Port sets sites on super liners

AN £80 million cruise liner terminal is being planned for Leith in an ambitious bid to create a "world-class" facility at the port.

The docks' operator, Forth Ports, hopes to raise the money needed to build the new "gateway to Scotland", which it believes would double the number of liner passengers visiting the Capital to 80,000 a year.

The proposed terminal - similar to facilities in Copenhagen - would be capable of accommodating the world's biggest liners, but would take up to ten years to create.

Around 40 liners a year visit the city, but the biggest have to moor in the Firth of Forth and ferry their passengers ashore.

City and tourism leaders are behind the plans, which they believe could create a lucrative new market for Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland.

It is thought the Capital could be marketed as an ideal starting point for Baltic cruises - particularly for US tourists - with visitors flying into Edinburgh for a visit and then departing from Leith for the likes of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Russia.

Forth Ports has been in talks with Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian and the city council over what kind of facility should be developed and how it could be financed.

It is thought private investment would be needed to make the cruise liner terminal a reality.

In a report to councillors, the city council's chief executive Tom Aitchison said: "Discussions with Forth Ports have established that they intend to develop a berth outside the docks to accommodate larger ships (200,000 tonnes and above) allowing them to tap into a much bigger market. This initiative is strongly supported by the council."

Mr Aitchison said the cruise liner terminal was planned to be developed over the next ten years, with a price tag of up to £80m.

One source close to the talks said: "The price could be as little as £25m if you were talking about the same kind of facility that the Superfast ferry uses at Rosyth. But the cost would obviously be much more substantial if you're talking about a world-class facility that would create a truly significant gateway to Edinburgh and in fact the whole country."

Feasibility studies are being carried out into the impact on marine life in the area, what kind of engineering works will be needed and more detailed research on potential passenger numbers.

Charles Hammond, chief executive of Forth Ports, said: "It is all at the very early stages, but the idea is to significantly increase the number of visits [from cruise liners] to Leith.

"One thing that has emerged is that if we could attract Baltic cruises to start off here it could chop around three days off the current journey time from the south of England.

"Americans, in particular, do not take very long holidays, so there would be obvious appeal for them to start their holiday in Edinburgh with the likes of St Petersburg the end-point. It would be a great thing for a capital city to have something like this"

A site for the cruise liner terminal has already been earmarked just off the western peninsula of the existing docks area currently operated by Forth Ports.

THE FACTS

THE Leith docks area is to be given a £2 billion overhaul over the next 20 years, which will see the creation of 18,000 new homes, waterside cafes and restaurants, a landmark bridge, a public park, beach and a maritime museum.

Edinburgh-based architects RMJM, which picked up awards for its work on the new Scottish Parliament building, is behind the masterplan for the docks site for Forth Ports.

Venice-style apartment blocks - virtually surrounded by water and complete with their own storage space for boats - are planned for one docks area. Other residential developments are set to feature rooftop terraces and roof gardens.

A major outdoor theatre space inside an existing dry dock and a contemporary art gallery on the edge of the docklands are also envisaged as part of the scheme.

The architects want to create an iconic visitor attraction to emulate the likes of Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum or the Tate Modern art gallery in London for the area in order to create a striking impression for new visitors to the city.