By
Rebecca Gibson |
Invergordon is Scotland’s leading cruise port destination and the third busiest transit port in the UK, according to figures released by the CruiseBritain association.
Second only to Guernsey and Dover, the port handled 89,772 transit passengers in 2013 and is due for another busy season in 2014.
Opening on 6 April with a visit from Cruise and Maritime Voyages’ Marco Polo, Invergordon’s 2014 cruise season will see 56 cruise ships visit the port until 12 September. The season will end with a maiden call from Portuscale Cruises’ Azores.
Seven ships will make inaugural calls at the port, including Cunard’s Queen Victoria, which will visit on 26 May. On the same day, the port will handle two other vessels simultaneously, while Invergordon will also receive three cruise ships on 16 August.
Princess Cruises’ 3,200-guest ship Ruby Princess – the largest to berth at the port this year – will make her maiden visit on 19 May and call a further eight occasions.
“The release of these figures by Cruise Britain is incredibly important, not just to the skilled team here of pilots and marine crew, working to make the statistics a reality, but for the towns and businesses that benefit directly and indirectly from the tourism brought to the Highlands through this port,” said Bob Buskie, CEO of Cromarty Firth Port Authority. “For Invergordon to be the third busiest cruise transit port in the UK and Scotland’s leading cruise facility demonstrates how strategically important the Cromarty Firth is for Scotland.”
Buskie also commended the dedication of cruise development manager Captain Iain Dunderdale, who manages Cruise Highlands, a joint venture between the Cromarty Firth Port Authority and Bannerman’s of Tain.
“We have benefited from the trend of larger cruise ships, capable of carrying thousands of passengers, as well as the depth of water available and sheltered conditions,” said Dunderdale. “Added to this is the Highland welcome, our proximity to world class tourism destinations and the welcome given by residents of Invergordon itself, who are rightly proud.”