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P&O ferry at Cairnryan

Cairnryan is a small Scottish village overlooking Loch Ryan and is notable today for its large modern ferry port, operated by P&O, which links Scotland with Larne in Northern Ireland. The village has been of vital importance in maritime history.

During the Second World War, Cairnryan became No.2 Military Port, and three harbour piers and a military railway linking the village with nearby Stranraer were built by the army.

Thousands of troops were based locally in military camps. At the end of the war the Atlantic U-Boat fleet surrendered in Loch Ryan and was anchored in the port before being towed to the North Channel and scuttled. This activity was codenamed Operation Deadlight.

For a period after the war the port was used to load superfluous ammunition onto barges for dumping at sea - a hazardous task, which took the lives of several.

Ship breaking became the main industry; the great British aircraft carriers Centaur, and most famously the Ark Royal were all sent here for decommissioning. As recently as 1990, Russian submarines have been dismantled here for scrap.

Arrival at Cairnryan

Its status as an important ferry port looks to be secured, with plans currently being drawn up to create a combined P&O/Stena Line ferry terminal with facilities for berthing two conventional ferries and the HSS fast ferry. The decision on whether the port development will go ahead is to be decided by a public inquiry, currently underway in Cairnryan. It is anticipated that the enquiry will continue into the new year.

The new facilities will be created in the area currently occupied by the current P&O port, as well as land reclamation on the north & south side of the village shore. This decision would see a major financial investment in the North Channel routes, and significant long term security for the village and the wider Loch Ryan basin. This decision, however, may have more questionable effects on the small ribbon village itself. All traffic using the North Channel route will be passing through Cairnryan, potentially causing significant congestion, noise and inconvenience. The concentration of boats themselves may also cause significant amounts of noise and air pollution, docking as they will be, so close to the village.

Larne Ferry Web - for news & history of ferries to Larne

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Coordinates: 54.974° N 5.027° W