First cruise ship arrives at newly-expanded harbour in Aberdeen

AIDAaura arrived in Aberdeen on Tuesday

Aberdeen's newly-expanded harbour has welcomed its first cruise ship visit.

The £400m South Harbour, which is both larger and deeper, has been the UK's biggest marine infrastructure project.

The first cruise call on Tuesday morning was the 202m (663ft) AIDAaura, which has the capacity to carry more than 1,200 holidaymakers.

The capacity for cruise ships is expected to provide a major boost to the tourist industry in the coming months.

The AIDAaura arrived from Hamburg in Germany for a full day visit as part of its cruise route.

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Aberdeen is scheduled to welcome 39 cruise calls between May and October this year, with up to 31,000 guests.

And more than 50 calls are booked for 2024.

Port of Aberdeen chief executive Bob Sanguinetti said: "It is fantastic to see the first cruise call arrive at South Harbour, which marks a new dawn for tourism in the north east of Scotland.

"While the tourism industry is still recovering from the impact of the pandemic, we're very encouraged with the number of calls to the port secured for this year and next.

"We look forward to growing our work with the international cruise industry in the coming years, as tens of thousands guests experience the incredible scenery and culture that the region has to offer."