CRUISE EUROPE: Port of Sornoway, Outer Hebrides building new Deep Water Pier to accomodate larger Cruise Ships
c: Port Stornoway
Situated between Kirkwall and Glasgow (Belfast), the main town of the Outer Hebrides - Stornoway - is a popular cruise destination.
The harbour operations team has worked hard to get larger ships much closer to the town and to facilitate a reduction in their tender transit time. Vessels that are equipped with dynamic positioning are already able to position themselves closer to the tender berth. Ships like Queen Victoria, Seabourn Ovation, and ms Zuiderdam, were only three-quarters of a mile from the tender berth during the summer of 2019 which is a dramatic improvement.
The tender berth of Stornoway is located at No3 Pier, just in the heart of the port town, where Stornoway-Ullapool ferry arrives. The pier can take cruise ships up to 156 metres in length. The ferry terminal building provides wifi, shelter, toilets, etc, for both crew and passengers throughout the visit. Guests are greeted by Stornoway Cruise Ambassadors, a voluntary group that provides information, maps, and advice on how to make the most of tourists' visits.
A new deep-water quay is currently being developed. It will be able to accommodate any size of a cruise ship. The development is proposed to be completed until mid-2022 and is due to facilitate an expansion of cruise tourism on the island.
In 2019, a total of 16,500 cruise passengers visited the port from 57 mostly-smaller vessels
Source: cruiseeurope
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