Hjaltland
Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia
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The Hjaltland, a drive through ro-ro vessel, was built by Aker Finnyards of Rauma, Finland, and came into service on the lifeline, Shetland - Aberdeen, service in 2002.
At 125 Metre long and 12,000grt, she is capable of a top speed of 24 knots, and can carry 600 passengers.
The name Hjaltland is the Old Norse name for Shetland, and was chosen, with that of her sister ship Hrossey, by a competition among school children in Orkney and Shetland.
When launched she had 100 passenger cabins, 50 four berth, and 50 two berth, but during her refit in 2007, an additional 16 cabin module with 36 berths was added near the stern, on what was the observation deck. This addition was prompted by complaints about lack of berths during the peak tourist season.
In early 2007, in conjunction with the Met Office, an Automatic Weather Station was installed on the Hjaltland to provide data on sea-level air pressure and temperature on her crossing. This information is valuable to the Met Office in providing data from an area not previously monitored, and thus helps in preparation of forecast models.
