Bids for the construction of two 140-metre, short-sea freight ferries have been invited by Scotland’s national transport agency from a shortlist of four shipyards. Tenders will have to be submitted to Transport Scotland by the start of December this year, with a view to a contract being awarded in February 2026.

The planned newbuilds will serve the overnight connections between Aberdeen, Kirkwall and Lerwick, one of the most storm-prone, roughest ferry crossings in the British Isles, providing a lifeline between the Northern Isles and Scottish mainland.