Tuesday 2 October 2012

Cruise Ships at Cockenzie!!

Upon perusing the local weekly paper I happened upon this story Cruise Ship Vision for Cockenzie . My immediate thought was, nah it'll never happen, but reading through the story my attitude began to change. I began to be excited by the idea.

A Little Background.

My dear husband and I have been on a number of cruises in our 10 years together. For most of these wonderful holidays we have driven the long and sometimes frightening road to Southampton. We arrive at the port exhausted, feeling dirty and really not up to enjoying the first day of our holiday. Now do not get me wrong the transition through the port is totally trauma free, (unlike some airports I could mention), but it is still a long, long way to go. It can take anywhere between 9 and 12 hours to do the drive, and of course you have the same when you return. Yes you may say we could fly, but see above, (DH has metal pins in his back) or we could take the train but as those of you who know us know DH lives in severe pain and driving is truly the best option as we can stop whenever and he can move about freely and for as long as he needs. 
As DH'S health has deteriorated we have all but given up on ever doing another cruise as the drive we would now deem impossible, so having a cruise terminal almost literally at the foot of our street would once again mean we could save and dream.

The Site

The site they are proposing this development on is currently a coal fired power station with a rail link from the main East Coast Line leading directly in to it. It is less than 5 minutes from the main Edinburgh - London A1 road and is about 30 mins from Edinburgh Airport.
The power station is due to close in March of next year and there is planning to replace it with a gas fired one. The power station has been here all my life as far as I know, so is lets just say over 40 years, and is  now only used as a backup facility and manned by a limited staff. The same would be true for a new one, which as the article says is becoming more remote than ever due to the current economic climate.
As far as I can see this site would be ideal for a development such as a cruise terminal. Just think of the jobs it would bring to the area, the tourists, the kudos to East Lothian of being a port of call. 
East Lothian is a gem of a county, it has scenery, what would at times seem a climate all of it's own and history in spades. What a boost this would be to the county. Yes people would still go on trips into Edinburgh etc, but some would also want to explore what it is East Lothian has to offer, and we do have some wonderful golf courses, beaches, museums, castles, market towns, need I go on? 

My Final Thoughts

Would this be a good thing for the site? Yes.
Would it be good for the county? Yes
Do I want it on my doorstep? Yes 
Do I mind increased traffic and all the people who would come along with the project? No
Do I want to see this area reborn and vibrant? Hell Yes

Scotland has no dedicated Cruise Terminal, we use freight docks or tender passengers from ship to small jetty, don't we as a people want a more positive welcoming picture of our country from the people who have chosen their cruise to include a visit to our wonderful country?
I sure as hell do.

So in conclusion I say Cruise Ships at Cockenzie, BRING IT ON!!

These are my personal views.


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