A ferry which operates between Aberdeen and Shetland has been withdrawn following an outbreak of sickness and diarrhoea.
MV Hjaltland, which is currently docked at Aberdeen harbour, has been taken out of service for the next 48 hours.
Northlink Ferries say the decision was taken after a bus party from Hereford became ill within an hour of boarding the vessel on Friday in Lerwick.
It is understood 14, mainly elderly people, reported feeling unwell during the course of the journey.
Experts from NHS Grampian and the Aberdeen City environmental health department met the vessel and examined the party when it arrived in Aberdeen on Saturday morning.
The Hjaltland was then subjected to a ten hour chemical deep clean prior to sailing north on Saturday evening but Northlink Ferries decided to withdraw it from service after three members of the Hjaltland crew became ill with similar symptoms on Sunday.
The ferry is now being cleaned again and is expected to operate as normal on Wednesday.
Until then, the company's sister vessel Hrossey will run a continuous shuttle service between Lerwick and Aberdeen.
Northlink Ferries say it seems certain that the bus party had picked up the illness prior to boarding the vessel.
Northlink Chief Executive Bill Davidson said: "the vessel is being taken out of service as a precautionary measure."
"Passengers are being informed of the new arrangements and to them we apologise.
“However, in light of the fact that fresh cases of illness arose within the crew, we thought it best to err on the side of caution and to take Hjaltland out of service."
