£15m plans unveiled for new Greenock cruise terminal

Offering a gateway into the iconic city of Glasgow, Greenock has emerged as one of Scotland's most impressive cruise destinations. Every year, thousands of holidaymakers head out of the city to destinations including the Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords and Baltic Nations. Additionally, there are thousands more that arrive into the city via Greenock's terminal from various destinations throughout the content and beyond.

As more and more holidaymakers start to notice the appeal in cruising, the need for a larger terminal complex becomes more apparent. Fortunately, the need for this has been realised and plans to develop the existing terminal into and appealing structure are set to go ahead. As part of a £1billion investment scheme for the Glasgow City region, the project has been given £15million worth of funding to help get it off the ground.

Although this may seem a large cost for such a project, Inverclyde Council has welcomed the plans as it is hoped that this will generate an additional £26m to the local economy. The building will feature a number of notable venues including a restaurant and a gallery dedicated to the works of George Wyllie, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 90. His works were highly acclaimed, with particular reference to the Straw Locomotive and Paper Boat pieces.

Speaking to the BBC, Inverclyde Council leader, Councillor Stephen McCabe, affirmed the forecasted economic growth the new terminal could bring. "As a key City Deal project, the new visitor centre at Greenock Ocean Terminal aims to make a significant contribution to economic growth and international tourism across the wider city region area. Just a few weeks ago, the eight city region councils and our partners launched a new tourist strategy and action plan which aims to increase visitors by one million by 2023."

The new terminal in Greenock will offer a fantastic opportunity for local holidaymakers as well as visitors coming to the UK to admire the works of George Wyllie. His daughter, Louise Wyllie, said: "It has always been an ambition of The George Wyllie Foundation to celebrate and mark my father's life and work in Inverclyde; an area which he loved and which was the lifeblood of all his art works. This exciting development at Ocean Terminal in Greenock marks a sea-change in the Foundation's on-going voyage to mark his legacy as a ground-breaking artist and to make more people aware of his life's work."

The new terminal is set to become a top visitor landmark and is being developed by the award-winning Richard Murphy Architects. The planned completion date is pencilled in for between spring and summer 2020.

Greenock is just one of the ports you can embark on a cruise from within Scotland, with the Edinburgh port of Rosyth. A cruise from either of these ports opens up a range of opportunities, with itineraries taking passengers to destinations including the Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords and Baltic nations. For more information or to make a booking, contact our friendly sales team via the freephone number above or complete the online enquiry form.