£300m Cockenzie cruise ship terminal plan unveiled
April 13 2015
Set to be delivered by 2025-30 the ambitious scheme would allow at least 200 ships to berth each year, making Edinburgh a key destination for the growing cruise market.
Professor Alfred Baird, a maritime transport expert at Edinburgh Napier University, commented: “People should be aware that there is currently nowhere for the large cruise ships to go on the Forth. Scotland’s capital region therefore misses out on hundreds of port visits by cruise ships and hundreds of thousands of visitors – Copenhagen gets around 500 cruise ship visits per year, whilst the Forth gets only 70 or 80.”
The scheme is being promoted by a trio of local businessmen; Colin McCulloch, John Miller and Kevin Doyle who have formed Cockenzie Development Co to deliver the venture.
Image produced by Digital Bird and Paul Welsh Architects
6 Comments
#1 Posted by Stevie Steve on 13 Apr 2015 at 13:26 PM
I'm all for Cruise ships but why can't they dock in Leith? You know... theres stuff to do there... Cockenzies what 45mins to 1 hour away from edinburgh city centre?
#2 Posted by David on 13 Apr 2015 at 16:05 PM
Modern cruise ships simply cannot fit in to Leith.
#3 Posted by Bill S on 13 Apr 2015 at 17:49 PM
I thought there were plans afoot for the potential expansion and dredging of Leith Docks to allow for large cruise liners to dock there?
If not, although Cockenzie is only a 5 min. taxi ride to Prestonpans train station or 30 min. ride into town it does seem a bit out of the way. Maybe this is a good use of transforming a coastal brownfield site? The indicative proposals will hopefully be refined, and the "eco-village" tag lost. Also, whenever a retail park is mentioned it sends terrible out-of-town development shivers up my spine.
Hopefully something positive will come out of this. Perhaps a museum dedicated to why Prestonpans was so named?
If not, although Cockenzie is only a 5 min. taxi ride to Prestonpans train station or 30 min. ride into town it does seem a bit out of the way. Maybe this is a good use of transforming a coastal brownfield site? The indicative proposals will hopefully be refined, and the "eco-village" tag lost. Also, whenever a retail park is mentioned it sends terrible out-of-town development shivers up my spine.
Hopefully something positive will come out of this. Perhaps a museum dedicated to why Prestonpans was so named?
#4 Posted by David on 14 Apr 2015 at 08:39 AM
The physical constraints at Leith preclude big modern ships visiting. Also the lock gates mean that the berths can only be accessed at certain times of the tide. Forth Ports are unwilling to invest and would be looking to Edinburgh council for the cash. Edinburgh are near broke and would never supply the £100 million needed.
It takes less time to get from cockenzie to Edinburgh castle than Leith Docks to Edinburgh castle. There's also a rail line that terminates there.
It takes less time to get from cockenzie to Edinburgh castle than Leith Docks to Edinburgh castle. There's also a rail line that terminates there.
#5 Posted by H Scott on 14 Apr 2015 at 20:25 PM
The coal for Cockenzie power station was provided by a rail branch line. This could be used for the cruise liner terminal with a station on the shore. It would be quicker to get into Edinburgh city centre by train from Cockenzie than from Leith.
#6 Posted by Darth Vader on 15 Apr 2015 at 00:30 AM
Ok
But what is the skyscraper for.
Anything that scale would be ridiculous.
But what is the skyscraper for.
Anything that scale would be ridiculous.
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