goods shipped Stuart Garrett I ask for your support in complying with all advice Managing Director vary from the everyday items such as post and given both whilst onboard and whenever changes Serco NorthLink Ferries parcels, food and drink and medical supplies to large Front page photograph: VisitScotland / are made. Discover Fraserburgh / Damian Shields volumes for primary industry sectors like seafood and agriculture. 2 3 NorthLink Ferries on board magazine Issue 12 Staff Profile – Tanya Sim In each issue we feature an interview with one of our NorthLink colleagues to give our passengers a chance to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes. This edition features Tanya Sim, who joined NorthLink Ferries after graduating. Here, Tanya tells us more. Tell us a bit about yourself. I’m a born and bred Aberdonian with an outgoing personality. I’m also a non-identical twin! I’ve worked at NorthLink Ferries for nearly nine years and like to class myself as the office entertainer. How did you get into your career / current job? I studied travel and tourism at Aberdeen College and took on the role of Customer Service Assistant in NorthLink’s Aberdeen terminal after I graduated. Within two and a half years I was promoted to Customer Service Supervisor before applying for the What is it about your job that you enjoy role I’m currently in, Hotel Operations Co-Ordinator. the most? I’ve now been in this role for six years and can The main thing I enjoy about my job is the teams I honestly say I really enjoy my job. work with, both onboard and in the office. There are some great characters and I love hearing all their Pet-friendly cabins What do your day-to-day responsibilities stories. I also learn a lot from the people I work with include? as they have been in this industry a lot longer than My daily duties are extremely varied. My main me. Another aspect I really enjoy about my job is how responsibility is to actively assist in the smooth varied it can be. One day I will be adding fragrance Each NorthLink passenger ship now has pet-friendly cabins available. These running of the hotel departments onboard all five lines to the ships’ system for them to order and the retain the same high standards of comfort as other cabin types, but also have: of our vessels. I ensure the hotel departments have next day I can be sourcing toilet brushes for the • A vinyl floor instead of a carpet what is required to provide an excellent level of cabins onboard. customer service. • A dog bowl provided on request #petfriendlycabins When you’re not working, what do you like to do • A dog treat from ‘Wow Dog’ Additionally, I have strong working relationships with our suppliers, particularly those in the local areas in your spare time? Post a picture on social media Customers can walk their dogs on the outer deck and of Aberdeen, Caithness, Orkney and Shetland as In the past you would have found me dancing in any of your pet travelling with are advised to bring their own bedding for their pets. we currently source more than 90% of all our hotel spare time I could find – when I was 12, I had a full NorthLink Ferries! Use either of operations from organisations within 50 miles of scholarship to The Dance School of Scotland where I It is expected that pets will remain on cabin floors and that the following hashtags: any mess is cleaned up. As well as the cabin charge, there our operating ports. I’m proud to be a part of our studied for 4 years, and this allowed me to travel the is a £15 supplement for each pet staying within the cabin. #petfriendlycabins commitment to local businesses. globe doing what I love. Nowadays I like to spend #NorthLinkPets time at the gym, going for long walks with my two Pet-friendly cabins can be booked at dogs and getting together with family and friends. www.northlinkferries.co.uk #petfriendlycabins #NorthLinkPets 4 5 NorthLink Ferries on board magazine Issue 12 Shetland for animal welfare and health. With a flock of 700 ewes, Uradale farm covers 2,000 acres of naturally challenging land with grazing available right from the hill tops down to the shores. The sheep forage from the heather summits down the valley The future is bright sides right onto the seaweed at the tideline. Another favourite stop on my tours is a visit at Marion Anderson’s Breckenlea Pony Stud and Croft in Tresta. Marion has a wonderful flock of native Shetland for Shetland textiles sheep in many beautiful colour variations. There are By Misa Hay, author A decade ago few people imagined that knitting eleven main whole colours in Shetland sheep, with at Shetland Wool would go through such an incredible resurgence many shades and variations in between. And more and that Shetland would once again become an than 30 recognised markings have been identified. Adventures. important place in terms of textiles. For a long Shetland sheep are a small, very hardy breed and time the isles had been associated with distinctive they are able to stay on the hills all year round.