THE Princess Royal was given a warm Inverclyde welcome on a recent visit to the new Greenock Ocean Terminal Visitor Centre
Officially opened six months ago, the £20.1 million project was delivered by Heron Bros and designed by Richard Murphy Architects on behalf of Inverclyde Council.
The visitor centre features a restaurant and roof terrace, as well as an arrivals/departure hall operated by Peel Ports Clydeport, and a museum and art gallery that pays tribute to the renowned artist George Wyllie, who worked as a customs officer in Greenock.
During her visit, The Princess Royal met officials from Inverclyde Council involved in delivering the project, staff from the port’s operator Peel Ports Clydeport, volunteers at the Inverclyde Tourist Group, members of the board of the George Wyllie Trust, and staff from Scotts Greenock restaurant.
She also met minister Donald Cameron, a parliamentary under secretary of state for Scotland, representing the UK government which, along with the Scottish Government, provided the funding for the project though the Glasgow City Region City Deal.
She had earlier enjoyed a special reception on the MV Hebridean Princess, which was docked in the nearby Port of Greenock and is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. After leaving the MV Hebridean Princess, The Princess Royal, accompanied by vice admiral Sir Tim Laurence, walked along the waterfront before receiving a tour of the pontoon which was created as part of the project.
The pontoon enabled Ocean Terminal to welcome cruise ships with freight traffic now dedicated to the Port of Greenock, the former Ocean Terminal dock, and was a vital part of the overall development.
She was then welcomed to the visitor centre by piper Fraser Gallagher from Port Glasgow High School before receiving a tour and meeting council staff and officials who were involved in the multi-agency development as well as staff from Peel Ports Clydeport – which has contributed £8 million to the recent wider renovation works at the terminal.
The Princess Royal also enjoyed a sneak preview of the Wyllieum and met members of the board as they prepare to open to the public at the end of April, then met staff from Buzzworks’ Scotts Greenock restaurant.
Provost of Inverclyde, Drew McKenzie, said, “I was delighted to welcome The Princess Royal to Greenock Ocean Terminal Visitor Centre.
“Even though it was a cloudy Scottish day, the wonderful coastline of Inverclyde speaks for itself and Greenock Ocean Terminal visitor centre is one of the best places to view it.
“This project was a fine example of partnership working and that continues with various businesses and interests all involved in the running of the building.
“I am sure I speak for many in Inverclyde who are looking forward to the return of the splendid cruise ships to Greenock and this Royal visit was a wonderful way to get ready for another bumper season.”
It is estimated the development will provide a £26million boost to the Scottish economy, Inverclyde Council said – with it already surpassing the project aim of 150,000 passengers a year.
Jim McSporran, port director at Peel Ports Clydeport, added, “It’s been a real honour to welcome the Princess Royal to Greenock today and to showcase some of our facilities, as well as share with her our ambitious plans for the future at the port.
“It’s been a really special day, and vessels don’t get much more impressive than the MV Hebridean Princess, so it was great to mark the 60th anniversary of the ship with such an event.
“We’re expecting another strong year for cruise numbers, building on last year’s record numbers, as we continue to look to grow tourist numbers to the terminal in the years ahead.”
