Scotland’s largest port is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first container vessel to call into the UK with a further £8 million investment boost in the port’s infrastructure and equipment.

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

Grangemouth was the only UK port in the rotation – making Grangemouth’s container terminal the first port in the UK to handle goods in this way, with the

subsequent development of "containerisation” changing the way cargo was transported around the world.

The Port of Grangemouth is marking a special anniversary this month (Picture; Submitted)

placeholder image — The Port of Grangemouth is marking a special anniversary this month (Picture; Submitted)

Sea-land launched the transatlantic container ship route in April 1966 – the year in which England won the World Cup – with four ships in service, each carrying 226 containers with cargoes of cameras, safety razors and pre-fab housing complements.

The weekly route was the first transatlantic ship carrying only containers and called at Port Elizabeth, New Jersey, and Baltimore, Maryland, in the US, then Rotterdam, Bremen and Grangemouth.

Over the past 60 years, the port has developed through significant investment and is now Scotland’s largest container port and logistics hub covering an area of 402 acres employing 280 people and is home to 32 businesses within the port.

It is a multimodal facility and is primarily an export port moving Scottish goods to global locations.

The first container arrived at the port way back in 1966 - England's World Cup year (Picture: Submitted)

Since 1966, the container terminal has handled in excess of 4.2million containers and today its operations manage more than £6 billion worth of goods each year including food and drink, construction products and renewables.

As well as the £8 million investment into the site’s infrastructure and equipment, the port is planning to mark the special anniversary by holding an open day for the community and schools – with youngsters given the chance to name a new harbour crane.

Derek Knox, Forth Ports regional director for Scotland, said: “This is a significant milestone in the history of the port of Grangemouth. Over the past 60 years the port has changed and adapted to meet the changing needs of our customers and markets through investment in not only our infrastructure and equipment, but in our skills.

"We look forward to continuing to play our part in Scotland’s success for the next 60 years.”