Plans to reinstate a ferry connection between Scotland and mainland Europe have advanced with a potential solution to border control requirements. Danish operator DFDS is preparing to launch a passenger and freight service between Rosyth, Fife, and Dunkirk, France, in spring 2026. The route is projected to handle around 51,000 passengers annually at the start, with potential to reach 79,000, and generate an estimated £11.5 million (US$14.5 million) for the Scottish economy each year.
A main obstacle has been the absence of a Border Control Post (BCP) at Rosyth, required for processing agrifood and other regulated goods. Constructing a new facility was considered too costly, leading DFDS to propose the use of the existing BCP at Grangemouth. While the recent UK–EU deal will eventually remove the requirement for BCPs, an interim arrangement is needed to launch the service before new rules take effect. In England, similar "remote BCP" operations are already in place, with goods arriving at Dover checked at Sevington, over 20 miles away.
Scotland secretary Ian Murray has written to environment secretary Steve Reed and the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, outlining how the Rosyth–Dunkirk link could proceed using a remote BCP. In his letter, Murray stated: "I would like to propose that we urgently seek to agree that an amendment to the BTOM is made, as a transitional measure to allow the use of remote BCPs, within a short radius of the port of arrival."
Dunfermline and Dollar MP Graeme Downie, who has been engaged in resolving the issue, said: "A regular passenger and freight ferry service from Rosyth to Dunkirk would be an incredible boon for the Dunfermline and Scottish economy, making trade easier as well as making it simpler for people from Europe to visit the Kingdom of Fife."
Downie added that while some infrastructure is still required at Rosyth, progress has been made. "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."
The project is supported by major Fife employers, including Amazon and seafood company Mowi. It is estimated that the route could remove 8.2 million kilometres of freight traffic from UK roads annually, reducing transport-related emissions.
The new link would replace the Rosyth–Zeebrugge route, which ended passenger services in 2010 and later operated freight-only before being discontinued in 2018 after a vessel fire impacted its viability.
Source: STV News
