Chapter 9 - Water transport

Introduction

This chapter provides information about foreign and domestic freight traffic at Scottish ports and inland waterways by type of freight and country of origin and destination. It also includes statistics on passengers and vehicles carried on ferry routes operating in Scotland and routes between Scotland and Northern Ireland and Europe as well as some statistics on HM Coastguard search and rescue operations.

Port traffic statistics methodology changed in 2000, to comply with the requirements of a new EC Maritime Statistics Directive. This produced large changes in the figures for one-port and coastwise traffic, and in the split between domestic and foreign traffic, between 1999 and 2000. Details of the method and notes on the effect of the change are given in the water transport section of the user guide.

From 2015 DfT no longer publish a Scottish data for coastwise, one port and inland waterway traffic and we are unable to update tables 9.1, 9.9 and 9.11 as fully as we previously did.

Key Points

• There were 59 million tonnes of freight handled by ports in Scotland in 2022.
• There was a total of 7.6 million passengers and 2.6 million vehicles carried on ferry routes within Scotland in 2021.
• There were 1.7 million passengers and 0.48 million vehicles carried between Scotland and Northern Ireland in 2022.

Main Points

Freight Tonnage

Exports through major (see section 9.16.3 page 278) Scottish ports rose from 61 million tonnes in 1997 to 68 million tonnes in 2002 before steadily falling to 26 million tonnes in 2022 (there has been a 18% fall in the last ten years) - eight ports were counted as major ports in 1997 and 1998, there were nine in 1999 and 11 from 2000 onwards. Imports totalled 11.5 million tonnes, considerably less than the volume of exports. (Table 9.2) 

Waterborne freight (both incoming and outgoing) passing through all ports increased by 2% in 2022 to 59 million tonnes. This was 17% less than in 2013, continuing a steady fall. In 2022, the eleven major ports accounted for 94% of the total traffic through Scottish ports. Exports accounted for 46% of the total freight through major Scottish ports and domestic traffic accounted for 33%. Imports, and incoming domestic freight were much lower, together accounting for 33% of the total freight through major Scottish ports. (Table 9.2)

Ports and Destinations

Forth (21 million tonnes) and Clyde (10 million tonnes) accounted for the highest freight traffic in 2022. Forth traffic is 4% higher than 2021, and is 19% below 2012. Clyde’s freight traffic has fluctuated between 2012 and 2022, falling overall from 15 million tonnes to 10 million tonnes in 2022. Again, as these figures are for the total volume of traffic, they are unaffected by the change in the method of compiling the statistics. (Table 9.3)

Bulk fuel accounted for 34 million tonnes (61%) of the total traffic through major Scottish ports in 2022. (Table 9.4)

Top ports for foreign traffic were: Forth (18.8 million tonnes); Clyde (8.1 million tonnes) and Sullom Voe (4.6 million tonnes). Clyde (6.7 million tonnes) and Forth (3.8 million tonnes) together accounted for almost all the imports from foreign traffic. Glensanda (3.0 million tonnes), Cairnryan (2.0 million tonnes), Aberdeen (1.4 million tonnes) and Loch Ryan (1.3 million tonnes), had most outward domestic traffic; Cairnryan (1.5 million tonnes) and Loch Ryan (1.3 million tonnes) were the main ports for inwards domestic traffic. (Table 9.6b)

The main types of traffic through the major ports in 2022 were crude oil (24 million tonnes), other dry bulk (8 million tonnes) and oil products (7 million tonnes). (Table 9.7)

In 2022 most exports were destined for Netherlands (9.7 million tonnes), Asia (3.2 million tonnes), Germany (3.0 million tonnes) and Belgium (1.9 million tonnes) while most imports arrived from the USA (2.8 million tonnes) and the Norway (2.6 million tonnes). (Table 9.8)

Passenger Services

Routes to Northern Ireland and Europe

In 2022, 1.7 million passengers were carried on ferry services between Scotland and Northern Ireland. There were 0.48 million vehicles carried between Scotland and Northern Ireland in 2022, a 7 per cent increase on 2021. Until its closure in 2018 the Rosyth to Zeebrugge freight route was the only ferry route between Scotland and Europe. (Tables 9.13 (a) & (b))

Routes within Scotland

This section covers all routes within Scotland for which data is available, for example data is not available for Pentland Ferries. These statistics include routes within Scotland that are subsidised by Scottish Government, local authority ferry services and privately run services. More detail is available in the water transport section of the user guide.

There were 7.6 million passengers carried on routes within Scotland in 2022, a rise of 22 per cent compared to 2021 and 10 per cent below the recent peak in numbers in 2007. Caledonian MacBrayne carried 4.9 million of these passengers (64%) and Western Ferries carried a further 16 per cent on the Gourock-Dunoon route. (Table 9.12a)

There were 2.6 million vehicles carried on routes within Scotland in 2021, a 42 per cent increase on 2020. Of these vehicles, 51 per cent were carried by Caledonian MacBrayne and a further 21 per cent by Western Ferries on the Gourock-Dunoon route. (Table 9.12b)

Operators on subsidised routes within Scotland

Caledonian MacBrayne ferries carried 4.9 million passengers in 2022, 0.9 million (24%) more than in 2021. There were 1.4 million cars carried, (13%) more than 2021, and 88,000 commercial vehicles and buses, 4% more than 2020. (Table 9.14a)

Serco Northlink Ferries carried 339,000 passengers in 2022, a 47 per cent increase compared to 2021. There were 82,000 cars carried on these routes in 2022, 30% more than 2021. (Table 9.14a)

Local authority ferry services

Shetland Islands Council services carried 656,500 passengers in 2022, 5% more than 2021. There were 338,000 vehicles carried, a rise of 2% on 2021.

Orkney Ferries services carried 321,000 passengers in 2022, 37% more than in 2021. There were 101,000 vehicles carried on these routes, 25% more than the previous year. (Table 9.14b)

Ferries operated by Argyll and Bute Council carried 167,000 passengers in 2022. (Table 9.14b and 9.16a)

Ferry routes within and to/from Scotland

The busiest ferry route within Scotland in terms of passengers and vehicles carried is the service between Gourock and Dunoon, operated by Western Ferries, which carried 1.2 million passengers in 2022. There were 610,000 cars carried on this route and 27,800 commercial vehicles and buses in 2022. (Table 9.16)

The second busiest Scottish ferry route over recent years in terms of passenger numbers has been the Cairnryan / Belfast route. This route carried 1.3 million passengers in 2022. (Table 9.13a)

The second busiest route in terms of cars carried was the Corran Ferry from Ardgour to Nether Lochaber operated by Highland Council with 190,000 carried in 2021. (Table 9.16)

The busiest subsidised ferry routes are operated by Caledonian MacBrayne. The busiest route in terms of passengers in 2022 was Ardrossan-Brodick, with 692,518 passengers. Largs - Cumbrae was the busiest subsidised route for car traffic in 2022 with 185,052 car crossings, an increase of 5 per cent over the previous year. (Table 9.15)

The Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) scheme involves setting ferry fares on the basis of the cost of travelling an equivalent distance by road, more detail on RET can be found in the water transport section of the user guide. The West Coast routes where Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) has been rolled out carried 2,311,300 passengers in 2021 and 722,200 cars. The Clyde routes where Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) has been rolled out carried 2,586,900 passengers in 2022 and 701,100 cars. (Table 9.15)

Ferry Punctuality

The level of reliability (the number of timetabled sailings actually operated, see table footnote in table for more detail) for Caledonian MacBrayne lifeline ferry services was 98.7% in 2022-23 and the level of punctuality (against the published timetable) was 99.6%. For Northlink the level of lifeline ferry services that were both punctual and reliable was 99.7% for Aberdeen routes and 99.8% for the Pentland Firth in 2022-23. (Table 9.17)

Coastguard callouts

Overall there were 4,241 incidents in 2019, 63 less than the previous year. (Table 9.18)

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Notes

Note 1

Covers all coastwise cargo lifted in Scotland, regardless of its destination.

Note 2

Covers cargoes lifted in Scotland for offshore installations and for dumping at sea.

Note 3

Total of Coastwise traffic, One Port traffic and the Internal and Foreign components of Inland Waterway traffic. Excludes Coastwise and One Port components of Inland Waterway traffic to avoid double counting.

Note 4

Major ports only. There were seven major ports in 1996; eight in 1997 and 1998; nine in 1999;and 11 from 2000 onwards.

Note 5

Coastwise traffic, One Port traffic, the Internal component of Inland Waterway traffic, and Port exports. Excludes Coastwise and One Port components of Inland Waterway traffic to avoid double counting.

Note 6

DfT have now discontinued the publication of a number of tables in their publication. We are therefore no longer able to update most of this table.

Note 7

This is the total of Coastwise traffic, One Port traffic and Inland Waterway traffic. No double counting exists as the Coastwise component of Inland Waterway traffic relates to the distance travelled on inland waterways, and Coastwise traffic relates to the distance travelled at sea.

Note 8

Figures for tonne-kilometres are not available for exports (and, in any case, would not be relevant to Scottish transport statistics).

Note 9

Covers all coastwise cargo discharged in Scotland, whether it was loaded in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK.

Note 10

One port traffic covers cargoes from offshore installations and sea dredged aggregates unloaded in Scotland; figures from 2012 subject to revision.

Note 11

Information about Inland Waterway traffic discharged in Scotland is not available from the statistics compiled by DfT.

Note 12

Figures for tonne-kilometres are not available for imports (and, in any case, would not be relevant to Scottish transport statistics).

Note 13

Stranraer port was closed from 20 November 2011 and operations were transferred to Loch Ryan port.

Note 14

Figures for 2012 may include some traffic from 2011 due to the transfer of operations from Stranraer.

Note 15

The increase in tonnage on the new Loch Ryan route compared to Stranraer is due to larger ships being used.

Note 16

Other West Coast ports are: Troon; Ardrishaig; Corpach; Stornoway;Kyle of Lochalsh; Girvan; Kirkudbright; Port Askaig.

Note 17

Includes Rosyth, Braefoot Bay, Burntisland, Grangemouth, Hound Point, Kirkcaldy, Leith and Methil

Note 18

Other East Coast ports are: Scrabster; Wick; Gills Bay; Buckie; Fraserburgh; Inverkeithing; Scalloway.

Note 19

From 1995 onwards, separate figures for bulk fuel and other are available for major ports only.

Note 20

Cairnryan and Peterhead did became major ports (in terms of the statistical survey) in 1997, and 1999 respectively. Dundee and Stranraer became major ports in 2000.

Note 21

With effect from 1995, traffic at smaller ports is estimated.

Note 22

Includes road goods vehicles, unaccompanied trailers, and shipborne port to port trailers.

Note 23

Includes also Caledonian Canal, lochs Fyne, Leven and Linnhe, Moray Firth, River Tay. From 2015 the totals do not include other waterways.

Note 24

Cowal Ferries operated the Gourock-Dunoon route from October 2006 until June 2011 when Argyll Ferries took over operation and carry passengers only. It is not possible to split passenger figures for 2011 between the two operators.

Note 25

P&O Scottish Ferries stopped operating these services on 30 September 2002. NorthLink Orkney & Shetland Ferries Ltd operated from 1 October 2002 until 6 July 2006; NorthLink Ferries Ltd operated from 6 July 2006 until 5 July 2012; Serco NorthLink Ferries operated from 5 July 2012 to date.

Note 26

Only includes main routes listed in Table 9.16.

Note 27

Bruce Watt Cruises no longer operates due to retirement.

Note 28

This service ceased to operate from May 2001.

Note 29

No data is available for Pentland ferries.

Note 30

Figures for 2020 and 2021 were affected by restrictions due to the COVID 19 pandemic.

Note 31

The Stranraer - Belfast ferry service was replaced by the Cairnryan-Belfast route in November 2011.

Note 32

The Troon - Larne ferry service was withdrawn in September 2015.

Note 33

The Troon - Belfast ferry service was withdrawn in December 2004.

Note 34

Does not include containers caried on shipborne port to port trailers. There was no service in the fourth quarter of 2008. This service closed in April 2018. The service started in May 2002. The drop in passenger numbers in 2006 follows a reduction in the frequency of the service with effect from November 2005.

Note 35

These are passenger numbers only as car and commercial vehicles are not recorded.

Note 36

Records for Rosyth-Zeebrugge indicate a nil return for 2004. However, there are some 4,230 units attributed to an unknown port of load/unload. We believe some element of this value includes import/export vehicles for R-Z, although we are unable to estimate what proportion.

Note 37

Figures include charter and contract carryings (see table 15).

Note 38

This figure only covers the routes of Mallaig to the smaller isles since the freight is lifted by crane onto the vessels rather than transported by lorry onto the ferry.

Note 39

Financial year beginning 1 April of year.

Note 40

Gourock-Dunoon service transferred to CalMac Ferries in January 2019.

Note 41

P&O Scottish Ferries stopped operating its services on 30 September 2002.

Note 42

NorthLink Orkney & Shetland Ferries Ltd operated from 1 October 2002 until 6 July 2006; NorthLink Ferries Ltd operated from 6 July 2006 until 5 July 2012; Serco NorthLink Ferries operated from 5 July 2012 to date.

Note 43

Only coaches and mini-buses are included under this heading. The number of vehicles are no longer available due to a change in the method of collecting the data.

Note 44

Years prior to 2006 covered the period 1 October to 30 September. Figures for 2006 relate to a financial year beginning 1 April. Figures for 2007 onwards relate to an operating year from July to June. The subsidy in 2018 has increased due to the change in Freight vessel charter arrangements.

Note 45

The figures published previously for 2003 to 2005 were wrong. Corrected figures for 2003 and 2004 are not readily available.

Note 46

In 2001 P&O's loose freight operations were taken over by a separate company called, Northwards, which did not provide the relevant information. 

Note 47

Figures include main routes only; there are smaller routes which are not included. Since 2008, no fares have been charged on two routes, the previous figures are therefore not comparable. Data for routes included in Table 16 .

Note 48

Passenger figures for the Corran Ferry are first included in 2013.

Note 49

Seasonal carryings.

Note 50

These figures are an aggregate of the Uig-Tarbert-Lochmaddy, Uig-Lochmaddy, Uig-Tarbert & Tarbert-Lochmaddy routes.

Note 51

Berneray-Leverburgh replaced the Otternish-Leverburgh service and started in 2002.

Note 52

Ballycastle-Rathlin was operated by CalMac prior to April 2007

Note 53

This route was out of service between March 2003 and June 2003.

Note 54

Cowal Ferries operated the Gourock-Dunoon route from October 2006 until June 2011 when Argyll Ferries took over operation and carry passengers only. It is not possible to split passenger figures for 2011 between the two operators.

Note 55

The Aberdeen to Stromness route changed to Aberdeen to Kirkwall in October 2002 but the figures provided by the company for 2002 did not distinguish between the two.

Note 56

Years prior to 2006 covered the period 1 October to 30 September. Figures for 2006 relate to a financial year beginning 1 April. Figures for 2007 onwards relate to an operating year from July to June. Day charters and livestock specials are included in the figures for some routes.

Note 57

Route commenced May 2013.

Note 58

Between 2013 and 2015 route oprated as pilot scheme on Tuesday and Saturday during winter timetable. Full service started Summer 2016.

Note 59

Calmac took over the operation of this route from Strathclyde Partnership for Transport in 2020. The figures for 2020 cover the period from 1 June 2020 to 31 December 2020.

Note 60

Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) was introduced on these routes in October 2008

Note 61

Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) was introduced on these routes in October 2012

Note 62

Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) was introduced on these routes in October 2015

Note 63

In addition to the routes shown in this table, there are some other routes, which have less traffic, for which the number of passengers and vehicles are included in the totals for the operator which appear in table 14. The figures for cars also include commercial vehicles which are also counted separately.

Note 64

Passenger numbers prior to 1999 are based on paying passengers, but from 1999 numbers are based on a head count. There were 793,600 paying passengers in 1999.

Note 65

Figures for 2000 and 2001 are estimates.

Note 66

As foot passengers carried on the Corran Ferry travel for free, exact numbers are not recorded. However, an estimate of the number is included in the table.

Note 67

Until 25 October 1999 this service carried pupils going to Lochaber High School. A bus service now operates to carry school pupils, which mainly accounts for the drop in passenger numbers from 1999 to 2000. Since 2006 this has carried pupils from Fort William who attend Ardnamurchan High School.

Note 68

Passenger numbers in 1999 are high because of special events such as the Tall ships race.

Note 69

Figures relate to financial years which start in the specified calendar year (e.g. the 1998 figure is for 1998-99). Comparable figures prior to 1998-99 are not available, because before then the numbers of passengers were counted exclusive of ZoneCard ticket holders (and therefore passengers who had a ZoneCard were not counted). SPT no longer operates the Renfrew-Yoker ferry (Clydelink have run this service commercially since April 2010).

Note 70

Since 2001 the Gourock-Kilcreggan route has been tendered by Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT), and operated under contract by Clyde Marine and more recently by Clydelink. The SPT changed it's name to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport in April 2006. Figures relate to financial years which start in the specified calendar year (e.g. the "1998" figure is for 1998-99). It was a Caledonian MacBrayne route in previous years, so figures for 2000 and earlier years appear in table 9.14. Clydelink operated this service until 12/05/2018. Clyde Marine Services Ltd have continued to operate this service from 14/05/2018 to 30/05/2020. Calmac ferries Ltd took over the operation of the route from 1/06/20.

Note 71

2004 is the first full calender year of the electronic ticketing sytem and the statistics quoted for the Cuan, Easdale and Appin Services reflect the more accurate counting method.

Note 72

Since 2008,there have been no fares charged on this route. This route is now Gutcher Hamarsness.

Note 73

From 2008 to 2011 there were no fares charged on this route. They were reintroduced in 2012. Figures for Gutcher/Belmont to Hamarsness are included in these figures

Note 74

The Gairloch to Portree service operated by West Highland Seaways was withdrawn from 22 August 2004.

Note 75

Separate figures for cars/buses and commercial vehicles are only available for some Orkney Ferries services for recent years. Prior to that, only the total number of vehicles carried is available.

Note 76

The operator indicated that the figure provided for buses and commercial vehicles in 2002 may not be directly comparable with previous years. Figures for 2003 onwards are not comparable with earlier years.

Note 77

Data for Pentland Ferries is not available

Note 78

Figures for passenger numbers on the Corran ferry service have not been included in the total for Highland council as the figures are new estimates and considered as data under development.

Note 79

Total does not include unspecified traffic.