Resurgent UK shipyard group Harland & Wolff (H&W) has woven another strand in its business development strategy by pitching for the construction and operation of ferries to serve the Isles of Scilly. The proposal encompasses two vessels for the route linking the archipelago with the southwest English mainland at Penzance, plus a small inter-island ferry.

The move is in direct competition to the long-established, sole provider of passenger and freight services on the routes involved, the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company, which has already drawn up plans for the replacement of its ageing three-ship fleet.