Stena Line is to invest £200m into a new Scottish port that will operate a service to Belfast.
The new ferry port at Loch Ryan in Scotland, two miles north of Cairnryan near Stranraer, will be built to accommodate travel as well as freight customers. It will provide a faster route to Belfast than current ferry services from the area. The money will also fund two new ferries for the route.
Construction should be complete by autumn next year.
Stena Line chairman Dan Sten Olssen said: “The investment we have announced will provide Scotland with a first-class port facility which underlines and enhances the port’s prominence as the third largest gateway in the UK.
“The link between Scotland and Northern Ireland provides a huge number of benefits for both countries. Tourism and freight business between Scotland and Northern Ireland has seen significant growth in recent years and despite the current difficult trading conditions, we are confident that an investment of this magnitude will pay dividends over the medium to long term.
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said: “The new Loch Ryan Port will aid tourism with faster crossings between Scotland and Northern Ireland and help the regeneration of Stranraer as a major marine leisure area.”
By Dinah Hatch
