Shipping, Transport and Freight Traffic

Shipping and transport includes vehicle and passenger ferries/shipscruise vessels, commercial freight operations, ship building (commercial and leisure), as well as waste disposal of dredged materials.

There is a long history of shipping in the Solway Firth, tied to its industrial heritage and position as a gateway between Scotland, England, Isle of Man and Ireland.

As mentioned in the overview for the Productive chapter introduction of the Solway Review, this section is populated with data and information from the Socio-economic Assessment’s for the Scottish (SEASS), and English Solway (SEAES), which are two separate projects completed in 2020. Text below will be predominantly directly from the SEASS or SEAES Reports but is altered at times. These reports are available here. These socio-economic reports were needed in light of the changing face of socio-economic aspects impacting the Solway Firth, and also for the purpose of populating the productive section of the Solway Review. Text from the SEASS and SEAES reports is not referenced individually.

Image; Live map of vessels in the Solway. © Solway Shipping (n.d.).

Shipping, Transport and Freight Traffic

Scotland - Summary

Dumfries & Galloway has a long history of sea links with Ireland. From the 17^thcentury, Portpatrick became an important port for passenger travel and trade between Ireland and Scotland – notably playing a key role in the “Plantation of Ulster” in the early 1600s.

In the mid-19th century, the primary travel route switched to Stranraer, which was better suited to larger ships and offered much safer and calmer waters and, by 1861, a direct rail link with Dumfries. Cairnryan, located six miles north of Stranraer, was developed as a major military port during World War II, effectively a back-up in the event that other ports in the west of Britain were taken out of action. Military activity at Cairnryan ceased by the 1960s and over the next 20 years, part of the port was used to break up ships, including large aircraft carriers.

In 1973, a ferry service between Cairnryan and Larne in Northern Ireland began operating. Services are currently operated from two separate ports at Cairnryan by Stena Line (to Belfast) and P&O (to Larne). Until 2011, Stena Line sailed from Stranraer, with the switch to Cairnryan offering a shorter route. Sailings take around two hours.

Upwards of 1.5m passenger journeys are made between the two operators each year, with a large volume of freight also carried by trailer. With a similar freight tonnage carried in each direction, it indicates the importance of the link to the economies of both Northern Ireland and Scotland and, through onward travel, the Republic of Ireland and England. With the Irish border a key area of Brexit uncertainty, the implications on the free flow of goods through Cairnryan are unclear.

A number of ports and harbours are also dotted along the Scottish Solway, at one time used for exporting agricultural produce to the mills and factories of Cumbria and Lancashire, but which now primarily serve leisure vessels (see Sport, Recreation and Tourism) and a fishing fleet (see Sea Fisheries).

These ports, particularly those in the Inner Solway, are tidal and some have fallen out of use entirely, with a need for regular dredging to keep them operational. Historically, Annan was a centre for shipbuilding with large, wooden hulled sailing vessels constructed in the town in the 19^thcentury – the last such ship was launched in 1865. There is still a small number of ship repair jobs in the area.

Defining the Sector

The direct economic activity within the shipping and transport sector is measured through the following Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes (Office for National Statistics, 2007): 30.1: Building of ships and boats; 33.15: Repair and maintenance of ships and boats; 42.91: Construction of water projects; 50.1: Sea and coastal passenger water transport; 50.2: Sea and coastal freight water transport; 52.101: Operation of warehousing and storage facilities for water transport activities;52.22: Service activities incidental to water transportation; 52.241: Cargo handling for water transport activities; 77.34: Renting and leasing of water transport equipment.

A summary of the changes across economic indicators (2014 to 2018) is presented in the table below.

*Likely due to changes in where jobs are registered rather than actual change in employment. Turnover and GVA has been calculated based on employment, so subject to similar change.

Image; Model boats and the view from the top of Southerness Lighthouse. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Shipping, Transport and Freight Traffic

Scotland - Contribution to the Economy

Employment

Employment within the shipping and transport sector in the region is dominated by activity at the port of Cairnryan and the two Irish Sea ferry services (passenger and freight). The data shows a substantial drop off in employment between 2015 and 2016 and a moderate recovery since – see figure, ‘Scottish Solway: Shipping Employment, 2009 – 2018’, below.
Employment arrangements in the shipping industry can be complex, and the apparent steep decline in employment is more likely to reflect a change in where staff are registered, rather than an actual decline in Dumfries & Galloway.
For instance, while the two Stena Line vessels that service the route are registered in Belfast, the P&O Ferries vessels are registered in Nassau, Bahamas. Seagoing staff on UK shortsea shipping routes are typically employed through crewing companies that are registered elsewhere, particularly in the Channel Islands. In addition, while shoreside staff are generally from the local area, the vessels are manned by multi-national crews (RMT, 2015). These factors are likely to influence the extent to which employment in the sector is apportioned to Dumfries & Galloway.
It is likely the case that employment in the sector was overrepresented in the data prior to 2015 and has subsequently been underrepresented. Employment across both operators was estimated at “over 300” in the recent South West Scotland Transport Appraisal (AECOM Limited, 2019).

Scottish Solway: Shipping Employment, 2009 – 2018. (Source: Office for National Statistics (Various) (BRES))

The Location Quotient measures the concentration of employment against national averages (please see the Productive overview for an explanation of Location Quotients). The proportionate representation of employment in shipping and marine transport in Dumfries & Galloway is half that of the Scottish average. However, prior to the drop off in employment between 2015 and 2016, employment in the sector was higher than the Scottish average see figure, ‘Scottish Solway: Shipping Location Quotient 2009 – 2018′, below.

Scottish Solway: Shipping Location Quotient 2009 – 2018. (Source: Office for National Statistics (Various) (BRES))

Economic Output – Turnover and GVA

As the number of businesses operating in the shipping and transport sector in Dumfries & Galloway is very low, turnover and GVA data has been suppressed to avoid confidential disclosure. However, we have provided proxy estimates based on employment figures (see above) and average turnover and GVA per head of employment for the water transport sector in Scotland. See figures, ‘Scottish Solway: Turnover, 2009 – 2017 (Estimate)’and ‘Scottish Solway: GVA, 2009 – 2017 (Estimate)’, below.

Scottish Solway: Turnover, 2009 – 2017 (Estimate). (Source: Scottish Government (2019) (SABS))

Scottish Solway: GVA, 2009 – 2017 (Estimate). (Source: Scottish Government (2019) (SABS))

Image; Stranraer. © Solway Firth Partnership. Photographer; Colin Tennant

Shipping, Transport and Freight Traffic

Scotland - Passanger and Vehicle Transport

Ferry routes between Loch Ryan (Cairnryan) and Northern Ireland are operated on a commercial basis by two companies: Stena Line (to Belfast) and P&O (to Larne) – see map below.

With two ferries, Stena Line operate journeys up to 40 times each week with a sailing duration of around 2 hours 20 minutes. Following the rerouting from Stranraer to Cairnryan in 2011 (which unlike Stranraer is not served by a railway station), coaches connect trains at Ayr station with sailings, with ‘Rail and Sail’ tickets covering the full journey. P&O similarly operate two ferries, with 46 sailings each week, taking around two hours.

Scottish Solway: Ferry Routes. (Source: Map Data © Google Maps)

Looking at the number of passengers and cars carried (figures ‘Scottish Solway: Ferry Passenger Journeys, 2009-2018′ and ‘Scottish Solway: Ferry Car Journeys, 2009-2017′, below), we can see that:

• total passenger journeys have increased moderately over the last decade, with a +3% rise between 2009 and 2018, albeit after a period of decline from the early 2000s;
• since the change in port from Stranraer to Cairnryan, Stena Line’s share of the passenger market has increased. Stena Line carried 69% of passengers and 64% of cars to and from Cairnryan in 2017; and
• the number of cars carried has been prone to much greater fluctuation than passengers. The number of cars carried on both routes fell -6% between 2009 and 2017, indicating more passengers are travelling by foot, coach or ‘rail and sail’.
• The newest figures (2019) show an increase in domestic sea passengers for Stena Line (from 1,229,000 in 2018 to 1,304,000 in 2019), and a reduction (from 521,000 in 2018 to 467,000 in 2019) for P&O.

Scottish Solway: Ferry Passenger Journeys, 2009-2018. (Source: Department for Transport, 2018b)

Scottish Solway: Ferry Car Journeys, 2009-2017. (Source: Transport Scotland, 2018)

The ferry operators are in direct competition, both with each other and with the ten other Irish Sea freight/passenger crossings. While sailings from the other ports take substantially longer, Heysham, Liverpool and Holyhead offer better and faster connectivity to the motorway network, which is likely to impact both personal and commercial decisions over which crossing to use.

Survey work undertaken with westbound passengers of the two Cairnryan routes in 2017 provides an understanding of where those using the ferries are starting and ending their journey, figure ‘Origin-Destination Data for Cairnryan Vehicles (2017)’, below.

Origin-Destination Data for Cairnryan Vehicles (2017). (Source: Passenger surveys (AECOM Limited, 2019))

The results indicate that more than half of commercial vehicles (57%) are travelling between England and Northern Ireland, with 36% travelling between Scotland and Northern Ireland. The data also shows where these vehicles originate in Britain, with concentrations in central Scotland and northern England, but many also travelling from the south of England. For cars, the largest single movement (47%) is between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Other ferry routes serving Northern Ireland also intersect the Scottish Solway Marine Region – the services from Douglas, Isle of Man and Heysham, Lancashire, both pass close to the Mull of Galloway.

Stena Line, and its predecessor Sealink, has been the shirt sponsor for local football side Stranraer FC since the 1988/89 season – the longest unbroken sponsorship deal in British football history.

Image; Stena Line Ferry. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Shipping, Transport and Freight Traffic

Scotland - Freight Traffic

The only commercial freight ports in the Scottish Solway Marine Region are the Stena Line and P&O terminals at Loch Ryan. This is the only surface trade route between Scotland and Ireland.

With the vessels being roll-on-roll-off, freight is carried by lorry, which then use the A77 road to central Scotland or A75 to Dumfries, and on to the motorway network.

Around one-third of freight is ‘unaccompanied’, meaning it is carried on and off the ferry by tractor units. Much of the freight is ‘just in time’ deliveries for retailers, such as supermarkets that have large distribution depots in central Scotland.

The data shows that:

• the volume of freight carried has been on an upward trend over the last decade, increasing by +50% from 2009-2018, with a total of 5,400,000 tonnes carried in 2018;
• P&O continue to carry the majority of freight to and from Cairnryan, although the proportion carried by Stena Line has been on the increase since the change in port from Stranraer – from 25% of the total in 2011 to 47% in 2018; and
• the proportion of freight carried in each direction is broadly equal each year – overall, 48% of freight was carried from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 2018, and 52% in the other direction; and
• the total volume of freight handled at Scottish ports has continued to decline over the last two decades – as Cairnryan has increased its volume over this period, the port’s proportion of the total has increased, from 4% of Scottish freight in 2009 to 8% in 2018 – helping to solidify the region as a key location and destination for freight export and import.

Scottish Solway: Freight Tonnage, 2000-2018. (Source: Department for Transport, 2018a) 

Scottish Solway: Inward and Outward Freight at Cairnryan, 2009 -2018. (Source: Department for Transport, 2018a)

Image; Ferry Terminal Cairnryan. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Shipping, Transport and Freight Traffic

Scotland - Waste Disposal and Dredged Materials

Dredging involves the removal of sediments and debris from the sea bottom of harbours and ports to increase the depth of navigation channels, and berthing areas to ensure the safe passage and mooring of vessels.

The act of dredging and disposal of dredged material within Scottish waters is licensed and monitored by Marine Scotland. There are six open sites, at two locations; Drummore (Site ID; IS285, IS286,IS287 & IS288) and in the North Channel (Site ID; MA010 & MA015)– see map opposite. There are also four closed sites, including Beaufort’s Dyke, estimated to contain around one million tonnes of conventional munitions, chemical and nuclear military waste (see Defence) (New Scientist, 1995).

Image; Scotland’s National Marine Plan Interactive, with layers (links will provide usage licence, data provider, etc); ‘Solway Region (mask)‘ © Crown Copyright, All rights reserved, ‘Dredge Spoil Deposit Sites – Closed and Disused‘ © Crown Copyright, Contains information from Scottish Government (Marine Scotland) licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, ‘Dredge Spoil Deposit Sites – Open‘, © Crown Copyright, Contains information from Scottish Government (Marine Scotland) licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Shipping, Transport and Freight Traffic

Scotland - Regional Look Forward

The combined number of passengers carried on the two Irish Sea crossings from Cairnryan has been broadly even over the last decade, with an overall moderate +3% rise between 2009 and 2018. At the same time, the volume of freight carried has greatly increased (+50%). Nonetheless, the ferry operators feel that the lack of dual carriageway access to the port at Cairnryan is seeing them lose market share to other Irish Sea crossings. Any future reduction in services – as happened at Troon, which saw its Irish Sea route withdrawn by P&O in 2016 – would have a knock-on effect on the local economy and further afield, particularly in storage and logistics.

Nevertheless, Cairnryan is still by some way the busiest ferry port in Scotland and this is unlikely to change. Both ferry services currently operate with spare capacity and so have room to accommodate increased demand, which is partly dependent on the health of the Northern Irish and Scottish economies.

Political factors are likely to have an impact on the future of shipping in the Solway Marine Region. The imposition of border checks between the EU and UK in the Irish Sea – and the precise form this takes – may have implications for the smooth flow of goods through Cairnryan. Contingency plans have lined up the port at Stranraer as an emergency lorry park for 300 HGVs.

The UK Government have begun the process of investigating the potential for a bridge between Scotland (likely via the Rhins of Galloway) and Northern Ireland, at an estimated cost of £20bn (The Scotsman, 2020). This would have major implications for shipping and transport across the Solway Marine Region. If such a project did go ahead, it would likely entail major improvements to road and rail infrastructure in the region. The viability of Irish Sea ferry services, particularly those operating from Cairnryan, would also likely be threatened. However, there are widespread reservations about whether such a bridge is ever likely to be constructed.

The Solway Firth is home to Scotland’s first commercial-scale offshore wind development in the form of the Robin Rigg Wind Farm. While sitting in Scottish waters, the wind farm’s 58 operational turbines are serviced from Workington, with negligible employment or economic activity in Dumfries & Galloway. However, there are emerging opportunities in the renewables sector within Dumfries & Galloway, including in offshore wind as well as tidal energy. With the need for onshore operations and maintenance bases in close proximity to offshore sites, this could see a new lease of life for ports on the Scottish Solway, as a base for work boats and crew transfer vessels. Nonetheless, the Inner Solway is constrained by its silted harbours and tidal access issues, which will potentially act to limit development.

Image; Portpatrick Harbour. © E. Baruah.

Shipping, Transport and Freight Traffic

England - Summary

There is a long history of shipping in the Solway Firth, tied to its industrial heritage and position as a gateway between Scotland, England, Isle of Man and Ireland. Whitehaven became prosperous due to early involvement in the tobacco trade and, during the 18^thcentury, had involvement with the Atlantic slave trade. Nearby iron and coal deposits, and the industry that built up around them (notably steel), played an important part in the development of Workington and Maryport, and the latter included two shipyards. Silloth grew in the mid-19^thcentury around a railhead, intended to provide Carlisle with port access.

While steamers once called at ports along the English Solway, there are no longer any passenger ferry services in the area. However, Silloth (run by Associated British Ports (ABP)) and Workington (run by Cumbria County Council) continue to operate as freight ports, primarily importing goods for local industry, including agribulks, grain, and timber. Workington is also now the onshore base for the servicing of the Robin Rigg Wind Farm. Whitehaven and Maryport have yachting marinas and small fishing fleets.

Defining the Sector

The direct economic activity within the shipping and transport sector is measured through the following Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code (Office for National Statistics, 2007): 30.1: Building of ships and boats; 33.15: Repair and maintenance of ships and boats; 42.91: Construction of water projects; 50.1: Sea and coastal passenger water transport; 50.2: Sea and coastal freight water transport; 52.101: Operation of warehousing and storage facilities for water transport activities;52.22: Service activities incidental to water transportation; 52.241: Cargo handling for water transport activities; 77.34: Renting and leasing of water transport equipment.

A summary of the changes across economic indicators (2014 to 2018) is presented in the table below.

Image; Siddick towards the Port of Workington. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Shipping, Transport and Freight Traffic

England - Contribution to the Economy

Employment

Employment within the shipping and transport sector in the region is fairly low, although has been subject to some variance over the last ten years, see figure below, ‘English Solway: Shipping and Transport Employment, 2009 – 2018’.

In 2018, the data shows a small number of boat repair/maintenance jobs in Maryport and Whitehaven (likely related to the respective marinas) and employment in activities incidental to water transportation in Workington (likely related to operations of the Port of Workington and servicing of the Robin Rigg Wind Farm).

There can be discrepancies in how and where employment is recorded – for instance, no localised sectoral employment is shown for the Port of Silloth, which is likely a result of these jobs being recorded elsewhere by the port’s operator, ABP.

English Solway: Shipping and Transport Employment, 2009 – 2018. (Source: Office for National Statistics (Various) (BRES))

Location Quotients measure the concentration of employment against national averages (please see the Productive overview for an explanation of Location Quotients). The level of employment in shipping and transport in the English Solway was just under one-third of the English average (the English average is represented when the LQ is equal to 1) in 2018, see figure ‘English Solway: Shipping and Transport Location Quotient 2009 – 2018’, below.

English Solway: Shipping and Transport Location Quotient 2009 – 2018. (Source: Office for National Statistics (Various) (BRES))

Economic Output – Turnover and GVA

The data provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for turnover and GVA was disclosive for all the sub-sectors in shipping and transport, except warehousing and storage. As the vast majority of this sub-sector will not relate to marine activity, we have not included these figures. Due to the low level of associated employment in the region, it has not been possible to produce proxy estimates of GVA and turnover using the employment figures.

Image; Silloth Port. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Shipping, Transport and Freight Traffic

England - Freight Traffic

There are two commercial freight ports in the region: Silloth and Workington, both classified as ‘minor ports’ by the Department for Transport. See the location of these ports on the English Solway coast in the map below,’English Solway: Commercial Freight Ports’. Both ports are tidal and require use of dock gates. Commercial shipping activity previously took place at Whitehaven, primarily to serve the town’s large Marchon chemicals factory site, but this ceased in 1992 (the factory closed in 2005). It is proposed that the new mine development at Whitehaven will send coal via rail to the Redcar Bulk Terminal on the East coast of England.

The Port of Workington is owned and operated by Cumbria County Council and Silloth by Associated British Ports (ABP).

English Solway: Commercial Freight Ports. (Source: Map data © Google Maps)

The location of Silloth means it is only accessible through narrow channels, which are prone to shifting sands. Any large ships entering and leaving Silloth are therefore piloted by the Harbour Authority once they reach the outer Solway. Key uses of the port include grain imports, which are discharged directly into Carrs Flour Mills, located on the north side of the dock. Fertilisers are regularly imported for onward supply to the region’s farming industry, and timber is also brought in for use by local manufacturers.

A ground-mounted solar farm was installed at the Port of Silloth in 2018, with 960 panels aimed at producing 220,000 kWh of electricity per year (in-Cumbria, 2018).

The Port of Workington has seven berths and a ro-ro facility, and offers rail freight services through a main line connection. A key use of the port is bringing in raw materials (wood chipping and timber) for processing at the nearby Iggesund Paperboard factory. The port has also been used to import materials for nearby nuclear (Sellafield decommissioning) and renewables projects. Servicing for RWE’s Robin Rigg Wind Farm also takes place from Workington, with two workboats based at the port.

In 2018/19, the port profits were estimated to reach £300,000 surplus for Cumbria County Council (Times and Star, 2019). A new over-rail bridge is being built to improve access to the port, with £2m funding from the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, supporting aspirations to become a major logistics hub.

The data shows that:

• the total volume of freight handled has fluctuated from year to year, although in 2018 the Port of Workington handled its highest volume of freight (347,000 tonnes) since 2002, see figure, ‘English Solway: Freight Tonnage, 2000-2018’, below; and
• nearly all of the freight handled by the two ports is inward, with a small volume exported from Workington each year, see figure below, ‘Inward and Outbound Freight in English Solway, 2009-2018’.

English Solway: Freight Tonnage, 2000-2018. (Source:Department for Transport, 2018a)

Inward and Outbound Freight in English Solway, 2009-2018. (Source: Department for Transport, 2018a)

Image; Silloth. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Shipping, Transport and Freight Traffic

England - Cruise Vessels

The MV Balmoral is a vintage excursion ship which was originally launched in 1949. Although primarily operating in the Bristol Channel, cruises have in the past been held between Whitehaven and the Isle of Man during the summer, with a sailing duration of around four hours. However, scheduled trips were cancelled in 2017 after a failure to secure necessary permits from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (The Whitehaven News, 2017). The MV Balmoral is currently in need of £3m repairs and did not sail in the 2018 and 2019 seasons (BBC News, 2017).

In the mid-2000s, Cumbria County Council explored the potential of the Port of Workington to operate as a terminal for cruise ships. However, this was not taken forward, and the ABP port at Barrow, further down the Cumbrian coast, now has arrangements in place to receive cruise ships (receiving one or two each year) (Cruise Europe, 2018).

Image; Workington. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Shipping, Transport and Freight Traffic

England - Waste Disposal and Dredged Material

As discussed above, dredging involves the removal of sediments and debris from the sea bottom of harbours and ports to increase the depth of navigation channels, and berthing areas to ensure the safe passage of vessels.

The disposal of dredged material is licensed and monitored by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). Please note that the page being displayed opposite is interactive and belongs to the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science data hub. By clicking on the ‘map’ option tab you will see all dredge disposal sites used by the UK, including those which are now closed. For a full list of sites, both closed and open, please click the ‘data’ option tab.

If the page opposite is not loading please click here, to have the data layer open in a new tab.

The sites listed in the English Solway are;

Table Data Source; Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science data hub (2019)

Image; UK Disposal Site Layer © Crown Copyright, Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science data hub (2020)

Shipping, Transport and Freight Traffic

England - Regional Look Forward

The total volume of freight handled by the two commercial ports in the English Solway has fluctuated from year to year. However, in 2018 the Port of Workington handled its highest volume of freight (347,000 tonnes) since 2002. Virtually all of the freight handled by the ports is imported for use by local industry – the volume therefore reflects the level of demand from manufacturers, the agricultural sector, etc.
Both Silloth and Workington ports are profitable and have seen investment over recent years with the port operators continually exploring new opportunities with local industry. One constraint to growth is road access to the ports, particularly in Silloth, which is connected by B roads and has some bridges unsuitable for heavy loads. At Workington, work is ongoing to improve a road bridge over the railway, enhancing access to the port for hauliers.
The UK Government have begun the process of investigating the potential for a bridge between Scotland (likely via the Rhins of Galloway) and Northern Ireland, at an estimated cost of £20bn (The Scotsman, 2020). This would have major implications for shipping and transport in the area covered by Solway Firth Partnership. However, there are widespread reservations about whether such a bridge is ever likely to be constructed.
With the shift towards renewable energy, there may be further offshore wind developments in the Solway Firth, on top of the existing 58 operational turbines at Robin Rigg, serviced from Workington, which could be serviced from the Cumbrian coast.

Image; Siddick Coastal Cliff. © Solway Firth Partnership.

Shipping, Transport and Freight Traffic

References

Baxter, J.M., Boyd, I.L., Cox, M., Donald, A.E., Malcolm, S.J., Miles, H., Miller, B., Moffat, C.F., (Editors), (2011). Scotland’s Marine Atlas: Information for the national marine plan. Marine Scotland, Edinburgh. pp 191. Available here. (Accessed 22.07.19)

Marine Management Organisation. (n.d). Marine Planning Evidence Base. Available here. (Accessed: 14.05.18)

Marine Scotland (n.d.). Scotland’s National Marine Plan Interactive. Available here. (Accessed: 06.08.19)

Mills, F., Sheridan, S. and Brown S., (2017). Clyde Marine Region Assessment. Clyde Marine Planning Partnership. pp 231, Available here. (Accessed: 14.05.18)

Office for National Statistics (Various). Annual Business Survey (ABS): custom data request from the ONS & Public data. Available here. (Accessed: 28.07.20)

In-Text References;

AECOM Limited (2019). Report for Transport Scotland, South West Scotland Transport Appraisal. Available
here. (Accessed: 22.07.20)

BBC News (2017). MV Balmoral vintage cruiser 2018 season cancelled. Available here. (Accessed: 23.09.20)

Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (2019). Data hub, UK Disposal Site Layer. Available here. (Accessed: 23.09.20)

Cruise Europe (2018). Barrow-in-Furness Courts Cruise Calls. Available here. (Accessed: 23.09.20)

Department for Transport (2018a). Port & Domestic Waterborne Freight Statistics (Last updated Sept 2020). Available here. (Accessed: 22.09.20)

Department for Transport (2018b). UK Domestic Sea Passenger Statistics (Last updated Sept 2020). Available here. (Accessed: 21.09.20)

in-Cumbria (2018). Port of Silloth owners ABP celebrate record year. Available here. (Accessed: 22.09.20)

New Scientist (1995). Danger From the Deep (Updated Feb 2020) Available here. (Accessed: 22.09.20)

Office for National Statistics (Various). Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES). Available here. (Accessed: 28.07.20)

Office for National Statistics (2007). Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities. Available here. (Accessed: 22.07.20)

RMT (2015). Maritime Manifesto. Available here. (Accessed: 22.09.20)

Scottish Government (2019). Scottish Annual Business Statistics 2017 (SABS). Available here. (Accessed: 28.07.20)

Solway Shipping (n.d.). Live map of vessels in the Solway. Available here. (Accessed: 21.09.20)

The Scotsman (2020). Scotland – Northern Ireland bridge: Boris Johnson to revive £20bn plan. Available here. (Accessed: 23.09.20)

The Whitehaven News (2017). Popular trips to Isle of Man cancelled. Available here. (Accessed: 23.09.20)

Times and Star (2019). Port of Workington expected to hit £300,000 profits. Available here. (Accessed: 23.09.20)

Transport Scotland (2018). Scottish Transport Statistics No 37 (2018 Edition) A National Statistics Publication for Scotland. Available here. (Accessed: 22.09.20)

Image; Boat in the distance on the Solway. © Solway Firth Partnership. Photographer; Colin Tennant