The largest-ever warship to dock at the Port of Aberdeen in its 888-year history arrived at the South Harbour on Friday morning.
The HNLMS Johan de Witt has been part of the Royal Netherlands Navy since 2007.
Measuring 577ft in length and weighing 28,395 tonnes, the vessel is an amphibious landing ship with a range of seafaring technology and hundreds of seamen aboard.
It boasts a large helipad deck capable of handling four Chinook helicopters, as well as a dock for substantial landing craft.
An additional deck with facilities for command staff enables support for battalion-sized operations.
It also has impressive military-grade hospital facilities with an operating theatre and intensive care units, while the ship’s desalination system can convert seawater into potable water.
HNLMS Johan de Witt arrives in Aberdeen
This means it can stay at sea for months on end without fear of running out of water.
The warship was welcomed into the South Harbour by Port of Aberdeen’s Harbour Master, Benji Morrison.
It docked at Dunottar Quay, the largest quay.
This was the site that earlier this year welcomed the largest cruise ship ever to visit Aberdeen, the Costa Favolosa.
The HNLMS Johan de Witt’s visit marks the second time in a week that a warship has visited Aberdeen.
Aberdeen port capacity increased
The Port of Aberdeen has expanded its capacity to handle more and larger ships this year and next year is expected to be a bumper year for cruise arrivals, with 70 scheduled.
Cruise ships bring thousands of visitors to the north-east who are eager to explore the region.
Visitors take tours of the city centre, Dunnottar Castle and Royal Deeside.
Benji Morrison said: “We are honoured to welcome HNLMS Johan de Witt to South Harbour.
“We eagerly anticipate welcoming many more naval vessels to berth.”
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