Scottish Cities Alliance

Tourists love Scotland and our ports are ideally placed to welcome thousands of visitors who are ready to spend their hard-earned money on our shores.

And the cruise ship market is an area where businesses in our cities can really prosper.

In Aberdeen, big ships are now docking at the £400m expanded harbour. South Harbour, which is both larger and deeper than its predecessor, has been the UK’s biggest marine infrastructure project since it began in 2017.

The 203-metre-long AIDAaura, with a capacity for more than 1,200 guests, berthed on Castlegate Quay in March. The ship, which is the longest vessel to visit the Port of Aberdeen to date, arrived from Hamburg, Germany, for a full day visit as part of a Scottish cruise. And the city is set to welcome 39 cruise arrivals between May and October this year, with up to 31,000 guests.

Port of Aberdeen chief executive Bob Sanguinetti said:

“It is fantastic to see the first cruise call arrive at South Harbour, which marks a new dawn for tourism in the north east of Scotland.

“While the tourism industry is still recovering from the impact of the pandemic, we’re very encouraged with the number of calls to the port secured for this year and next.

“We look forward to growing our work with the international cruise industry in the coming years, as tens of thousands guests experience the incredible scenery and culture that the region has to offer.”

Meanwhile, around 225,000 passengers are expected to visit Edinburgh, Fife and Dundee this year after a 50 per cent rise in the number of cruise ships arriving at east coast ports.

The travel firm Capital Cruising said Edinburgh was a globally popular destination and viewed by the cruise market as a “marquee” destination with iconic attractions, events, heritage and culture. A total of 150 cruise ships will sail into the Port of Leith, Rosyth and Dundee’s cruise berth as well as anchorages in the River Forth for Newhaven and South Queensferry.

The 2023 Dundee cruise season is likely to be a great year for the city with 14 cruise calls booked, starting on 13 May with the arrival of the Ambition. In 2022, the port welcomed four cruise ships.

And near Inverness, the Port of Cromarty Firth (PoCF) is preparing to welcome a record number of passengers and ships during the 2023 cruise liner season, which will be worth an estimated £20 million to the region’s economy.

With more than 125 vessel visits currently scheduled, at least 200,000 seaborne tourists are expected to arrive at the Easter Ross port between April and mid-October.

In 2022, a record total of 109 cruise vessels visited Invergordon and PoCF cruise manager Allison McGuire said:

“The record numbers of ships and passengers due to arrive at Invergordon this year shows the continuing popularity of cruise holidays and the enduring appeal of the Highlands as a destination for visitors from around the world.

“The cruise season brings a buzz to the port and the local area, and we are looking forward to welcoming the vessels and everyone aboard.

“It’s great to see such a high number of maiden calls scheduled and it’s always a particularly special occasion when a vessel arrives at the port for the first time.”

So it really is full steam ahead for tourist business opportunities in Scotland.