Exclusive:Scottish city braces for 10-fold increase in cruise ship passengers

Cruise ship numbers visiting Aberdeen and wider Aberdeenshire are booming

A Scottish city is braced for more than a tenfold increase in cruise ship passengers this summer as it moves onto the map as a rising destination for the seaborne tourist.

Aberdeen’s £420 million port expansion has allowed for a surge in cruise business, with 64 cruise ships due this year - up from 22 that anchored in 2022. Then, passenger numbers were around the 3,000 mark, but this year 40,000 visitors are due.

A cruise ship pulls into the Port of Aberdeen as harbour bosses look ahead to a major year for cruise business. | contributed

CruiseAberdeenshire said tours to Royal Deeside and Dunnottar Castle near Stonehaven were among key draws for passengers.

Bob Sanguinetti, chief executive of Port of Aberdeen, said: “The expansion of Port of Aberdeen, coupled with CruiseAberdeenshire’s incredible efforts to market the city and shire, is delivering outstanding results as we welcome 64 cruise calls in 2025.

“This landmark season demonstrates Aberdeen is growing as a premier destination for international cruise lines, which brings tremendous economic benefits to the region. We look forward to welcoming tens of thousands of guests to the port this year.”

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The boost in cruise business in Aberdeen mirrors a country-wide growth in passenger ships docking at Scotland’s ports, with 1.2m visitors arriving on a cruise last year.

Investment has been significant, with Stornoway Port set for a record-breaking 2025 with 60,000 passengers due to dock on the Isle of Lewis this year following the opening of its £49m deep water port.

Cunard’s newest luxury liner, the Queen Anne, is among the 88 cruise ship calls scheduled at Stornoway between April and October. With capacity for around 3,000 passengers and 1,200 crew, the Queen Anne is the first new cruise ship to be launched by Cunard in more than a decade. The 3,600 passenger Britannia, operated by P&O, is also due.

The upsurge in business comes amid concerns over the impact of rising cruise passenger numbers at some sites, particularly in the islands.

In Orkney, where Kirkwall is one of the country’s busiest ports, work is addressing the strain of passengers on the historic site of the Ring of Brodgar, a key stop-off on tours.

AFP via Getty Images

On Lewis , a single-track road linking the new deep ferry terminal to an island’s main road is to undergo a major infrastructure upgrade. The route to the main A859 will be widened to cope with increased traffic running from the port.

The Scottish Government is now consulting on a proposed cruise ship levy on passengers given the growth in cruise business, which generated £130m for the economy in 2023. Under proposals, local councils will have the power to impose the levy to pay for infrastructure and visitor management schemes.

CruiseAberdeenshire said it had not yet formulated its response to the consultation, which is open until May 30.

As the Granite City’s pull on the cruise map deepens, Aberdeen is set to host Cruise Britain’s annual summer event, with around 60 cruise executives and industry experts to the city.

The two-day event, set for June, will showcase Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, including a conference aboard one of Viking’s cruise ships. The cruise company is a growing client of the city’s port.

Ian McQuade, chair of Cruise Britain said: “Cruise tourism touches all parts of the UK and is an increasing part of the economy of coastal communities. The growth of Aberdeen as an important call in regional cruise itineraries is a testament to the work in developing both the port and the destination offer.”