Edinburgh welcomes new Cunard cruise ship Queen Anne to Forth on maiden voyage

There was a spectacular welcome for Cunard’s new cruise ship, the Queen Anne, as it arrived in the River Forth at the weekend.

Tugs from Forth Ports gave the liner an impressive water cannon salute, led by local piper Louise Marshall, to mark the ship’s maiden voyage to South Queensferry.

New cruise ship Queen Anne gets a water cannon salute as she arrives in the Forth. Picture: Peter Devlin. | Peter Devlin

The 1,058ft ship cost £540 million and is Cunard’s first new ship in 14 years. It has 1,225 crew, 14 decks and can accommodate nearly 3,000 guests. It is due to be officially named at a ceremony in Liverpool on June 3.

Rob Mason, of Forth Ports’ cruise business Capital Cruising, said: “We are thrilled to have Cunard’s brand new ship call into the river Forth.

The Queen Anne has 14 decks and can carry nearly 3,000 passengers. Picture: Peter Devlin. | Peter Devlin

“She is a magnificent vessel and we extended a very warm Scottish welcome to her and her guests as they arrived into South Queensferry early on Sunday morning. 

“Scotland’s cruise business contributes significantly to the economy, supports hundreds of jobs and delivers benefits to local businesses and communities.

“This is our busiest cruise season ever as passengers and ship lines choose our ports and anchorages to access the vast variety of attractions that Scotland has to offer including our Unesco capital city of Edinburgh.”