An incredible £3 million ferry route that is likely to be one of the longest in Europe will connect UK to a beautiful European destination.
Plans to launch ‘Project Brave’, which has been lying pending since 2022, have gained momentum, with operations reportedly anticipated to begin by spring 2025. The project aims to start a passenger and freight ferry between Scotland and France. The planned service will provide three weekly return sailings between Rosyth near Edinburgh and Dunkirk in France.
Renewed efforts to reinstate the ferry link have surfaced following earlier delays in January, attributed to insufficient financial support from both the Scottish and UK governments.
Proposals for the so-called ‘Project Brave’ ferry service were first floated in 2022, but stalled due to lack of funding.
This initiative aims to restore an essential transport link previously provided by a ferry service between Rosyth, Scotland, and Zeebrugge, Belgium.
The route, which operated between 2002 and 2018 for both passengers and freight, was discontinued following a fire on one of DFDS Ferries’ vessels.
DFDS, the ferry operator, has indicated its willingness to restart the service, recognizing its potential to enhance transport connectivity.
Reviving the route would not only benefit passengers and freight movement but also boost trade, tourism, and economic growth between the UK and mainland Europe.
If the service is introduced, the journey would take approximately 20 hours, making it one of the longest ferry routes in Europe.
Currently, the longest crossing is between Portsmouth, UK, and Bilbao, Spain, which takes between 27 and 30 hours.
Tourists would be able to take advantage of this route with the possibility of taking a vehicle on the crossing, giving more flexibility at the other end.
Neale Hanvey, former leader of the Alba party said: “Industry agrees and ferry operators stand ready to deliver a route, but the Scottish government lacks the courage to support Project Brave.
“What can be done to encourage the Scottish government to invest a modest amount of pump-prime funding to realise the economic and environmental benefits that would be felt by all across the UK?”
