Golden days for Grangemouth port

It’s 50 years tomorrow since the first container vessel docked.

The Sea-land freight service called into the port on May 7, 1966 as part of the Europe and American shipping route transporting mostly Scottish whisky for onward travel to the USA.

Sea-land launched the transatlantic container ship route in April that year with four ships in service, each carrying 226 containers with cargoes of cameras, safety razors and pre-fab housing components.

The weekly route was Port Elizabeth, New Jersey and Baltimore in the US, then Rotterdam, Bremen and Grangemouth – the only UK port in the rotation.

The development of container transportation in Grangemouth changed the way in which world trade was undertaken.

Over the last 50 years the port has developed and is now Scotland’s largest container port.

It has handled in excess of three million containers over the last five decades and today handles more than £6 billion worth of goods each year, including spirits, food, timber, paper and equipment for the oil and gas industry.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary, the port, along with all the Scottish operations of Forth Ports, are being rebranded.

Commenting on the golden anniversary, Charles Hammond, Forth Port’s group CEO, said: “We’re excited about reaching this significant milestone in the history of the port.

“Over the past 50 years, the port has changed and adapted to the changing needs of our customers and we are now Scotland’s largest container port and making a major contribution to the economy of Scotland.

“We look forward to continuing to play our part for Scotland in the next 50 years.”