The first cruise ship of the season arrived at Scrabster earlier today in what is expected to be a record-breaking season.
The 40,300tonne Seabourne Ovation berthed at the recently refurbished St Ola pier, arriving from Portree.
The passengers who disembarked went on bus tours to local attractions.
The £20 million redevelopment of St Ola pier has primed the growth in the cruise business which is set to provide a much-needed boost to far north tourism.
The Seabourne Ovation is the first of 20 liners scheduled to berth at the Caithness harbour this year.
They are expected to carry more than 12,000 passengers – well above previous totals.
Quietly confident
Though still significantly below the numbers being attracted to Invergordon, Kirkwall and Lerwick, Scrabster Harbour Trust chiefs are quietly confident of its success.
Port manager Sandy Mackie said: “This year’s numbers are encouraging though, of course, the programme is weather-dependent.
“Our previous highest number was about 14 or 15.
“The growth is an indication that cruise companies are interested not only in the facilities we can provide at the port but also in the attractions Caithness and north Sutherland can offer their passengers.”
Mr Mackie said the widening and deepening of the St Ola pier has given a major boost to Scrabster’s bid to win more cruise traffic.
The former ferry terminal can now accommodate liners up to 250 metres long.
He continued: “The picture throughout Scotland seems to be pretty positive and we are sharing that.
“Building up our numbers is not going to be an overnight job but I think over time, we’ll succeed.”
‘Good news for the county’
Mr Mackie said there have also been improvements in the coordination and planning of the visits and attractions available for passengers when they come ashore.
He said: “Last November, we organised an event to bring together local tourist providers with the people who organise the shore excursions.
“It was very well received and has increased the awareness of the wealth of attractions we have in the area.”
Thurso councillor Ron Gunn welcomed the upbeat outlook for the local cruise trade.
“It’s certainly good news for the county,” he said.
“If we get more passengers coming ashore, then more money is going to be spent in local shops and businesses.”
He continued: “Hopefully there will now be more information coming out in advance so that local shops and businesses can be better prepared.
“Some complained that they didn’t know there was a liner coming in.”
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