Why mega cruise liners heading for Invergordon are making waves on the Cromarty Firth
THE massive vessels bearing hundreds of thousands of visitors to an Easter Ross port are themselves an attraction for locals watching the ever-changing seascape of the Cromarty Firth.
While their sheer scale is what leaves many open-mouthed, recently an unexpected row has broken out over their sound – more specifically the tooting of their horns leaving the Firth.
Stacked rigs have become a familiar feature for many down the years, spread across the firth from Invergordon to Cromarty, some awaiting repair and maintenance and others ultimately bound for new destinations or decommissioning.
These reflect one aspect of the local economy and point to the boom years of North Sea oil and gas which is now gradually giving way to the renewable revolution and the potential of new forms of energy.
And in the same way, the steady ebb and flow of cruise liners has become a seasonal fixture in the town of Invergordon from April to October, punctuated only in recent years by the stillness of the coronavirus pandemic which temporarily halted the viability of these monsters of the deep due to requirements of social distancing.
SEE ALSO: Have Cromarty Firth cruise liner horn blasts been silenced for good?
This search engine tells us the cruise business is on the crest of a wave
What's it like in a ship three times larger than the Titanic?
And while some observers at the depth of the crisis predicted an end of the cruise industry as we know it, it has emerged buoyant, with at least 200,000 seaborne visitors expected to arrive in Invergordon this season.
One of the biggest ships of the season to date arrived in the Port of Cromarty Firth last month – but even that giant isn't the largest expected this year.
MSC Preziosa has a capacity of 3959 passengers and 1370 crew.
Owned by Swiss global cruise line MSC Cruises, it arrived from Kirkwall and after its Highland fling was heading for Hamburg.
It's hulking mass temporarily transformed Invergordon, a floating hotel looming dramatically over the townscape, its flow of passengers and crew doubling its population for a short time with the vast majority heading on whistlestop tours of the Highlands or bound for a day trip to Inverness.
It's a scene that will be repeated weekly until October with more than 125 vessel visits currently scheduled.
Offering visitors from around the world a gateway to the Highlands’ famous landmarks, scenery and history, the cruise sector is credited with boosting the region’s economy by an estimated £20 million this year.
During the season, 15 liners will make their maiden calls at the port.
In 2022, a record total of 109 cruise vessels visited Invergordon, although Covid-19 precautions saw the overall number of passengers lower than in some previous years, at just under 142,000.
The largest cruise vessel scheduled to visit Invergordon this year is P&O Cruises’ 143,730 gross tonne (GT) flagship, Britannia, which has capacity for 3900 passengers and 1350 crew. She is due to call on Monday, June 19.
