MV Hjaltland is a NorthLink Ferries vehicle and passenger ferry based in Aberdeen. She operates the daily service from mainland Scotland to Orkney and Shetland.

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MV Hjaltland in Aberdeen, 2015
History
United Kingdom
Name	MV Hjaltland
Namesake	Old Norse name for Shetland[1]
Owner	2002-2004: NorthLink Orkney & Shetland Ferries Limited 2004-2012: RBS - RBSSAF (20) Limited 2012-2018: previous owner renamed Northern Isles Ferries Limited from 2018-present Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited
Operator	NorthLink Ferries
Port of registry	Lerwick, United Kingdom
Route	Aberdeen to Lerwick via Kirkwall
Builder	Aker Finnyards in Rauma, Finland
Cost	£35 million
Yard number	NB438
Laid down	4 October 2001
Launched	8 March 2002
In service	1 October 2002[1]
Identification	IMO number: 9244958[2] MMSI number: 235450000[3] Callsign: VSTY8
Status	in service
General characteristics
Class and type	+100 A 1, Ro-Ro Cargo/Passenger Ferry + LMC, UMS, LI, NAV1[4]
Tonnage	11,720 GT; 1,831 t DWT
Displacement	7,434 tonnes
Length	125 m (410 ft)[1]
Beam	20 m (66 ft)
Draught	5.4 m (18 ft)
Decks	8
Installed power	4 x MAK 6M43 5400 kW each
Propulsion	2 CP propellers and 2 bow thrusters
Speed	24 kn (44 km/h)
Capacity	600 passengers (117 cabins); 140 cars (650m)[1]
Crew	33

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MV Hjaltland and her sister ship, MV Hrossey, were constructed in 2002 at Aker Finnyards in Finland.^[1]

MV Hjaltland carries passengers, cars, freight and livestock. There are a choice of restaurants, bars and lounges, children's play area and a cinema. The restaurants and lounges have a total seating capacity of 600. The original 100 cabins had a total of 300 beds.^[5] All cabins are en-suite, most being two berth, with a number of four-berth cabins for families.^[6] In April 2007, an additional accommodation module was fitted in Birkenhead, increasing her capacity to 356 berths.^[7] The ship is fitted with lifts and was built to accommodate disabled passengers throughout. There are 10 officer and 28 crew cabins.

Each pair of diesel engines drives a controllable-pitch propeller through a gearbox. There are two rudders, two 900 kW bow thrusters and two Mitsubishi stabilisers.^[1][4]

MV Hjaltland operates between Lerwick and Aberdeen, with a call at Kirkwall on some days. A walkway, built specifically for the current vessels, can take both foot and car passengers. She is also able to relieve on the Stromness to Scrabster crossing.

In August 2012, a man died after falling overboard into the North Sea about 20 miles (30 kilometres) north of Fraserburgh.^[8]

On 23 August 2013, MV Hjaltland was diverted from its normal route to assist with search and rescue efforts following the crash of a Super Puma helicopter 2 mi (3 km) off the Shetland coast close to Sumburgh.^[9] The ferry was later used to transport the bodies of three of the crash victims to Aberdeen.^[10]

On 9 September 2013, a passenger went missing from the ship during a sailing from Lerwick to Aberdeen. No body was recovered despite a major air and sea search.^[11][12]