THE world’s second largest cruise ship, the Queen Elizabeth, is visiting Invergordon today (Monday).
With over 2,000 passengers on board and 1,000 crew, the Cunard liner’s call is helping the Cromarty Firth port set a record for the busiest season yet.
Some 68 cruise ships will bring more than 78,000 passengers into Invergordon this summer - the previous record being 54.
Captain Iain Dunderdale, cruise development manager for Cruise Highlands Ltd, said: "Invergordon has established a reputation as being a good place to bring cruise ships and Scotland has become a very popular destination, so a lot of companies are putting Scotland in their itineraries.
"It’s very beneficial that Invergordon is able to take the larger and most prestigious cruise liners as it attracts other companies to use the port."
Guests were piped off the Queen Elizabeth this morning before they departed for various excursions including Loch Ness, Inverness, Dunrobin Castle and the Glenmorangie Distillery in Tain.
The ship, which was officially named by Her Majesty The Queen in October 2010, is the second largest Cunarder ever built. The largest is the Queen Mary 2.
She has a gross tonnage of 90,900, is over 964 feet in length and has 16 decks.
In a year, guests on board the Queen Elizabeth will consume 12,940lbs of smoked salmon and drink 351,900 bottles of wine and champagne.
The ship, which is currently on a 12-day cruise from Southampton, is due to leave Invergordon around 6pm, bound for Kirkwall in Orkney.
The last cruise liner visit of the season will be the Thomson Spirit which will call at Invergordon on September 9, a maiden call for the ship.
