Scotline is a shipping group of companies with origins from 1979,[1] and specializing in transporting timber, wood pulp, forestry commodities on short sea operations, whilst also providing bulk, charter and special project work.[2] The area covered is around the British Isles, Baltic, and North-West Europe.[2] As of December 2021 The company is operating 11 of its own vessels mostly in the 3000–5000dwt range, while also employing others on a time charter basis.[3]

Scotline
IndustryShipping
Headquarters,
Area served
Northern Europe
ServicesCargo transportation
Websitehttps://www.scotline.co.uk/

History

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Scotline was established in 1979, with the first cargo, a shipment of scotch spruce poles, being transported from Inverness, Scotland and Bremen, Germany.[4] This developed into a regular route between Inverness and Varberg, Sweden.[1]

Scotline purchased[a] their first ship, the Hohebank, IMO number7720439 in 1977.[1] Additional operating bases were also established at Whitstable, Kent; and Goole, Yorkshire.[1]

In 1994 the Kent facility was changed to a 10 acre site at Rochester on the River Medway, supplemented by a further 14 acre facility nearby from 2011.[1] The head office was relocated from central London to Ronford, in Essex.[1] Scotline Terminal Goole, a separate independently run but associated stevedoring company, was forced to close in 2010 due to the imposition of backdated port rates.[6]

Scotline purchased their largest ship to date, the Scot Leader, the 4500dwt from Royal Bodewes Group in 2007.[2]

In 2017 Scotline increased their fleet of owned vessels to nine with the acquisition of the 3571dwt Scot Navigator, the decision being prompted by the success of a sister ship, the Lady Ariane, the ship being used on the Varburg–Gunness liner service.[1]

Scotline's next ship, the Scot Carrier, was similar to the 2007 Scot Leader from Royak Bodewes, with class 1B icebreaker certification for Baltic operations.[1] This was followed by three similar sister ships through to 2021, the later ones having 1A icebreaker classification and enclosed bridge wings.[7]

On 13 December 2021 the Scot Carrier was in collision between Ystad and Bornholm, with the smaller Danish vessel, the 180 feet (55 m) Karin Hoej, the latter capsizing with the body of one of its crew found dead and the other missing presumed drowned.[8]

Fleet list

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Scotline Fleet List
Ship IMO Built DWT[9] Length Timber ICE Notes
MV Douwent 8703139 1987 1996 80m
MV Scot Bay 9243930 2001 3177 90m 5,000m³ Cat. II
MV Scot Venture 9243928 2002 3262 90m 5,000m³ Cat. II
MV Scot Mariner 9243916 2001 3313 90m 5,000m³ Cat. II
Eastern Vanquish 9411836 2012 3577 89m 4,400m³ None
Eastern Virage 9411824 2012 3577 89m 4,400m³ None
MV Scot Pioneer 9331347 2006/12 3636 90m 4,700m³ 1A
MV Scot Navigator 9820348 2017/06 3700 88m 5,300m³ None
MV Scot Leader 9404235 2007/08 4507 90m 6,300m³ 1B
MV Scot Trader 9368405 2008/04 4643 90m 5,500m³ None
MV Scot Ranger 9851220 2021/01 4782 90m 6,700m³ 1A Replaced 1997 Vessel of same name retired 2019
MV Scot Isles 9728758 2021/07 4735 90m 6,767m³ 1A
MV Scot Carrier 9841782 2018/11 4803 90m 6,767m³ 1B
MV Scot Explorer 9841794 2019/11 4803 90m 6,767m³ 1B

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Scotline ship purchases and operations management are via associated companies, currently Intrada Ship's Management.[5]

Footnotes

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Sources

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  • Cooke, Andrew (13 March 2018). "Scot Navigator". Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  • Kampfner, Constance (15 December 2021). "Sailors in crash 'may not have been drunk by UK standards'". The Times. London. ISSN 0140-0460 – via ProQuest.
  • Scotline (2021f). "Fleet List". Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  • Scotline (2021h). "Company History". Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  • Scotline (2021i). "Company History". Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  • Ships Monthly (3 August 2011). "Scotline: Scotline's Timber Business". Ships Monthly. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  • Tinsley, David (February 2018). "Out of the woods". Ship & Boat International: eNews. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2021 – via Royal Institution of Naval Architects.
  • TTJ (March 2010). "Backdated Port Rates Claim another Casualty". Timber Trades Journal. Tonbridge: World Market Intelligence (Progressive Media). ProQuest 822885706 – via ProQuesst.
  • TTJ (10 June 2021). "Scotline launches new ship MV Scot Isles in virtual ceremony". Timber Trades Journal. Tonbridge: World Market Intelligence (Progressive Media).
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