12 hours on an overnight ferry in the North Sea

In this video, I take an overnight ferry from Aberdeen to Shetland and review the experience.
I quite enjoyed the Scotland to Shetland boat, although it was a bit bumpy! But if you're wondering how to get to Lerwick, it's the cheapest option (flights to Shetland are expensive).
I was spending one week in Shetland for Up Helly Aa - videos to come!
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[@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

I wouldn't catch that boat for a million pounds.....I get seasick on a canal boat.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

haha yeah maybe not for you if that's the case!

[@independentpuppy7520]

It's nice. I'm used to the sea though. Live by it, and been on crossings before. Dorset to Channel Islands.

[@johnmurdock2630]

Really enjoyed your video. You speak really clearly and are very easy to listen to. I’ve now subscribed and look forward to watching more of your videos.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

thankyou so much! I post lots of overland travel content from around the world, will be doing some more UK ferries this year hopefully too :D

[@Peteski-0]

I did this trip in 2003, regrettably we had a gale force 9 on way back to Aberdeen. Will never forget that night!!

[@gunlokman]

Great video - highly watchable. Glad you made it across in one piece!

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kristianhaugland1886]

Love Shetland😊. Seasick what is that? Love from Norway 😊

[@ClairesFootsteps]

such a lovely place 😍

[@groveavenue]

I have taken the Aberdeen-Lerwick ferry four times before and found sleeping on such a long trip difficult. I am due to go there again next month and will book a cabin to see if that makes a difference :)

[@nickbeloff7307]

Excellent - thoroughly enjoyed this. Have done this crossing a few times, but in the middle of summer so completely calm. I remember wandering outside at midnight in complete daylight! You have a new subscriber!

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Thanks for the lovely comment! It would be a different experience in the summer for sure :)

[@kevanhubbard9673]

I've been on that ferry.It has 2 variants 1/Aberdeen Lerwick direct,2/Aberdeen Kirkwall Lerwick.A bit slower via Kirkwall in the Orkneys.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Yes I believe goes to Kirkwall two or three times a week? We wanted to visit Orkney as well but didn't have the time on this trip!

[@joetoy8999]

Hi, Sea journey rules… Drink 300 to 500 cc, of good quality Ginger Beer about 2 hours before boarding, and you should be fine.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Thanks for sharing! I had some ginger ale on the ship, does that count?

[@PlaneandTrainWindowSeat]

Great video. During my last ferry crossing from Oslo to Copenhagen the sea was really rough it was something I wasn’t prepared for. The result was disastrous but somehow I have maneged to survive. I will never forget this trip.😭

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Ooh I'm hoping to do Stockholm to Helsinki this year! Hopefully that will be a little calmer as it's more protected?

[@stuarthepburn6508]

It's Shetland not Shet Land

[@ClairesFootsteps]

I only said that once 😂 sometimes when you're filming it's easy to pronounce things slightly wrong

[@ryan1mcq]

Yeah you dont want to be forward on a ship in bad weather. When i joined the navy in 2000 (no longer serving) my first ship was HMS Guernsey and my mess (accomodation) was right at the front of the ship and my bed was positioned so that my head pointed foward and feet towards the stern, absolutely horrendous in rough weather even with rough weather straps to strap you in lol

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Thanks for the insight - that must have been rough! Definitely regretted our cabin placing at one point!

[@notyetcolonised608]

I love your video I am living in shetland rn and you were very accurate with your facts and you spoke really clearly

[@scootsiepie]

It's always so rough on the Northlink, It sucks its one of the only ways to get off the island. Good I get free ferry vouchers since i'm an islander lol

[@richardoliver6131]

1990 I first did it very ill on stclaire the boat was then

[@jeremyhaines4481]

This is very interesting and informative

[@jamesfoley4832]

I remember as child going to Ireland 2 or 3 times a year on the SeaLink ferry. I could never understand how anyone could eat whilst on a ferry. Just the smell of the food set me off. 😂😂😂😂😂 Great video. 👍👍👍👍

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Haha I tried to eat before I started feeling nauseous both ways 🤣

[@damienlovestheoutdoorsandr6110]

Such a fantastic upload. You are really sweet and always smiling. You have just got yourself another subscriber.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

thankyou for your support! :)

[@nukasnook1561]

I'm in NZ with some Shetland Island ancestors apparently, even without that, it's always intrigued me. Thank you for your video. I learned a lot. A little trivia I learned recently is that there are three Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Finland, and Denmark) and five Nordic Countries (Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark), never realized the difference before. Most interesting.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Yes Finland and Iceland aren't Scandinavian :) Estonia considers itself Nordic as well although some people debate that! Glad you enjoyed, have you seen my vlog from Shetland as well?

[@redouanepeche]

good evening my friend. Welcome. Thanks, for participating. Nice to meet you

[@ClairesFootsteps]

:)

[@Islandicus]

Although Shetland wishes to retain its Nordic connection, Shetlandic is basically a Scots dialect. Shetlandic Norn died out in the mid nineteenth century but also by that time it was heavily corrupted and even if spoken today, it would be practically incomprehensible to any other Nordic speaker. The Faroe Islands fared better and the language is still intelligible for Icelanders although with some effort. I think there have been some moves to promote Norwegian on Shetland to regain the Nordic connection.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

thanks for your insight! I did actually post a more detailed video about Shetland later. There are definitely lots of Nordic elements but I didn't hear enough of the language!

[@Islandicus]

@ClairesFootsteps Having studied Icelandic, I noticed that a lot of vocabulary is derived from Norse in Scottish dialects. You can see its influence too in the Gaelic languages. There is a movement on Shetland to promote Nynorn but personally I think it would be a better idea to promote Nynorsk since it a modern living language spoken widely in Norway which is the original land where Shetland Vikings came from.

[@markwilkie3677]

@@Islandicus There are a whole swathe of `Scots` words that are Scandinavian.

[@wlskyrme2193]

I once got an overnight ferry from a southern English port (cant remember which one) to Denmark and I NEVER got on a ferry again I was so ill. 11 HOURS OF HELL!

[@MarcLudford]

Sounds bad 😢

[@Silentauditor974]

Stugeron…. Brilliant meds for sea sickness and I slept like a log 👍

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Yes that's what I used, they worked well!

[@NealePinkney-td2cn]

Nicely presented dear ,am sure you take happiness to wherever you may travel 😊

[@21shubunkin]

Really interesting loved this video never knew where Shetland was first time I’ve seen any of your videos and I have subscribed happy travels safe travels all of you and enjoy Shetland

[@ClairesFootsteps]

I'm glad you enjoyed it and good to have you following! Lots of ferry videos to come 😄

[@ignatiusrodrigues588]

Hi Claire how are you you have best videos do you have any membership options or way i can support you

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Thankyou! I have a Kofi account here :) ko-fi.com/clairesfootsteps

[@pontecarlo4354]

Personally I wouldn’t have a cabin on a ship without a window. You are asking for sea sickness if you can’t see the horizon.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

It was dark for pretty much the whole time we were on board!

[@fionainnes-smith2706]

Never in a million years would I get on that ferry! A crossing of the English Channel in December was enough for me🤣

[@ClairesFootsteps]

haha :)

[@bertiewooster3326]

Yep the trip can be a right hood honker!

[@MrYashka12]

I get sea sick in a deep bath

[@prof.hectorholbrook4692]

My father was once "sea-sick" in London's Charing Cross Dock on the Thames during a heavy swell!

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Oh wow haha!

[@tonys1636]

I loved rough North Sea crossings to the Hook or Hamburg as the restaurants were often very quiet, Hamburg in very rough weather could often be close to 36 hours. The boss preferred to use ferries to Northern Europe as it kept the mileage down on the trucks and border crossings with all the extra paperwork in each country's language. Sailings to Spain in summer were mini cruises and I Was getting paid for it. All long before the Chunnel and EEC/EU.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

do they still do the ferries to Hamburg? That would be a really fun trip! I always see it as a mini cruise haha

[@tonys1636]

@@ClairesFootsteps Not sure, I've been out of the transport industry since '97 and not a UK resident since then, in IE now. A mini cruise in summer but can be an ordeal in winter and rough weather unless a good sailor, even Nelson suffered for the first few days at sea. A cabin low down and in the centre of the ship has less movement but engine and machinery noise can be a problem for some. I loved rough crossings as bars and restaurants were almost empty.

[@30verity]

I’m seasick watching the video!

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Haha!

[@COMEINTOMYWORLD]

Great video. Loved it! xx

[@htmc2022]

Take Gravol ginger capsules & ginger tea or good ginger ale to settle your stomach. I wouldn’t eat any strong coloured food - just plain white or beige food because that is what is coming up later on! Boat breaks the waves with it’s bow, eh? ❤ I would love to go to the Shetland Isles because I love the brilliant crime drama filmed there.

[@bertiewooster3326]

Far better to have a great honk to clear the stomach of all that crap food stuck in the corners and in the bends of your body.

[@lincolncityful1]

Great watch thanks and that’s a journey I must do..

[@ClairesFootsteps]

You should - I really enjoyed it! Thankyou :)

[@Onthemove6801]

I was obviously very fortunate; I travelled Aberdeen to Lerwick three weeks ago and the reverse crossing a week later and the sea was like glass both ways. I found everything about NorthLink (not North Star!) to be excellent. Maybe foot passengers who book a cabin do not get a voucher for entry to the Magnus Lounge; certainly when boarding with a car you do. The Magnus Lounge gives waiter service and one free drink.

[@colinhowarth3070]

Nice video

[@alanthomson1227]

Done that once , boat had to wait for two hours just outside Lerwick harbour due to rough seas .

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Oh really! Yeah it can be super choppy!

[@alanthomson1227]

@@ClairesFootsteps great fun . Had to stay in bar . Nightmare ?

[@MarcLudford]

I went on the irish sea and my friend kept walking around the ship he said he felt better walking around weirdo

[@Dammamhmg]

Hello, good cheerful video. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@bobgoodall1603]

I did that many years ago, in the harbour you could shaved with the reflection from the sea, it was that calm, got on board still tied up and one of my companions felt sea sick, different strokes for different folks.My first crossing Harwich to Hamburg i took advice from everyone in the shared cabin, went the restaurant had sauerkraut mash and Würstchen in splendid isolation. Went back to the cabin where six others were either speaking to the divine, or to the toilet.

[@Xantec]

i used the Hrossey in 2018 and 2019, the northsea was calmer than a bathtub

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Really! What month was it?

[@Xantec]

@@ClairesFootsteps July :-) 2019

[@ClairesFootsteps]

@@Xantec ah yeah I think it can be much rougher in winter! This was February :)

[@davidtresarden9069]

12:12 ​@@ClairesFootsteps

[@BeersFrontiers]

Taking this journey in August, have booked the cabin. Thanks for the tour and info.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

nice, enjoy! Hopefully be smooth in August!

[@martinbvanecek]

thats were you would find me at the fifa game lol

[@margheritapaglia9753]

Great video - thanks ♥️♥️♥️🇦🇺

[@chriscoughlan5221]

Thats nothing compared to that wee 2 hour crossing btween thurso( scrabster) and stromness- Orkney!!

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Haha I will have to do that in the future!

[@reciprocating]

Did you see Jimmy Perez..😅

[@andywright3450]

Hi cracking video this cu on next one x

[@lyallbaybum69]

Try the Hjaltland/Hrossey in Winter when you are sliding about on your bunk, the vessel shudders and you can't walk to the cafe for breakfast!

[@ClairesFootsteps]

haha this was winter! but sounds like it could have been worse!

[@baysideharpy8350]

If you go to sea thinking, worrying, wondering, focusing on getting seasick, guess what’s going to happen.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

OR you could just be taking reasonable precautions as someone who's suffered with seasickness badly in the past...

[@Gazr965]

11 15 til 12 40 Was it the travel sickness pills that caused the more noticeable 'Vocal fry' ?

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Haha think that's just what I sound like when I wake up 🤣

[@tonyp011]

Hi Claire it's not floor onboard a ship as it's called a DECK and CABIN not room

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Yes I know, sometimes when you're talking to the camera it's easy to say the wrong thing accidentally :)

[@GGK1986]

Done the same journey but the opposite way,if that makes sense ha in December 2015 late on a Sunday night. Basically everyone was too pissed to get sea sick it was like an 18-30s cruise with all the lads on who were working on the glass plant

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Hahaha or were people sick but didn't know the reason? 🤣 sounds funny!

[@kennyRumbles]

I’ve done this journey. Guitarist sick as a dog , me and the whoever straight to he bar !

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Haha I couldn't face a drink!

[@jennyhicks1930]

The pods aren’t really pods, they’re just slightly bigger slightly more comfy reclining seats, not worth the extra £18 if like me you can’t sleep without stretching your legs out !

[@ClairesFootsteps]

yeah Steve Marsh's video certainly made them seem that way!

[@oliverphin8622]

Dont be so naive about Nordic, when they have oil they want independence, when they are struggling they all want the dole

[@independentpuppy7520]

I like the sea rough, and big waves. I would be hanging over the edge near the waves :) I don't get sea sick. Should be in the navy.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

haha yeah you should!

[@markjonno91]

Fantastic video! Much love from Northern Ireland ❤

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thankyou :)

[@kirsteneasdale5707]

I have taken the same journey one October during rough weather. I made sure I had something in my stomach by eating on board the ferry about 45 minutes before departure and then took my first dose of Stugeron (the sea sickness pill of choice for my late father who was a keen yachtsman). I chose the Macaroni Cheese with chips and plenty of water (in the worst case scenario that ‘what goes down may have to come up again’) After dinner, I walked around between the bar and the aft deck from where you can see the horizon in the moonlight and / or the sea by the lights on the ship or by the light of the midsummer sun. It was rolling and bumpy but it was bracing and actually quite fun trying to walk across the deck which one minute felt like I was walking uphill at an angle and the next, I was running downhill. By the time I felt tired, it was beginning to be too difficult to navigate the deck (and stairs) anyway so I headed for bed. Fortunately I had been given an outside (window) cabin amidships. Amidships is the most comfortable part of the ship where you will feel the least motion so book one if you can. I did feel the odd bump and shudder during the night as it pitched and rolled. When the alarm on my phone went off for me to take another dose of Stugeron, I got out of bed, had a look out of the window but all I could see were the waves closest to the ship. I checked our position on my phone and found that we were just off Fair Isle. My cabin was going up and down so I went back to bed. I woke up in the morning to much the same view as you did and ate a very nice breakfast in the cafe before leaving the ferry.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Thanks for sharing your trip! I took Stugeron too and it definitely helped. Pretty rocky, but wasn't too bad :)

[@Travels_Tim]

I've done this twice rough out of Aberdeen both times just stretched out on the comfy seats in the bar much cheaper then a cabin

[@ClairesFootsteps]

the cabins weren't too bad when split between us (worked out about £20 each I think!). Would have considered this if I was solo though!

[@johnkerr1953]

I went to Shetland years ago & stayed with a friend, but I flew from Glasgow to Shetland but made a couple of stops before landing in Shetland, so had a good holiday in Shetland, hope you did as well , also enjoyed your video, so well done to the person who made this great video.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Thankyou, glad you liked it!

[@robertwalters5654]

You need to go to fair isle shetland islands

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Yes that's on my list! Didn't get time on this trip unfortunately (and think it's best in the summer?)

[@baysideharpy8350]

It’s a SHIP

[@mephitidae5668]

Haha nice Video! Keep it up!

[@ClairesFootsteps]

glad you enjoyed :)

[@mattrawlinson4093]

New subscriber!! Great vid!!!

[@ClairesFootsteps]

thanks for your support!

[@flyr17101710]

How do you get back?

[@ClairesFootsteps]

the return ferry haha!

[@Motherfuglar30]

Hahahah that’s nothing!!! You got an easy crossing there. 😂😂😂

[@ClairesFootsteps]

haha really! Have you done it in really rough weather?

[@Motherfuglar30]

@@ClairesFootsteps my partners folks live on Orkney. The worst was coming upon the half sunken fishing boat, all crew lost. 😔😳 Other crossings where all the windows have the metal doors on. 🤮🤮🤮 we’ve started going further north and doing a 1 hr crossing instead. 😂 wimps lol

[@ClairesFootsteps]

@@Motherfuglar30 oh that's incredibly sad about the fishing boat. Yes we want to go to Orkney but think we'll take the shorter ferry when we do! Thanks for sharing!

[@DB-1984]

I made this journey once and I’m never doing it again . They say we live and we learn and learned there is just some things in life that you just don’t do 😂

[@ClairesFootsteps]

haha not going to lie I'd probably do it again 🤣

[@DB-1984]

Your crazy in the best possible way 😂

[@ClairesFootsteps]

@@DB-1984 I've got a video about an overnight ferry crossing just in a seat coming up soon haha

[@DB-1984]

Il be sure to give that a watch to

[@martinthornley1610]

I am commenting b4 I’ve finished the vid, is there an all inclusive option? If so how much extra would it be

[@ClairesFootsteps]

There's not an all inclusive option but you can pay extra to use the Magnus Lounge (maybe £30 extra?) which includes some drinks and snacks.

[@martinthornley1610]

Thanks for reply, great vid this

[@jimmyoconnell6167]

I lived snd worked in Shetland you should of got on a airplane its faster

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Not as fun though and much more expensive!

[@jimmyoconnell6167]

@@ClairesFootsteps I loved there 😍

[@endamullen9689]

On a ship, you don't refer to the different levels as "Floors", they're referred to as Decks. The rooms are referred to as cabins

[@ClairesFootsteps]

thankyou, slipped my mind a bit when talking to the camera!

[@flyer1658]

​@@ClairesFootsteps ignore them we all knew exactly what you meant 😂

[@TARZANswings]

Shetland is part of Scotland !.the picts, decendants of modern day Scots inhabited the island's long before the vikings, and the Scots got it back

[@iCE2sKY]

Wow what a great trip!! 🌊🛳⚓ To travel by boat or train is best!!!🤢🤮 ha ha I`m kidding! 🤣

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Ah I much prefer both to flying! :)

[@iCE2sKY]

@@ClairesFootsteps

[@Michael43713]

It's a ship.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

not a ferry?

[@Michael43713]

You said it was a boat. It's a ship.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

@@Michael43713 my maritime knowledge isn't amazing so I may be wrong but I was under the impression that ferries should actually be called boats... Quick Google seems to say that's the case but I'm only going by a few sources.

[@Michael43713]

It's a question of size. While it is possible for a ferry to be a boat, the ferry you were on is a ship.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

@@Michael43713 fair enough, I didn't know that! So at what size does it become a ship?

[@WILLIAM1690WALES]

I have never seen that flag before I wondered which One, it was a white cross on a blue background and of course the Shetlands

[@ozbolli]

ShetLAND?

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Sometimes it's easy to get your words jumbled when you're speaking to the camera!

[@oliverphin8622]

Why would anyone want to go to shetland

[@CarolynMcGetrick]

It’s beautiful ❤

[@MrYashka12]

20 minutes of some chick talking to a camera....lame

[@ClairesFootsteps]

Leaving comments like this and referring to women as "chicks" is even lamer

[@brittania1974]

What a dull young woman.

[@ClairesFootsteps]

At least I'm not spending my time commenting negative things on people's videos :)

[@brittania1974]

@ClairesFootsteps if you're going to put yourself 'out there' you'd better develop a thick skin ASAP. Not everybody is going to fake it, there are a few who will give you their own honest thoughts. Get real snowflake.