A ferry has tally aground successful Orkney with 60 radical connected board, including a baby.
Smoke was detected successful the motor country of the MV Pentalina earlier it became grounded adjacent the colony of St Margaret's Hope.
Emergency services are astatine the country arsenic good arsenic lifeboats from the RNLI.
Ferry institution Pentland Ferries said each 56 adults, 3 children and an babe connected committee were safe. "The information of our passengers is, of course, our archetypal priority," it added.
Pentland Ferries sails crossed the Pentland Firth from Gills Bay successful Caithness to St Margaret's Hope connected the Orkney Islands.
The Pentalina came backmost into work earlier this week aft clip successful adust dock to let different ferry, the MV Alfred, to work different routes to islands connected Scotland's westbound coast.
The MV Alfred itself ran aground in the Pentland Firth successful Swona successful July past year, with 97 radical connected committee who were transferred to lifeboats.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport national said the MV Pentalina was "taking connected h2o with a occurrence successful the motor room", describing it arsenic a "major incident".
"RNLI lifeboats person been dispatched and each of the ferry's passengers and unit are reported to beryllium safe.
"A thorough probe volition beryllium needed to found however this large incidental aboard the Pentland Ferries vas occurred."
Scottish Transport Minister Kevin Stewart tweeted that helium was "sorry" to perceive of the incident, but that "all connected committee are harmless and good and that exigency services are successful attendance".