About 80 ferry passengers and crew, who spent two days on storm-tossed waters, have landed back where they started.

Ferocious storms prevented the NorthLink ferry MV Hrossey making its way to Aberdeen after it left the Shetland port of Lerwick on Saturday evening.

The vessel was forced to shelter off the Shetland mainland for more than 40 hours because conditions in Lerwick harbour were too difficult to attempt a landing.

The boat should not have sailed because there was such a strong wind forecast

Cllr Gordon Mitchell

It eventually returned on Monday afternoon after weather conditions eased overnight.

Passengers described the experience as "terrifying" and "a complete nightmare".

And questions have been asked about why the vessel set sail in the conditions.

Shetland Councillor Gordon Mitchell, who was on board the ferry, told BBC Scotland: "The boat should not have sailed because there was such a strong wind forecast.

"We found ourselves in a force 11 wind, which was even stronger, and the fixtures and fittings on board were not up to the level of wind."

The NorthLink ferry could not make it to Aberdeen

However, NorthLink denied that the decision to set sail was influenced by commercial pressures.

Bill Davidson said: "There were only 42 passengers on board. There was absolutely no commercial pressure to get the sailing away.

"We haven't hesitated to cancel sailings and we won't hesitate to cancel sailings again.

"The decision is that of the master of the vessel. They are very experienced in these waters, they know what the ships can do and they know what the forecasts are."

Meanwhile, the Norwegian cargo vessel Clare, with 18 crew aboard, was being aided after drifting near to an oil platform 150 miles east of Wick.

Broken towing line

The Clare sent out a mayday message at 1500 GMT on Sunday after it began drifting 15 to 20 miles north of the Piper Bravo oil platform.

Attempts to rescue the Norwegian boat were hampered by a broken towing line.

A tugboat, the Balder Viking, has attached a line and was hoping to tow it into Aberdeen harbour on Monday evening.

A crewman of a Danish cargo boat was killed

Two people died on Sunday as storm force winds caused major disruption in Shetland.

The men were killed in separate incidents while working in Lerwick.

A Polish crewman died when he was struck by a winch while tying up a Danish vessel, the Opnor, at Lerwick harbour.

Later in the afternoon a Latvian was killed during berthing operations at the Shetland catch fish factory.

On the mainland, two police officers were rescued from their car after it became trapped by rising flood water.

The duo became stranded when the River Esk burst its banks near Edzell in Angus.

A helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth had to be sent to pick up the officers on Sunday morning.