A new ferry route linking Scotland and mainland Europe is set to begin next year.
Once a popular journey from Rosyth, Fife to Zeebrugge, near Bruges, the direct sea route stopped taking passengers in 2010 and there are now new hopes of it restarting with Ptarmigan Shipping and DFDS.
This comes as Ptarmigan Shipping and ferry provider DFDS signed an agreement to investigate the possibility for a new route between the two towns for 2023.
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Rosyth is around 17 miles out of Edinburgh and 40 minutes by car, which would make this a convenient spots for potential holidays.
Zeebrugge is a seaside resort in Belgium made famous for its busy sea harbour. The Belgian destination features quality restaurants and fishermen’s pubs, and is only a 20-minute drive from the capital.
Speaking to Belgian news stations, Bruges mayor Dirk De fauw said: "I’m happy to see an alternative to the old Zeebrugge-Hull link to the UK.
"Rosyth is located not far from Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are cities with populations of 650,000 and 2 million respectively."
A statement from 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."
With more people looking for ways to travel more eco-friendly, taking a ferry produces less CO2 emissions than a flight and it is also a more unique mode of transportation that lets you breathe in the fresh sea air as you travel.
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