Notice posted for new £5.4m Fair Isle ferry 

The Good Shepherd IV is almost 40 years old.

Tenders are being sought for the £5.4 million replacement Fair Isle ferry.

The SIC has posted a contract notice this week seeking interested parties to provide a replacement for the Good Shepherd IV,  which is almost 40 years old.

The new vessel will be a monohulled workboat with 12 passenger capability.

It follows significant work paving the way for improvements to Grutness and Fair Isle piers and has been made possible thanks to UK government levelling up funding.

The SIC was awarded £27m for the project in January – and has been working to a tight schedule to get the project completed ahead of the deadline.

Political leader Emma Macdonald said: “The publication of the contract notice for the vessel tender is an important step forward for the project to replace the Fair Isle ferry.

“In recent months, the project team have been working on many aspects of the project, including design details, planning applications and environmental impact assessments. 

“There’s a tight timescale ahead but this project remains on schedule, so councillors can consider the final business case by the end of this calendar year.”

The new vessel would be delivered by 31st October 2025.