Friday, June 22, 2018 - 08:34 by ce-press
In 2017, Aberdeen Harbour commenced a £350m (€398m) expansion project in Nigg Bay which, when complete, will make Aberdeen the largest port in Scotland in terms of alongside berthage.
In addition to the established North Harbour, the new South Harbour will add four new quays, the longest of which will be 500m. This will open up another 1,400m of quayside in total, with a water depth of up to 10.5m (14.2m at MHWS). The channel to enter the new harbour will be 165m wide with a turning circle of 300m. These improvements will allow large class cruiseships to berth alongside and for passengers to disembark directly onto the quayside.
The new port infrastructure, which will provide comprehensive services including the provision of fuel and water, is designed with the flexibility to incorporate future industry innovations and needs, for example emerging fuel technologies.
In terms of infrastructure outside the harbour, Aberdeen has a well-connected international airport which is due to complete a transformation project this year, and a new city bypass which will speed up road travel across the region, as well as to national trunk road networks.
Aberdeen Harbour is also located next to the city’s train station, which is directly connected to the country’s east coast main line with direct services to all major cities including London.
There is a flexible booking process in place giving cruiselines the opportunity to reserve space at multiple berths well in advance. It is also the first Scottish port able to accommodate large vessels alongside as the ship heads north up the Scottish east coast.
Aberdeen Harbour is the UK’s oldest existing business, with a history dating back almost 900 years, according to the Guinness Book of Business Records. As a result, Aberdeen Harbour Board knows what it takes to run a successful port and the business is looking forward to welcoming even more visitors to the region over the coming years as it becomes, not only the country’s oldest business, but its newest port.
This year 28 calls are booked, carrying an estimated 2,500 passengers to the North Harbour (city) berth. Even in 2018, before the completion of the expansion which is scheduled to officially open in the summer of 2020, the cruise industry is playing a growing role both in Aberdeen and across the country.
Aberdeen Harbour Board has partnered with a number of agencies, including VisitAberdeenshire and local authorities, to create an organisation called CruiseAberdeenshire. This supports and gives information to businesses on what the cruise industry is looking for in its destinations and how they can get involved to ensure the shore excursion experience is first class.
With more than 300 castles, including the Queen’s summer residence Balmoral, over 30 malt whisky distilleries (including Glenfiddich, Macallan and Glen Garioch in Oldmeldrum with whisky/food matching possibilities) and around 60 golf courses, set against world famous mountains such as Lochnagar, rolling countryside and stunning coastal panoramas, there is a wide choice of tours.
Of particular interest is a new experience called The Legends of Garioch which has really caught the attention of those looking for something very different and authentic to do in the north-east of Scotland. HM Convict Prison Peterhead Museum is a Victorian prison which operated up until 2013 as a maximum security facility. It is now an amazing venue for visitors particularly as it has very much been left as it was when the doors closed. The tour guides are ex-prison guards who share their personal experiences.
In addition Aberdeen Art Gallery is being completely transformed in a £30m (€34m) upgrade into a world-class cultural facility and is due to open its doors in 2019 with 21 different gallery spaces set in the heart of the city of Aberdeen.
Dunnottar Castle is set upon a clifftop in Stonehaven, less than 30 minutes from Aberdeen South Harbour and can be combined with craft beer tasting/matching at the Marine Hotel (home of Six Degrees North), paddleboarding and, from 2019, Stonehaven Sea Safaris.
Passengers can also visit a working highland cattle farm, Aberdeenshire Highland Beef, and hear all about the journey from calf to plate, meet the ‘coos’ with the opportunity to taste some of the products.
