Scrabster stop-off for 'ultra-luxury' Seabourn Ovation cruise ship
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The Seabourn Ovation made an impressive sight as it called in at Scrabster harbour on Sunday with just under 400 passengers on board.
The cruise ship was in the Caithness port for more than 11 hours, arriving at 7.30am and departing at 6.45pm.
Harbour trust manager Sandy Mackie said there had been some late additions to the 2023 programme, with a potential 21 ships booked to visit.
"As ever with cruises, this may alter and will be subject to weather," he pointed out.
The 40,000-tonne Seabourn Ovation has been described as an "ultra-luxury" ship with 300 suites, each with a balcony.
It is expected that more than 12,000 cruise passengers will arrive at Scrabster this season, well above previous totals.
The £18.9 million redevelopment of the St Ola pier will help the port to attract more cruise-ship and offshore energy business. The pier offers a total of 500 metres of deep-water berthing, with a new outer berthing face capable of accommodating vessels of up to 250 metres in length.
Mr Mackie said recently: “Having the St Ola pier available to act as a dedicated cruise ship berth has made a big difference in terms of the logistics.
“It greatly enhances the number of potential cruise vessels we can get into Scrabster.”
