Pentland Firth

Built in 1904, Bee spent its first three decades transporting sheep, cattle and horses from Stroma over the treacherous two miles of the Pentland Firth.

NorthLink services across the Pentland Firth to Orkney were also at risk of disruption.

The MV Alfred ran aground in the Pentland Firth in Swona in July last year, with 97 people on board who were transferred to lifeboats.

The MV Alfred itself ran aground in the Pentland Firth in Swona in July last year, with 97 people on board who were transferred to lifeboats.

MV Alfred, an 85m-long catamaran, was built in Vietnam in 2019 at a cost of £17m as a replacement for an older vessel, MV Pentalina, which for many years had operated across the Pentland Firth.