Scrabster

Scrabster


Scrabster, the most Northerly port on the Scottish mainland was, for several decades, the port of choice for the British Queen and her family when they disembarked from the Royal Yacht Britannia every August to visit the Queen Mother at her Highland holiday home, Castle of Mey, 11 miles from Scrabster. Today, cruise line passengers can follow in their footsteps, as the Castle is open to visitors.

Situated within walking distance of Thurso, the second largest town in the Highlands, the Queen Elizabeth Pier has opened up the remote and beautiful landscape of the Far North to larger cruise vessels. The pier is 180 metres long, with a depth at Chart Datum of 8 metres. Deep-water anchorage is available within 0.2 nautical miles of the harbour..

The area has much to offer visitors, with a wealth of historic buildings, heritage centres and tours viewing the majestic North Coast and all the wildlife and natural heritage on offer.



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Related cruise stories

News from the port

Scrabster: Fit For A King

Prinsendam and Hebridean Princess joining a ferry and a cargo vessel in the port of Scrabster Overview For anyone not familiar with northernmost Scotland, it could come as a surprise that the area has been compared to Hawaii. Not because vis … Read more

Scottish Highlands: One Of The World's Top 20 To Visit In 2011

Where Altitude Affects Attitude: Cuillin Hills, Skye The Scottish Highlands, including Britain’s largest National Park, have been included in National Geographic Traveller magazine’s list of the top 20 places to visit in 2011. The magaz … Read more

Prinsendam berthed Scrabster for the first time

Holland America Line’s Prinsendam berthed alongside Scrabster for the first time this year and to date is the largest vessel to do so.

This year there were nine transit calls bringing 3,846 passengers to the port which is four hours’ steaming time from Kirkwall in Scotland. Next year there will be 13 calls and 4,099 passengers.

For five years now Hebridean Princess has been doing two or three turnarounds in Scrabster following being diverted from Invergordon due to bad weather. A summer easterly gale prevented the ship making the passage from Orkney to Invergordon.

Read more

Four new lines call Scrabster this season

Scrabster is expecting six turnaround and four transit calls this year compared to four plus three in 2009.Read more

Lat: 58°37'12" N

Lon: 3°27'60" W

Port Contact

Harbour office
KW14 7UJ Scrabster, Scotland, UK

Phone:+44 1847 892779
E-Mail:harbour@scrabster.co.uk
Web:http://www.scrabster.co.uk


Nautical Data

Max. Draught (m):7
Max. Air draught (m):no limit
Anchorage Available:yes
Anchorage Compulsory:no
Pilotage Compulsory:no
Tugs Available:yes
Tidal Movement/Range:spring 4, neap 1.5 (m)
Ship Stay Minimum (hrs):no limit
Ship Stay Maximum (hrs):no limit
Ship Stay Preferred (hrs):n/a
Show all data


Attraction & Excursions

Castle and Gardens of Mey

The late Queen Mother acquired the Castle of Mey, renovated and restored it and created the beautiful gardens you see today. For almost half a century she spent many happy summers here.

Pulteney Distillery, Wick

The most Northerly distillery on the Scottish mainland established in 1826, Pulteney Distillery is found in 'Pulteneytown', the town created to house fishermen during Wick’s 'herring boom'.

Mackay Clan and Strathnaver Museum

An hour’s drive west of Scrabster, on a spectacular stretch of coastline in the land known as Mackay Country, lies Strathnaver Museum, located in the former parish church of St Columba, built in 1700

Land and People

Tours are available from Scrabster, viewing areas such as Dunnet and Duncansby Heads; the Caithness Flow Country, John O'Groats, and heritage centres at Wick, Dunbeath, Laidhay and Helmsdale.