A direct ferry link between Scotland and mainland Europe is scheduled to restart in early 2023.
The ship is expected to sail from Rosyth (Edinburgh, Scotland), south of Dunfermline on the Firth of Forth, to Zeebrugge (Belgium), north of Bruges City.
The ferry route was for the last time open to freight in 2018. At the time it was operated by DFDS Seaways, but a fire onboard Finlandia Seaways hastened the end as DFDS couldn't find a replacement and lost hope of turning around losses.
The vessel last carried passenger services in 2010, 8 years after it first started sailing. It was the only direct sea link Scotland-Europe, and in the wake of Brexit, the interest in reopening has been building. The ferries will at first carry freight, but there is an eye on opening the trips to the public soon after, with concerns that not carrying travelers for 2023's summer season would be a missed chance.
A statement of intent released by DFDS and Ptarmigan Shipping reads:
“Ptarmigan Shipping and DFDS have signed an agreement with the intention to further investigate the possibility for a new ferry route between Rosyth and Zeebrugge with a target date being early 2023 for freight.
“This is all subject to the support we can get from the market and stakeholders, which will be our focus during the next few months. A further study is being carried out regarding the passenger business.”