North of Scotland, Orkney and Shetland Shipping Co. (1875-1975)
P&O Ferries (Orkney & Shetland Services) (1975-89)
P&O Scottish Ferries (1989-2002)
 
 
Page Two - Ro-Ro Car Ferries From 1974
 
 
This is the second of two pages devoted to postcards and photographs of the North of Scotland, Orkney and Shetland Shipping Company (the "North Co"), plus their successors P&O Scottish Ferries. Page 1 shows the earlier passenger and cargo ships of the company. This page shows the ro-ro car and vehicle ships of the fleet. An alphabetical list of ships shown on this page is shown below. The Table beneath gives links to complete postcard history pages on selected individual ships. Below the table are official postcards of the fleet in chronological order.
 
 
Ships on This Page:-
ROF Beaver - 1975-1987
St Clair (4) - 1977-1992
St Clair (5) - 1992-2002
St Magnus (6) - 1978-1989
St Ola (3) - 1974-1992
St Ola (4) - 1992-2002
St Rognvald (4) - 1989-2002
St Sunniva (3) - 1987-2002
 
Ships on Page One:-
Earl of Zetland (2) - 1939-1975
Highlander - 1939-1940
St Catherine - 1940
St Clair (2) - 1937-1960
St Clair (3) - 1960-1977
St Clement (2) - 1946-1976
St Magnus (3) - 1924-1960
St Magnus (4) - 1960-1967
St Nicholas - 1871-1914
St Ninian (1) - 1895-1948
St Ninian (2) - 1950-1971
St Ola (1) - 1892-1951
St Ola (2) - 1951-1974
St Rognvald (2) - 1903-1951
St Rognvald (3) - 1955-
St Sunniva (1) - 1887-1930
St Sunniva (2) - 1931-1943
 
Associated Pages:-
North Co - Page 1 - Passenger and cargo ships before 1966
Coast Lines
Normandy Ferries
North Sea Ferries
P&O Ferries
P&O Stena Line
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
 
 
 
Table of Ship Histories

Name

Other names

 Built
 St Clair (4)  Peter Pan, SF Panther

 1965
 St Clair (5)  Travemünde, Njegos, Tregastel, Barakat

 1971
 St Ola (4)  Svea Scarlett, Eckerö

 1971
 St Sunniva (3)  Djursland, Lasse II, nf Panther, Faye

 1972
 
 
 
 
 
North Company Fleet List
 
Part Two - The Car Ferries
 
This fleet postcard showing St Ola (3), St Clair (4), St Magnus (6) and St Sunniva (3) was issued for the 150th Anniversary of P&O in 1987.
 
 
 
 
 
St Ola (3) (1974-92)
Scrabster to Stromness (Orkney) service.
 
J.Arthur Dixon postcard PDS/22589 of St Ola with original yellow North Company funnels.
 
Photographs by Ian Boyle of St Ola, with yellow funnels, at Stromness in 1975.
 
 
 
 
Colourmaster postcard PLX37555 of St Ola at Scrabster with P&O blue funnels.
An enlarged image of the ship is also shown.
 
Colourmaster postcard PLX37555 of St Ola at Scrabster with P&O blue funnels.
A later version of the card above with added border.
 
Charles Tait (official) postcard of St Ola in full P&O blue colours.
 
Whiteholme postcard 3085 of St Ola leaving Stromness.
 
J.Arthur Dixon postcard PSC01248 of St Ola at Scrabster.
A later version of the card above with added border.
 
Whiteholme postcard 7412 of St Ola passing Scrabster lighthouse.
 
J.Arthur Dixon postcard POS26070 of St Ola.
 
Photographs of St Ola by Mike Tedstone.
 
Charles Tait (official) postcard of St Ola in later P&O dark blue colours, following addition of stability sponsons.
 
 
 
 
 
ROF Beaver (1975-87)
 
Photograph of L.Taurus (ex-ROF Beaver)at Poole by Ian Boyle.
 
 
 
 
 
St Clair (4) (1977-92)
Aberdeen to Lerwick (Shetland) services.
 
Peter Pan was built for Travemünde-Trelleborg Linie in 1965 by Lübecker Flender-Werke. Peter Pan served on the Travemünde-Trelleborg route until 1973 when she was sold to Southern Ferries (part of the P&O Group). Peter Pan was renamed SF Panther and used on a route from Southampton to San Sebastian (Spain). The route was not a great success, and SF Panther was withdrawn in November 1975, soon going on charter to Oslo-Aarhus Linie (Da-No Linje) as the Terje Vigen. In 1977, ownership was transferred to sister P&O company North of Scotland, Orkney & Shetland Shipping Co, for service between Aberdeen and Lerwick (Shetland) as the fourth St Clair. Ownership was transferred to P&O Scottish Ferries in 1978. St Clair continued as the primary Aberdeen-Shetland ferry until 1992, when she was briefly renamed St Clair II to release the name for the fifth St Clair. A complete history of this ship, including additional P&O cards and photos, is available on this link.
 
Official P&O postcard of St Clair (4).
 
Dennis Postcard A.0467 of St Clair (4), with original black hull.
 
Oversized official P&O art postcard of St Clair (4).
 
Scotland in View postcard of St Clair with blue hull.
Photo: John Sowrey.
 
Scotland in View postcard of St Clair, (plus enlarged view of the ship).
Photo: John Sowrey.
 
Thought Factory postcard of St Clair, passing Broch of Mousa.
 
Whiteholme postcard 7107X of St Clair leaving Lerwick.
 
Scotland in View postcard of St Clair with final dark blue hull.
Photo: John Sowrey.
 
 
 
 
 
St Magnus (6)
(P&O Scottish Ferries: 1978-89)
 
Paper Sky postcard ABN025 of St Magnus arriving at Aberdeen.
 
Whiteholme postcard 7458 of St Magnus at Scrabster.
 
Two photographs of St Magnus by Mike Tedstone.
 
 
 
 
 
 
St Sunniva (3)
(P&O Scottish Ferries: 1987-2002)
 
Aberdeen to Lerwick (Shetland) via Kirkwall (Orkney) services.
 
St Sunniva was built as the Djursland (II) in 1972 for Jydsk Færgefart, along with sistership Kattegat (II), for use on their Grenå-Hundested route. In 1974 Djursland (II) was transferred to the Juelsminde-Kalundborg Line as Lasse II. Lasse II was sold to Normandy Ferries for Dover-Boulogne services in 1979, becoming their nf Panther. In 1985 P&O Ferries' Channel operations (ie Normandy Ferries) were sold to the European Ferries group. The nf Tiger and nf Panther were then absorbed into the Townsend Thoresen fleet and painted in their livery. When retired in June 1986, they were both laid up in Chatham. nf Panther was then sold back to P&O Scottish Ferries in 1987 as the St Sunniva. She continued in service with them until 2002, when the Shetland and Orkney services were taken over by Northlink. A complete postcard history of this ship, with additional P&O photos, is available on this link.
 
Scotland in View postcard of St Sunniva.
Photo: John Sowrey.
 
Scotland in View postcard of St Sunniva.
Photo: John Sowrey.
 
Charles Tait postcard of St Sunniva.
 
Scotland in View postcard of St Sunniva.
Photo: John Sowrey.
 
Charles Tait postcard N166 of St Sunniva.
 
 
 
 
 
St Rognvald (4)
(P&O Scottish Ferries: 1989-2002)
 
St Rognvald (4) was built as the Rhonetal for Rhienecke of Hamburg. Between December 1970 and May 1974 she served as the Norcape with North Sea Ferries under charter between Hull and Zeebrugge/Rotterdam. She reverted to the name Rhonetal at the end of the charter. In May 1975 Rhonetal was sold to Co. Meridionale de Navagition (CMN) of Marseille, as the Rhone for service between Marseille and Bastia. In 1977, Rhone was sold to Societe Slibail, also of Marseille. In 1987, Rhone was sold to Compagnia Navigazione del Tirreno Conatir SpA as the Marina Torre. She was chartered by P&O Scottish Ferries in 1989 for Aberdeen-Lerwick services, and was purchased the following year. She was renamed St Rognvald (4). In 2002 she was chartered to Norse Island Ferries, for Aberdeen-Kirkwall services.
 
 
M.N.W.Edwards postcard Br.f3 of St Rognvald (4) arriving at Stromness in 1991.
 
 
 
 
 
St Clair (5) (1992-2002)
 
Aberdeen to Lerwick (Shetland) services.
 
The fifth St Clair was built as the Travemünde in 1971 by Schiffbau-Gesellschaft Unterweser AG, Bremerhaven for Moltzau Line A/S, Gedser, Denmark, for use on their Gedser-Travemünde route. In 1973, 34% was sold to Rederi Ab Nordö, Malmö, and the operating company became known as Gedser-Travemünde Ruten A/S.
 
In 1980 Travemünde was sold to Prekookanska Plovidba of Yugoslavia, and renamed Njegos. She was chartered back for six months for continued use on the Gedser-Travemünde route, transferring to Italy-Yugoslavia route Bari-Bar in July 1981. In 1984 Njegos was chartered to Brittany Ferries for use between Portsmouth-St Malo, followed by a short charter to Sally Line UK for use between Ramsgate-Dunkerque. She returned to Brittany Ferries in 1985, receiving the name Tregastel, and was purchased soon afterwards. In 1991 Tregastel was transferred to Truckline Ferries for use between Poole-Cherbourg, but also operated as reserve Brittany Ferries ship on Portsmouth-Caen.
 
In 1991, Tregastel was sold to P&O Scottish Ferries as the fifth St Clair for service between Aberdeen-Lerwick (Shetland). She entered service in 1992 after rebuilding with extra cabins in Bremerhaven. She also operated weekend services between Lerwick-Bergen for a short period. In 2002, the Shetland and Orkney services passed to Northlink, and St Clair was to Audi Arabian interests as the Barakat. A complete postcard history of this ship is available on this link.
 
 
P&O company official postcard of St Clair (5).
 
Charles Tait postcard S054 of St Clair (5).
 
Scotland in View postcard of St Clair (5).
Photo: John Sowrey.
 
Shetland Times postcard of St Clair and St Sunniva.
Photo: Kim Benson.
 
 
 
 
 
St Ola (4) (1992-2002)
 
Scrabster to Stromness (Orkney) service.
 
St Ola was built as the Svea Scarlett in 1971 by Meyer Werft, Papenburg-Ems, for the Skandinavisk Linietrafik Landskrona-Tuborg Havn service. In 1980 Svea Scarlett was sold to partners A/S D/S Öresund, Denmark, for a Malmö-Tuborg Havn route, but was sold in 1982 to Rederi Ab Eckerö, Eckerö, Finland, as the Eckerö. She was rebuilt with additional accommodation before entering service on the Eckerö-Grisslehamn route in 1982. In 1991 Eckerö was sold to P&O Scottish Ferries, and entered service the following year as the St Ola between Stromness-Scrabster. Following the transfer of the Orkney and Shetland services to Northlink in 2002, St Ola was sold for service between Virtsu-Kuivastu in Estonia. A complete postcard history of this ship, including additional P&O cards, is available on this link.
 
 
P&O Scottish Ferries official postcard of St Ola.
 
Charles Tait postcard N171 of St Ola.
 
 
Charles Tait postcard of St Ola and St Sunniva at Stromness.
 
Enlarged image of the ships on the Charles Tait postcard above.
 
 
 
 
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