The Port of Greenock has been awarded a new weekly deep sea container service that will directly connect Scotland to the Mediterranean market of Turkey.

The new call on the Mediterranean Shipping Company’s Türkiye-to-and-from-UK West Coast service is an extension of the existing service, which already calls at the Port of Liverpool.

The addition of the Port of Greenock to the route is a seal of approval of the port’s market-leading offering, consolidated by owner Peel Ports’ recent £25m investment in two new ship-to-shore cranes, capable of servicing larger post-panamax container vessels.

The extension of the route presents a compelling option for direct sea connectivity for exporters and importers to and from Scotland. The MSC Freeport arrived into the port on Monday as part of the weekly service, before departing on Tuesday night.

The new service rotation, which also includes Spain, Portugal and France, will significantly enhance sea-borne connectivity from Scotland to the Far East, India and Pakistan, with reliable direct mother vessel to mother vessel transshipment connection in Sines, and will further support decarbonisation of the supply chain.

The new service will further provide a boost for Scottish exports, including commodities such as whisky and other alcohol types and plastics, as well as significant imports of food, packaging materials and manufactured products.