While travelling on water for 20 hours might not be everyone’s cup of tea, this is how long it would take to get from Scotland to France on the ferry. DFDS is set to introduce a new ferry service between Rosyth and Dunkirk for the first time.
Danish company DFDS has initially proposed the new service in 2022, which ended up not going far due to lack of funds. However, ‘Project Brave’ is being reintroduced as early as 2025 with the funding issue having now been resolved.
The journey between Scotland and France could become one of the longest ferry journeys in Europe, running three times a week and taking 20 hours in total. Currently, the longest ferry journey is from Portsmouth to Bilbao in Spain, which lasts between 27 and 30 hours.
The new route could provide an environmentally friendly way to travel to the continent, bringing significant economic benefits to the country.
Speaking in Westminster last November, 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.’
In the past, Scotland had a similar service between Rosyth and Zeebrugge in Belgium, initially launching in 2002 and discontinued in 2008. The service was picked back up in 2009 only to be cancelled again, and the freight-only service was discontinued in 2018.