Scottish Ports - Commodities

In this section:

Forest Products

The ports at Dundee, Rosyth and Grangemouth provide a wide range of facilities to handle the full spectrum of various products in whatever format presented.



The Scottish Ports Division offers:-

  • A range of trade routes to and from the Baltic, North America and the Far East
  • 20,000 sq metres of undercover storage transit sheds and distribution facilities

  • Specialist facilities for newsprint and paper at Dundee and Grangemouth

  • De-vanning facilities for containerised product

  • In-port timber treatment plants at Dundee and Rosyth

  • Value added services available

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Containers

Grangemouth is Scotland’s largest container port specialising in short-sea feeder operations linking Scotland to UK and European deep-sea ports.

There are also European door-to-door connections. The container terminal has a nominal throughput capacity of 400,000 TEU per annum and has been fully modernised in 2006 when new cranage and secondary handling equipment were installed and IT systems were upgraded.



The Grangemouth Container Terminal offers:-

  • Trade routes to Netherlands, Belgium, St Petersburg and UK South Coast ports

  • Throughput of over 210,000 TEU per annum

  • Facilities for all container types and size

  • Various logistics packages available including de-vanning and stuffing, warehousing and distribution

  • 3 ship to shore container cranes

  • 13 straddle carriers

  • 24/5 working + weekend coverage

  • Container terminal rail linked to main East and West Coast lines which are free of any gauge constraints

  • Regular train connections to Glasgow, Aberdeen and North of England

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Ro-Ro

The ports have considerable Ro-Ro expertise with facilities at Dundee, Leith and Grangemouth. The main specialist facility is at Rosyth where there is a regular Ro-Pax service to Zeebrugge which is served by a modern ferry terminal which offers high quality passenger and freight facilities for freight vehicles, accompanied cars, wheeled cargoes in any format and unit loads of all kinds.

  • Ro-Pax services 3 times per week to Zeebrugge

  • Automotive products handled at Leith and Rosyth where there are secure car storage facilities

  • Rosyth offers 24/7 access irrespective of weather or tidal conditions

  • Rosyth acts as a port of refuge when other ferry ports are closed

  • Double tier linkspan at Rosyth and single tier linkspan at Dundee

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Dry Bulks

The ports of Leith, Grangemouth, Rosyth and Dundee have the capability to handle a wide range of mineral dry bulks and agribulks. All the ports are equipped with high capacity grabbing cranes and loadout elevators, whilst at Leith a specialised Siwertel continuous ship discharger dedicated to cement discharge is located. At Dundee there are specialised facilities for agribulks including added value services such as grain-drying.


  • Variety of berths suitable for bulk handling operations

  • 150,000 tonnes of flat storage available

  • Direct to road/vessel capability

  • Bulk rail terminals at Leith, Grangemouth and Rosyth

  • Flexible operation for all types of bulk products

  • ISO 9002 Certified

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General & Project Cargo

The Scottish Ports Division at all of its locations offers extensive cargo services to accommodate a wide range of general and project cargo. Integrated cranage services for large and heavy cargoes are available and a variety of the ports offer deep water berths for both crane activity and other cargo handling options.


  • Specialist facilities for large and heavy cargoes

  • Specialist heavy constructed quays for high capability mobile cranage

  • Deep sea Ro-Ro and riverside berths available



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Liquid Bulks

The combined facilities on the Forth for liquid bulks handled over 26 million tonnes of cargo in 2006.



  • Liquid bulks are imported at Dundee, imported and exported at Grangemouth, and exported from two specialist Marine Terminals on the Forth

  • Main liquid bulks handled are crude oil, petroleum and oil derivatives, chemicals, vegetable and animal feeds and molasses

  • Dedicated or common user facilities available

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Cruise Facilities

The Scottish Ports Division offers dedicated cruise facilities at Leith, Dundee and Rosyth that serve turnround and transit cruises for round UK, Scandinavian and Baltic cruises.



  • Port of Leith Cruise Terminal is 3 miles from Edinburgh City Centre

  • Vessels up to 220 metres LOA can be accommodated in port

  • River anchorages available

  • Car parking facilities adjacent to Port of Leith Cruise Terminal available


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Logistics Centre

The ports act as centres where goods are transferred between transport modes but can also be stored, processed and distributed.


  • All Ports have transit sheds

  • Rosyth and Grangemouth offer specialist narrow aisle racked warehouses on a common user basis

  • Comprehensive services including rail linked warehouses available

  • Value added services can be conducted within the port area


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Offshore Support

The ports of Leith, Dundee and Rosyth provide specialist offshore support facilities. Leith is home to the UK’s largest firm of pipe coaters, Bredero Shaw, and Rosyth hosts Oceaneering International’s umbilical production plant.



  • Dedicated marine bases and/or common user facilities available

  • Offshore equipment, inspection, repair and maintenance facilities in place

  • Large scale pipe spooling facilities at Leith

  • Specialist offshore support fabricators at Dundee

  • Mechanical trenching and burial equipment bases at Dundee and Leith

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