The largest cruise ship to dock alongside a quayside in Stornoway is on course to arrive this morning (Monday).
The berth at the new deep water facility near Arnish has been completed while the installation of a berthing dolphin deck allows ships up to 360 metres to tie up safely.
At 216 metres in length, MS Ambition is nearly twice as long as the MV Loch Seaforth.
She is expected at the berth -
Previously, larger vessels anchored off the port with passengers ferried ashore on tenders.
Many shipping lines avoided Stornoway as bigger vessels had to anchor out in the bay with passengers ferried ashore in small tenders. Now, they can walk down a gangway onto double decker buses running passengers into the town.
Others may step aboard a fleet of coaches for sight-
Many cruise visitors prefer to experience the natural environment on foot so the newly created walking route from the quay through Lews Castle grounds will be welcomed.
Cruise tourism is a growing market with opportunities for local businesses.
An estimated 70,000 cruise ship passengers from 93 ship visits are expected this year compared to 20,000 a few years ago.
Stornoway Port Authority say the numbers arriving will not be overwhelming. No mass invasion of passengers on a single day is expected as ships’ visits are spread out over the season.
MS Ambition’s owners, the Ambassador line, are so delighted the cruise berth is open
they have booked up extra call-
The company plans for their vessels to remain overnight at the berth allowing passengers to stay ashore for longer to visit island restaurants and enjoy local entertainment in the evenings.
An Ambassador spokesperson said: “Stornoway is in a perfect location for our popular British Isles and Ireland Discovery sailings.
“We’ve waited a long time and are delighted to see this new facility at Stornoway in time for the 2024 season.
“The islands of Lewis and Harris have much to interest our guests in terms of history and nature and thanks to this new development, we are now able to look at additional overnight calls, to take in the local folklore and evening entertainment.”
Apart from the cruise trade, the new berth allows larger cargo vessels access to the Arnish fabrication yard while deep sea trawlers could seek safe shelter during winter storms.
Weeks of strong winds over January and February prevented the safe use of cranes needed for crucial elements of construction. Work has since caught up with the cruise quay is ready for the first ship and just minor works ongoing at the wider 6.5 hectare site. These are well away from the main quay and will not affect use of the completed facilities.
The port authority is building a second quay on the northern edge of the site in anticipation of CalMac introducing a dedicated freight ferry for Stornoway at some point in the future.
No public access is available to the deep water terminal. An open day is planned for later in the year.
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