Super-sized ship set to sail into Fort William

At 30,000 or so tonnes the MV Adonia, which is due to berth in Fort William on Thursday, will be the largest cruise liner to enter Loch Linnhe in recent times.

The ship, which is 181 metres long and can carry up to 830 passengers and 390 crew members, is due to anchor in Fort William at 7am on Thursday morning as part of a 13 day round-trip of the British Isles. On Thursday afternoon it will depart and head for Scrabster where it is due to dock on Saturday morning before travelling on to the Shetland and Orkney Isles.

Leader of the Lochaber Committee, Councillor Thomas MacLennan said: “It’s great that a vessel the size of Adonia is making a visit to Lochaber part of its itinerary and I am sure the passengers and crew will really enjoy the dramatic scenery as they travel along the Loch. With an average passenger spend of around £40 to £50, the visit will give a welcome additional boost to the local tourism economy. Some visitors will be taking shore excursions and others visiting the town, so this will ensure the benefit is widely spread across Lochaber.”

For most passengers this will be the first time they have visited Lochaber and although they are only here for a day, we hope they will be tempted to return in the future for a longer visit.”

The Highland Council is currently working with cruise line operators to encourage more visits by cruise ships to Fort William, as well as the ports at Portree, Ullapool Scrabster and Invergordon.