A previous European route for passengers was axed back in 2018, but connections could be revived as soon as spring 2025. If launched, it would become the second-longest ferry route across Europe and take over 20 hours.
Danish company DFDS would run the proposed route(Image: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
A proposed ferry route that would connect Scotland to France could launch as soon as spring 2026, with a 20-hour journey open for both passengers and freight.
Ferry operator DFDS has floated plans to offer a ferry services from Rosyth, about half an hour from Edinburgh, to Dunkirk on France’s Nord department.
It’s not the first time the Scottish port has had a European service. Until 2010, passengers could travel by boat to Zeebrugge in Belgium, which used to take 17 hours. The service, which ran four times a week, was axed for passengers in 2010 and turned into a freight service before being discontinued completely in 2018.
The plans, dubbed ‘Project Brave’ were first revealed in 2022, but soon hit red tape. There was initially a need to build new border control facilities at Rosyth to process certain goods. However, officials are now looking to remove the need for the facilities, which means the route could be ready to launch in as soon as spring.
Questions were also raised about whether Transport Scotland should subsidise the £3 million needed to open the route, with the government arguing it would be ‘anti-competitive’ to provide the funding. However, Labour MP Graeme Downie argued in Westminster in November that “It is estimated the direct ferry link would initially carry 51,000 passengers a year, rising to 79,000, bringing an additional £11.5 million (€14 million) of spend to the Scottish economy.”
The planned 20-hour route would run three times a week, and would become the second-longest ferry service in all of Europe, just behind the Portsmouth to Bilbao route which takes between 27 and 30 hours.
Graeme Downie also previously spoke in parliament about the delays faced in making the new route a reality, saying: “These matters can be complex but we have taken a huge stride towards making this ferry service a reality. I want to thank the secretary of state for Scotland and his officials for their work and assistance in finding a way to ensure a Border Control Post is not required at Rosyth. Their efforts make it more likely a passenger and freight ferry to Dunkirk could begin as soon as next year
“We are not quite there yet and, in particular, a small amount of infrastructure is needed at the Port of Rosyth. However, as the ferry is one of the projects in the strategy of the Forth Green Freeport I am hopeful we can overcome this problem as well.”
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Dunkirk’s location makes it a handy port for those planning to drive on the continent. As well as being a gateway to France, it is close to the Belgium and just over an hour from the Netherlands.
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