Scotland-France ferry still planned for 2026
Recent UK media reports suggested the DFDS service from Rosyth to Dunkirk could begin in May
DFDS has previously said passenger numbers could eventually reach close to 80,000 per year with three crossings a week
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Plans for a new ferry link between Rosyth near Edinburgh and Dunkirk (Nord) are still alive – but operator DFDS says there is no confirmed launch date, despite recent UK media reports suggesting the service could begin in May.
“We do not know where that date came from,” a DFDS spokesman told The Connexion. “We are still interested in the route, but cannot say when it will happen.”
The route was first announced in 2024, with an initial aim to start in spring 2025.
However, DFDS delayed the launch in early 2025 while seeking financial help to cover the cost of required passenger-handling and customs facilities at Rosyth.
The main difficulty is the need for a border control post on the UK side following Brexit, particularly for checks on food, animals and plants arriving from the EU.
The installation of this is the responsibility of the Scottish government, but it said last summer it was being hampered by the fact the UK government had not made a plant and animal health agreement with the EU [such a deal has now been confirmed in principle, but is not expected to be in place until 2027].
On the French side, Dunkirk port says it has space waiting at its wharfs set aside for non-EU traffic, which include all necessary customs posts.
The proposed route would take around 20 hours. Original plans were for three crossings a week. DFDS previously said passenger numbers could eventually reach close to 80,000 per year.
In November, a Scottish agriculture minister asked officials to prepare a bill that could unblock the situation, the government generally favouring initiatives to boost the country’s ports and provide new mainland Europe links.
One option being discussed would involve ferries docking at Rosyth then driving 30km to Grangemouth, where customs facilities already exist.
If launched, the Rosyth–Dunkirk route would be Scotland’s only passenger maritime link with the EU, offering a direct option for tourists who enjoy a sea journey as part of their holiday.
A previous line, also run by DFDS between Rosyth- and Zeebrugge in Belgium, took passengers and freight lorries until 2010, when the passenger service was dropped due to a fall in numbers.
The lorry service ended in 2018 after a fire at sea on the ferry operating the service.
Issues for UK/EU plant and animal control deal
There are reports in the UK media that the plant/animal health deal talks have hit problems because the EU is insisting on a clause which would make the UK liable for the costs of re-installing controls if the UK decides it no longer wants the arrangement.
It will involve the UK agreeing to remain in ‘dynamic’ (regularly updated) alignment with EU plant and animal health rules.
Among other points, it is also hoped a deal will enable the UK to once again issue pet passports that are recognised in the EU.
