Following the official naming ceremony on Friday (June 4) on the River Thames with British supermodel and fashion icon, Twiggy, the new Seabourn Sojourn visits the Port of Invergordon as the first port of call on her maiden voyage. (If you missed the naming ceremony, see Like Scarlett O’Hara At Tara, Twiggy Elegantly Descends Stairs To Name Seabourn Sojourn).
Seabourn's newest yacht arrives in Invergordon on Tuesday, June 8, carrying more than 400 guests on the sold-out maiden voyage. Guests will visit a variety of local attractions, including Cawdor Castle, Beauly and Foulis Castle and will receive a welcome from the clan chief. Also offered is a special tour with Seabourn President & CEO Pamela Conover to Dunrobin Castle.
Invergordon is perhaps best known for "Nessie," and Loch Ness is only an hour’s drive from the Port. Of course, cruise passengers intent on pursuing the Loch Ness Monster are welcome to do so. She is said to lurk in the Loch’s dark depths, which extends to more than 250 meters in places.
But there's a lot more for cruise passengers to do in Invergordon than to chase sea monsters, says Iain Dunderdale, cruise development manager for Cruise Highlands Ltd., the cruise liner marketing arm of Cromarty Firth Port Authority.
There are plenty of castles, including Cawdor Castle, Dunrobin Castle, Brodie Castle; distilleries, such as the Glenmorangie Distillery; and golf courses, including the Royal Dornoch Golf Course. There's no shortage of gardens, forts and battlefields. For those prefer active pursuits, the region also offers cycling, hill walking, mountain biking, nature spotting and adventure parks.
When Seabourn Sojourn arrives, the Highland Council will present a plaque, and Cruise Highlands Ltd. will hand over a copy of “This Noble Harbour," the official history of the Cromarty Firth at a plaque exchange ceremony onboard the Sojourn on Tuesday.
Sojourn will return to Invergordon in July and again in August, as the port celebrates a record number of cruise passengers and an increase in tonnage. This cruise season, which started in May, will see 52 cruise liners call at Invergordon, bringing a total of 60,800 passengers to the area. This compares to the 48,787 passengers last year and 48 cruise liners visiting the Port.
“I am delighted to welcome the Seabourn Sojourn on her maiden voyage," Captain Dunderdale says. Cruise liners visiting the port provide an enormous boost to the local economy, bringing approximately £7 million to the economy and thousands of passengers every season. “Cruise Scotland figures show the cruise activity in Scotland is up 16% this year and the Port of Invergordon is expected to have the highest volume of passengers and tonnage.”
- Login to post comments
