ferry

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.

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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CHLOE Ferry has undergone a new bum treatment after getting her Brazilian Bum Lift removed as she prepared for her Thailand holiday.

Geordie Shore star Chloe, 30, took to Instagram to post a video from the treatment room and flashed her bum in a red thong.

She looked delighted with the results of her latest bum tweakment – after undergoing surgery to reduce her rear following a BBL.

A smiling Chloe revealed the latest procedure was to “sculpt” her bottom via body contouring.

She wrote over the top of the clip: “Perfect bum treatment before Thailand.”

When she made her Geordie Shore debut in 2015 she’d had no work done.

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But Chloe went on to get £50k worth of surgeries and tweakments in a bid to “look like a Kardashian”.

Last year she had her BBL reversed and broke down in floods of tears when recalling some of the past decisions she had made about her body.

Reflecting on her previous appearance, Chloe was overcome with disbelief, in one video after the BBL, admitting, “I don’t even know why I’m so emotional because I’m so happy with my results

“Look at, like how ridiculous I looked. I looked like that for so long.

“It’s just really, really hit it hard.”

She’s had a nose job, fox eye lift, liposuction, breast implants, Botox and filler.

In 2018, Chloe underwent the painful procedure to have a bigger bottom.

However, after seven years of showing off her peachy bum she decided to get the operation reversed.

Taking to social media Chloe explained how she wanted to share “something personal” that she had “never publicly addressed”.

“Being put into the public eye at 19 years old was very daunting, I was naive and vulnerable,” she started.

“I was ridiculed for my looks and my weight amongst other numerous insults through social media and the press which affected my mental health and confidence massively, the young woman I once loved being become self conscious looking for perfection,” Chloe added.

She continued: “With this attention came offers of cosmetic surgery which I thought would solve all my problems, give me back my spark and self love, this wasn’t the case.

“I suffered more depression, anxiety as well as physical discomfort. A decision made without understanding the pros and cons, a decision made on me hoping it would make me feel whole again.

“After years of working on my inner self, I feel like I’ve grown and entered a new stage of my life where I want to be transparent with my followers and take you along in a journey to correct my previous work and educate you all on the harsh truth of what I have endured alone for so long.”

She then said: “I want young woman and men to lean from my mistakes and have a better understanding of cosmetic surgery.”

STANDING on a small wooden platform way up in the treetops, I don’t want to make the leap.

My next foothold will be another ledge high in the branches, about 50 metres away.

To reach it, I need to hurl myself on a zip wire over a lake, praying that my harness will hold after all the croissants I’ve demolished since arriving in France.

I’m sorely tempted to back out, but my husband Chris is chasing my tail. If

I don’t jump soon, he’ll come flying into me feet-first.

Meanwhile, our four-year-old twins are safely on the ground, playing games and crafting in the kids’ club.

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And to think we could have spent this precious, child-free morning sipping panache (French shandy) at our holiday parc’s lakeside brasserie . . .

But here we are, clipped on to the treetop adventure course at Eurocamp’s Domaine des Ormes, near Dol-de-Bretagne in Brittany.

The parc is within easy reach of ferry ports including Saint Malo and Roscoff, making it ideal for those not wanting to travel too far.

But there are far better reasons to stay here, including the pretty woodland setting, impressive range of activities and epic pool complex, complete with waterslides and lazy river.

For my family of four, this is our first Eurocamp experience.

I’d heard good things about the outdoor holiday specialist from friends raving about their bakeries and swimming pools. And it was time to see it for myself.

With two weeks to spare, we chose a two-point holiday, opting for a first week on France’s west coast before a second in Brittany.

Our adventure began on the overnight ferry to France. While the kids excitedly leapt between bunks in our cabin, I watched through the porthole as Plymouth slipped away beneath the sunset.

The next morning, we woke up in the French port of Roscoff, known for its pink onions and crepes, before clambering into our car and starting the six-and-a-half-hour drive south.

Our destination for the first week was Eurocamp’s La Pinede parc, near the seaside resort of Les Mathes in Charente-Maritime.

Sandwiched between the Atlantic and the Gironde estuary, the campsite has a laid-back vibe, with holiday homes scattered through the pine forest, as well as entertainment on tap for all ages.

Outdoor yoga

Pulling up outside our two-bed holiday home, complete with private decking, I quickly notice how relaxed our new neighbours seem.

Children cycle between pools to get their final swim before bedtime (which is much later than at home).

Parents sit on the terraces of their cabins playing cards and drinking red wine (which costs less than a tenner for a decent supermarket bottle).

Barbecues sizzle, swimwear is hung out to dry, more wine is poured.

Later, families stroll to the evening entertainment, which ranges from cabaret shows to “full-moon parties”.

We adjust very easily to the slowed-down pace at La Pinede, ditching our car and hiring bikes to get around.

Each morning, I cycle to the on-site shop to buy croissants and local melons for breakfast, loving the simplicity of it.

Our days are mainly spent together as a family, whooshing down slides in the aquapark, playing mini golf and eating on our deck (although there is also a restaurant for those times when we cannot be bothered to cook).

One afternoon, we took the kids on tagalong bikes, pedalling four miles to La Palmyre beach for ice creams and sandcastle-building.

But, for tired parents, the free children’s club for ages four to 17 offers some very welcome respite.

While the waves near La Coubre Lighthouse beckon for surf-mad Chris, I’m keen for something more zen, in the shape of outdoor yoga.

Chloe Mafana is a local yoga teacher who runs weekly classes at La Pinede (€10 per person).

And after an hour of mindful breathing and stretching, and a final relaxation to the sound of Chloe’s wind chimes, I feel blissed out.

Our second week has a different feel. Around 250 miles north of La Pinede, Domaine des Ormes is a bigger parc with even more activities, including wakeboarding, archery and horse riding.

Nearby attractions include the fortified abbey of Mont Saint-Michel.

While Chris and I were impressed by its 12th-century cobbled streets and bay views, the kids were wowed by the fact this tidal island inspired the kingdom in Disney movie Tangled.

Although Domaine des Ormes is a bigger site, the simple pleasures of our first week — evening barbecues, children playing outside and chilled-out parents sipping wine — were still there.

But back on that treetop ledge, way above ground, I felt far from chilled out.

With no option to turn back, though, I took a deep breath and leapt forward into the void.

The line caught me and I picked up speed, seeing the woods and lake rush by beneath me.

Then I started to get into it, jumping from successive platforms with increasing confidence.

After countless whoops, the final platform zoomed into view — and it was all over too soon.

Adrenaline rushed through me and my heart was pumping as I unclipped from the course.

My feet may have been back on the ground, but I was still on a high.

SCOTLAND could soon have its own direct link to Europe via ferry.

Plans have been in the works for years to connect Scotland to northern France and it’s set to become a reality in 2026.

Called ‘Project Brave’, the ferry route was first proposed in 2022 and was originally set to launch in spring 2025, but has faced delays due to a lack of funding.

The route is now being actively pursued once more and could be reintroduced as early as 2026 with the funding issue having now been resolved.

If it goes ahead, the service will link Rosyth, a town in Fife to Dunkirk in France.

If it goes ahead, the route would run three times a week and take 20 hours in total.

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Speaking in Westminster in November 2024, Scottish MP Graeme Downie proposed that £3 million in funding was needed to start up the service.

He said: “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 of spend to the Scottish economy.”

The new proposed route would become one of the longest ferry journeys in Europe.

But that title currently belongs to the service between Portsmouth to Bilbao in Spain, which lasts between 27 and 30 hours.

In the past, Scotland had a similar service between Rosyth and Zeebrugge which Belgium previously connected Scotland to Europe.

The overnight crossing took 17 hours and operated four times per week.

The route was discontinued in 2008, following six years of service.

It was reintroduced in 2009, but was pulled again in 2010 because of insufficient demand.

DFDS operates three main routes from the UK to France.

These are from Dover to Calais, Dover to Dunkirk and Newhaven to Dieppe.

Currently, there are no direct passenger ferries from Scotland to mainland Europe.

Other routes DFDS offers include those to the Channel Islands from southern England and the northernmost major ferry route from the UK from Newcastle to Amsterdam.

Another ferry route connects Essex to the Netherlands…

Elsewhere in the UK, Harwich, a seaside town in Essex, already has a direct ferry service to Europe.

Brits looking to head to the Netherlands will be excited to know about Harwich’s ferry link to the Hook of Holland.

With a journey time of roughly seven hours, many tourists opt for the sleeper service so they can arrive in Holland early in the morning.

From the Dutch ferry port, Rotterdam is 40 minutes away by car, while a drive to Amsterdam takes just over an hour.

Meanwhile, a new ferry route to ‘Maldives-style’ UK island loved by royals was scrapped last year.

Plus, find out if taking a ferry could save you money on your next holiday.