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1. Introduction
1.1 This chapter provides information about foreign and domestic freight traffic at Scottish ports and inland waterways by type of freight. There are also statistics on passengers and vehicles carried by Caledonian MacBrayne, P&O Orkney, Shetland and Orkney ferries and some of the other ferry companies operating in Scotland.
1.2 A number of changes have been made in this edition. There are two new tables:
Table 10.1 Waterborne freight lifted in Scotland, and moved, by type of traffic
Table 10.13 Traffic on some other major ferry routes
In addition, some extra ferry figures have been included in Table 10.11, and some Caledonian MacBrayne routes, for which figures did not appear separately in previous editions, are identified for the first time in Table 10.12.
2. Main Points
2.1 In 1997, a total of 96.5 million tonnes of freight was recorded as being lifted by water transport in Scotland: 34.5 million tonnes of "coastwise" traffic to other ports in the United Kingdom (including some in Scotland); 4.4 million tonnes of "one port" traffic to offshore installations and the sea bed; and 57.6 million tonnes of exports from the major Scottish ports. Only 11.6 million tonnes of the total waterborne freight lifted in Scotland was carried for part of its journey on inland waterways. (Table 10.1)
2.2 From 1987 to 1994, the total amount of coastwise freight traffic lifted in Scotland remained between about 24 million tonnes and roughly 28 million tonnes, before rising to almost 32 million tonnes in 1995. The 1997 total of 34.5 million tonnes is 43% higher than the figure for 1987. Over the period since 1987, the amount of one port traffic lifted in Scotland has varied between 3.6 million tonnes and 5.1 million tonnes per year. The 1997 figure of 4.4 million tonnes is slightly more than the previous ten years' annual average of 4.2 million tonnes. (Table 10.1)
2.3 Exports through Scottish ports fell from just over 76 million tonnes in 1987 to about 45 million tonnes in 1989 then rose back to around 76 million tonnes in 1994 before falling again to some 58 million tonnes in 1997. It should be noted that this fall has been exaggerated slightly by a change in the basis of the statistics: the figures for 1995 and later years cover only exports through major ports (see section 4.3.2). While seven ports were counted as major ports in 1995 and 1996, there were eight in 1997, and so the figures for 1997 are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. (Table 10.1)
2.4 The total amount of waterborne freight of all types (coastwise, one port and foreign traffic; both incoming and outgoing) passing through the ports fell by around 8% in 1997 to 115 million tonnes, 4% less than in 1987. During the past ten years, the total fell to about 94 million tonnes in 1989, and remained around that level for a few years before rising back to roughly 127 million tonnes in 1995. (Table 10.2)
2.5 From 1995, a breakdown between "foreign" and "domestic" traffic has only been collected for the "major" ports. In 1997, the eight major ports accounted for almost 94% of the total traffic through Scottish ports. The information that is available for them shows that around half of the total freight through Scottish ports was exports, and just under a third is domestic traffic (either coastwise or one port) which is outward bound. The levels of imports, and incoming domestic freight, are much lower. (Table 10.2)
2.6 The two largest ports are Forth (around 43 million tonnes of traffic in 1997) and Sullom Voe (32 million tonnes). Bulk fuel accounts for over three quarters of the cargo. (Table 10.3)
2.7 The major east coast ports accounted for about 87% of all traffic through the eight major ports in 1997. The east coast ports accounted for most of the domestic traffic and for most of the foreign traffic, both incoming and outgoing. (Table 10.5)
2.8 The main types of traffic through the major ports in 1997 were crude petroleum ( 75.9 million tonnes), petroleum products and gas ( 11.2 million tonnes), crude minerals ( 4.8 million tonnes), coal, coke and briquettes ( 2.7 million tonnes), and material for dumping at sea ( 1.9 million tonnes). In addition, non-oil traffic with UK off-shore installations totalled 2.1 million tonnes, and container and roll-on traffic 4.2 million tonnes. (Table 10.6)
2.9 The total number of road goods vehicles and containers passing through Scottish ports, and the weight of freight that they carried, increased by around 50% between 1987 and 1997. (Table 10.7)
2.10 Inland waterway traffic mainly comprises those parts of coastwise, one-port and foreign traffic that are carried on inland waterways. About 11.6 million tonnes of freight were lifted in Scotland and carried on inland waterways in 1997. Over the past ten years the total has remained between 10 and 12 million tonnes, with most of it being carried on the Forth. (Table 10.8)
2.11 In 1997, 672,000 vehicles and 2.2 million passengers were carried on ferry services between Scotland and Northern Ireland. (Table 10.10)
2.12 Caledonian MacBrayne ferries carried 4.8 million passengers in 1998 (6% fewer than in the previous year), 905,000 cars (3% fewer than in 1997), and 95,000 commercial vehicles (the same as the year before). The changes over the past ten years in Caledonian MacBrayne's figures were affected greatly by the withdrawal of the Kyle-Kyleakin service in 1995, when the Skye Bridge opened. For example, total passenger numbers fell from 5.4 million in 1988 to 4.8 million in 1998. However, if the Kyle-Kyleakin service is excluded, the total of all the other services rose by 15%, from 4.2 million in 1988 to 4.8 million in 1998. (Tables 10.11 and 10.12)
2.13 The number of passengers carried by P&O Orkney & Shetland Services in 1998 was 239,000, 2% fewer than in 1997, but 19% higher than in 1988. Orkney Ferries services carried 274,000 passengers in 1998, 2% less than in the previous year, but 174% more than in 1988, when only 100,000 passengers were carried. (Table 10.11)
2.14 In 1998, the total number of passengers carried on Caledonian MacBrayne, P&O Orkney & Shetland, and Orkney Ferries services was 5.3 million. Caledonian MacBrayne accounted for 90% of the total passenger numbers on all these services, 69% of the total revenue from users, and 44% of the total subsidy. Overall, revenue from users was about two and a half times the amount of subsidy for Caledonian MacBrayne, about the same as the level of subsidy for P&O Orkney & Shetland services, and one third of the amount of subsidy for Orkney Ferries services. As noted above, the long-term trends in the totals for these shipping services are affected by the withdrawal of the Kyle-Kyleakin service following the opening of the Skye Bridge in 1995. (Table 10.11)
2.15 Shetland Islands Council services carried 660,000 passengers in 1998 (11% fewer than the previous year) and 253,000 cars (also 11% fewer). The equivalent figures for 1988 are not available. (Table 10.11)
2.16 Caledonian MacBrayne’s busiest route in terms of passengers in 1998 was Wemyss Bay-Rothesay, with 677,000 passengers, a 1% decrease on the previous year, but a 17% increase on 1988. Wemyss Bay-Rothesay was also the busiest route for car traffic in 1998 with 117,000 car crossings, 2% higher than the previous year. (Table 10.12)
2.17 Of Orkney Ferries' services, the one between Kirkwall and Westray / Stronsay has shown the most rapid growth, with the number of passengers rising from 12,000 in 1988 to 80,000 in 1998. (Table 10.13)
2.18 In 1998, the Western Ferries service between Gourock and Dunoon carried 786,400 passengers (2% more than in the previous year) and 419,500 cars (a 3% increase). The equivalent figures for ten years earlier are not available. (Table 10.13)
2.19 The service between Toft and Yell has the largest number of passengers of all the Shetland Islands Council services, with 206,000 in 1998 (9% fewer than in 1997). Equivalent figures for ten years earlier are not available. (Table 10.13)
3. Notes and Definitions
3.1 Coastwise traffic: traffic between ports of the United Kingdom, excluding traffic between a UK port and either the sea bed or an off-shore installation. It should be noted that Table 10.1 covers only freight lifted in Scotland, and therefore its figures for coastwise traffic exclude cargoes arriving from other UK ports.
3.2 One port traffic: traffic between the sea bed or an offshore installation (under British jurisdiction) and a UK port. For example, it includes traffic to and from offshore installations, materials shipped for dumping at sea, and dredged sand and gravel etc landed at a port for commercial purposes. It should be noted that Table 10.1 covers only freight lifted in Scotland, and therefore its figures for one port traffic exclude cargoes arriving from offshore installations and incoming sea dredged aggregates.
3.3 Foreign traffic: traffic between ports in the United Kingdom and other countries.
3.4 Inland waterways: in general, waterways bounded by the furthest point downstream which is less than both 3 km wide at low tide and 5 km wide at high tide (spring). However, this definition is not applied strictly: for example, the definition is "relaxed", where necessary, in order not to count, as inland waterway traffic, short-haul shipping movements of foreign and coastwise traffic, such as all sea-going traffic to or from major seaboard ports.
3.5 Inland waterway traffic: subdivides into "coastwise", "one port" and "foreign" (in each case, that part of the traffic that is carried upstream of the inland waterway "boundary", excluding "short haul" inland movements of sea-going traffic) and "internal" (i.e. not sea-going) traffic. All passenger and passenger vehicle ferry services are excluded, such as "crossing" movements (e.g. Gourock-Dunoon) and coastwise ferries entering sheltered waters (e.g. Loch Ryan, on services between Stranraer or Cairnryan and Northern Ireland).
3.6 Tonne-kilometres: where part of a voyage is on an inland waterway and part is at sea, account is taken of the "inland waterway boundary", so that, in the case of traffic involving "inland" ports, there is no double-counting of tonne-kilometres between the figures for "inland waterway" and the figures for "coastwise", "one port" and "foreign" traffic. (This is in contrast to the double-counting of some of the figures for tonnages - for example, if a voyage starts to another UK port starts on a Scottish inland waterway in Scotland, the tonnage would be counted in the figures for both "inland waterway" and "coastwise" traffic.)
3.7 Domestic traffic: in the statistics of traffic through the ports, "domestic" traffic comprises coastwise traffic plus one port traffic.
3.8 Container and roll-on traffic: includes all traffic carried on special container and roll-on vessels, as well as the container traffic carried on conventional services.
3.9 "Units" comprise containers, road goods vehicles (including unaccompanied trailers) and any railway wagons and barges carried on ships which are designed for their carriage.
3.10 Other traffic on roll-on services (ie "non-unit" traffic on roll-on services) includes cars, lorries, caravans, tractors and so forth which are being imported or exported, and goods carried on trailers which are limited to ship or port use only.
4. Sources
4.1 Most of the data in this section is supplied by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR). The Scottish Executive obtains shipping service information from Caledonian MacBrayne, P&O Scottish Ferries, Orkney Ferries and some of the other operators of shipping and ferry services.
4.2 Waterborne Freight Lifted in Scotland (Table 10.1)
4.2.1 Statistics of waterborne freight (coastwise traffic, one port traffic and inland waterway traffic) are compiled by MDS-Transmodal Ltd under contract to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
4.2.2 A number of data sources are used to determine the level of coastwise traffic, including the tonnages of goods carried which are reported in the statutory port traffic returns (see below) and other surveys, and information about vessel movements. (The vessel movement data include the Northern Ireland, Orkney and Shetland ferry services, but exclude ferries operated by Caledonian MacBrayne and others in and around the western isles.) The pattern of coastwise shipping flows, by port and commodity group, is represented by origin and destination matrices, and combined with Admiralty information about the distances between ports. Where appropriate, account is taken of the "inland waterway boundary", so that there is no double-counting of tonne-kilometres between inland waterway and coastwise shipping, in the case of traffic involving "inland" ports. The method which is used to derive the statistics of coastwise shipping involves some adjustments and reclassifications. As a result, the totals that it produces do not match the statistics complied from the port traffic returns, for reasons which are described in the DETR Statistical Bulletin "Waterborne Freight in the United Kingdom".
4.2.3 The principal sources for the statistics of one port traffic are the port traffic returns (see section 4.3 below) and information about the distances between the ports and the "at sea" origins and destinations of the traffic, such as offshore installations and dumping grounds.
4.2.4 The sources of the inland waterway statistics are described in section 4.4 below.
4.3 Traffic at Scottish Ports (Tables 10.2 to 10.7)
4.3.1 Annual traffic returns are made to DETR by port authorities and undertakings. The statistics are obtained, for the most part, from the records made by each port authority of the dues levied on goods passing through the port area. In some cases, port authorities have supplemented their own records with figures supplied by shipowners, shippers, and others.
4.3.2 With effect from 1995, the smaller ports (generally those with less than 2 million tonnes of traffic per year) are not required to supply detailed statistics - they provide only two figures, for the total amounts of their "inwards" and "outwards" traffic. Full details of freight traffic are collected only for those ports with at least 2 million tonnes of cargo in the previous year (and for a few ports with less traffic): these are called the ‘major’ ports. In the 1995 and 1996 surveys, there were seven ‘major’ ports in Scotland: Aberdeen, Clyde, Cromarty Firth, Forth, Glensanda (on Loch Linnhe, south-west of Fort William, which exports "crude minerals"), Orkney, and Sullom Voe. In the 1997 survey, there were eight: these seven plus Cairnryan, which was counted as a major port because its 1996 return of its "inwards" and "outwards" totals had shown that its traffic exceeded 2 million tonnes in 1996.
4.4 Inland Waterways (Tables 10.8 and 10.9)
4.4.1 Statistics of inland waterways are compiled by MDS-Transmodal Ltd under contract to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. The sources of data include the port traffic returns to DETR, statistics from British Waterways, information about vessel movements, and other surveys. For traffic moving to and from the open sea, the figures for inland waterway tonne-kilometres are calculated using information about the distances from each inland waterway "boundary" to the ports and wharves which are upstream of the boundary.
4.5 Shipping Services (Tables 10.10 to 10.13)
4.5.1 The Scottish Executive obtains shipping service information from DETR (in respect of the services between Scotland and Northern Ireland), Caledonian MacBrayne, P&O Scottish Ferries, Orkney Ferries and other major ferry operators in Scotland.
5. Further Information
5.1 Further information on GB water transport statistics can be found in the annual DETR publications "Maritime Statistics", "Waterborne Freight in the UK" and "Transport Statistics Great Britain".
5.2 For further information on water freight transport statistics contact Mr Bill Foreman, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (tel: 0171 890 3087).
5.3 For further information on shipping services in Scotland contact Mr Ian Robertson, The Scottish Executive Transport Division (tel: 0131 244 0842)
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